“Stalking Irish Madness,” by Patrick Tracey, Bantam Dell, 272 pages, $24.
+++
Patrick Tracey has a family curse — schizophrenia. Two of his sisters are schizophrenics, as were several maternal uncles, his maternal grandmother and apparently, his mother.
Schizophrenia is an adult-onset disorder, which appears to have a hereditary component.
Individuals with the right combination of genes, and possibly the right mix of circumstances, suddenly begin hearing voices talking to them.
Onset occurs between age 15 and 34. At present, it appears incurable.
It also appears to strike randomly, afflicting one or several siblings but leaving the others alone. Not untouched or unaffected, because life is significantly affected when a family member has schizophrenia.
Tracey attempts to make sense out of the chaos that follows schizophrenia’s wake in his book, “Stalking Irish Madness.”
Part memoir, it also blends an examination of medical knowledge of schizophrenia, with a study of Irish heritage and folklore.
Tracey’s return to his Irish roots was triggered by the 2002 discovery of a schizophrenia gene.
It was the result of a genetic analysis of the population of Roscommon County, Ireland.
It was the very county from which Tracey’s great-grandmother was from.
It also turns out Ireland has the highest per capita rate of schizophrenia in the world.
In “Stalking Irish Madness” Tracey explores the interconnections between his Irish heritage and his family’s problems.
Tracey recognized similarities between Irish legend and the visions seen by his schizophrenic sisters.
James Joyce, Ireland’s most famous author, had a schizophrenic daughter. As well, the mad Irishman was a staple of 19th century American folklore.
Was it just cruel stereotyping, or Tracey wondered, was there something underlying the image?
Tracey’s explorations prove fascinating, unforgettable and compelling.
He ventures the borderlands in which science, folklore and history intermingle.
The book describes his pilgrimage to Ireland in search of his family’s roots and its implications for his own sanity.
“Stalking Irish Madness” reads like a historical mystery at points. You know it’s nonfiction because ultimately, the detective — Tracey — cannot uncover the culprit driving his family’s schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia might affect the Irish, but Tracey shows it isn’t exclusive to one people. It strikes all races and ethnicities.
Schizophrenia could have contributed to 19th century tales of Irish madness, but insanity can also be triggered by malnutrition and disease.
This is especially true with diseases — like typhoid — that induce high fevers.
Yet if Tracey can reach no answer, “Stalking Irish Madness” provides haunting reading.
Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, amateur historian and model-maker, lives in League City.
