Chapters 19-20 Summary

In Chapter 19, Susan Leopardi asks Tara about her condition. Tara says that she looks like a "cheerleader for crazy people" (p. 163). Susan Leopardi tells Tara's parents that she's sorry they had to watch Tara do strange things for so long. Susan Leopardi explains that the condition is a disease of the brain, not a personality disorder, and that it has been around since the beginning of history. She explains that Tara will have to do some hard work, because she has adjusted to her behavior, and will have to unlearn it. She says that she knows people who have had this for twenty years, and they have a difficult time unlearning their 'quirks'. Tara's mother inquires about medication, but Tara says that she is afraid of medication, and wants to start without it, which Susan Leopardi says is fine. Sam calls...