The Test

Is it better to know or not to know? This question haunts Jean Baréma, a French journalist who witnessed his mother's agonizing death from Huntington's disease. Now his brother and sister are succumbing to the disease, and he is about to find out if he, too, will be its victim.   Huntington's disease, a slow degeneration of the central nervous system, ravages the mind and body. It is caused by a defective gene transmitted from one generation to the next, though some offspring inherit the gene and others do not. There is no cure for Huntington's. The Test is a memoir of the five years Baréma spent in anguish over the decision to take the test that reveals whether he is carrying the gene. Baréma recalls his long, emotionally wrought journey from deciding to take the test to receiving the results; he describes how his daily life was consumed by questions and fear; and he movingly depicts the patience of his wife and the compassion of his doctor. The Test is a suspense story and a vivid p