by Carol Gioia

Created on: July 18, 2008

Ordinary people is the poignant and heart wrenching story of a typical American family in the throes of grief and on the verge of self destruction. The author, Judith Guest, takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster ride of emotions as witnesses to the extraordinary circumstances of accidental death, attempted suicide and alienation of affection which threaten to destroy ordinary people.

Calvin and Beth Jarrett, an upper middle class couple living in Lake Forest, Illinois, are reeling from two tragic incidents which occurred during the previous year. Older son, Buck, was killed in a boating accident and younger son, Conrad, the only witness to his brother's accidental drowning blames himself and in a self destructive depression attempts to take his own life by slitting his wrists with a razor.

Conrad has spent six months in a psychiatric hospital and now has returned home to resume what remnants remain of his high school life. Added to the angst experienced by most coming of age teenagers, Conrad must continue to deal with guilt over his brother's death, his mother's cool and aloof attitude toward him, and the complete breakdown of communication between himself and his father.

Calvin witnesses his son's distress and, feeling helpless, becomes overly solicitious toward Conrad, who secretly yearns for discipline from his father. Beth thinks Calvin dwells too much on Conrad's problems and Calvin thinks Beth is in denial about their son's fragile mental health. Conrad thinks his mother hates him and his father does not understand him.

Doctor Tyrone Berger, Conrad's therapist, is instrumental in helping the youth come to terms with his anger. Reading about the successful suicide of Karen, a girl Conrad befriended in the hospital, causes Conrad to break down; that is the turning point for Conrad's progress in cooperating with his therapist and getting well.

Through therapy Conrad learns he is angry with Buck for dying, angry with himself for surviving and angry at the loss of all the relationships he once relied on, such as his friends from school, his swim team coach and, of course, his estranged parents. Conrad learns the life lesson we all ultimately face; he learns that he can be strong enough to rely on himself.

Calvin takes the therapeutic journey to self discovery with his son and the two once again forge a close, but more mature, father/son relationship. Beth cannot forgive her son for his attempted suicide, which she perceives as weakness, and for disturbing

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