Kieran O'Hagan - The Verdi Solution

It is rare for the journal to publish a review of a novel, but this is an exception for a number of reasons. First, The Verdi Solution is written by an author who has published a number of academic papers within this and other journals. He is also the author (O'Hagan, 2001) of one of the best books on cultural competency that I have come across albeit with a wider focus than family therapy. Second, in writing this novel, O'Hagan has brought hope to all of us who think that 'one day I might write a novel'. But more significantly, this novel is a symbol that the creative experience of working with Families can be transformed into the creative task of shaping a plot, creating realistic people and leading the reader into a world which captivates. What is unique about O'Hagan's characters is that we have all met them: in our clinical work and in our consultation work. He peoples his novel with social workers (who practise a form of family therapy), probation officers, abusive men, and families who live lives blighted by emotional and economic poverty.

Set against the backdrop of Liverpool in 2008 (the 'European capital of culture'), the novel weaves together stories of injustice, racial violence and family distress. On one level it explores how abuse replicates abuse. The main protagonists are a social worker, a probation officer, and a Somali man whose family has been subjected to racial and religious violence. Within this context, the novel may be seen as a description of how such abuse breeds violence: the sort of violence called 'terrorism'. The interconnections between these main characters emerge as the novel moves forward: each holds secrets about the others and each has separate emotional difficulties. In the end, every character goes through a form of psychological 'breakdown' which gives each a smaller 'stake in normality'. O'Hagan's vision is one of the dark side of contemporay Britain: one in which prejudice, violence and ignorance prevail. At times, this is uncomfortable, such as the scene where he describes a vigilante group burning down the home of an alleged 'paedophile'. In this description all that distinguishes the mob from the perpetrator is a (fake) sense of righteousness: not a difference in behaviour! Hypocrisy is rampant in this vision: in family life, in public announcements and in institutional commitments. Clearly it is a mistake to associate the writer with the written, but I was struck (perhaps even challenged) by the bleak picture of social work practice which O'Hagan offers us.

One of the sub-plots of the book directly concerns family therapists. The social worker realizes that a young person in a family is being sexually abused and he decides to meet the family in order to destabilize family loyalties and secrets. The novel carefully unpicks how he acts and what he says in order to achieve this. Unfortunately, his intervention does not result in the outcome he expects. it is a long time since family therapy has been represented in this way. Indeed, we have to go back to the 1980s to find more accessible descriptions of family therapy (McCallum and Lang, 1989; Napier and Whitaker, 1980). Stress surveys confirm that clinicians need to read widely so that their creativeness is not depleted. Books such as The Verdi Solution should therefore be on our reading lists. As an editor who rarely finds time to adopt this piece of advice, this book ensured that I read a novel. But it also assuaged my guilt (not to be reading more submitted papers) because it was a novel about my work. I recommend colleagues to take this novel away with them on their next vacation.
Mark Riven
(Senior Lecturer, School for Policy Studies, Bristol University).

References
McCallum, P. and Lang, M. (1989) A Family in Therapy. Victoria, Australia: McPhee Gribble. Napier, A. and Whitaker, C. (1980) The liezniily Crucible. New York: Bantam Books. O'Hagan, K. (2001) Cultural Competency in the Caring Professions. London: Jessica Kingsley.

The Verdi Solution: An Epic Read, 26 Aug 2009
By Mrs. M. Fawcett (N.Ireland)

This book is an epic read. The reader is drawn in, almost against their will, to a gripping story which is as deeply disturbing as it is morally courageous in laying bare the unpalatable realities of a plot which encompasses the permanently drawn curtains of a Liverpool tenement block, the grey portacabin of a local Social services office, Aldermann's hospital, the local Islamic school, the choristers of the cathedral choir. Somehow, and I'm not sure how, the author weaves together these and other ingredients into a strong storyline which will at once shock, move, disturb, and ultimately challenge......

The Verdi Solution, 27 July 2009
By Adelaide Stevenson (Stirling Scotland)

Thrilling, terrifing, accurate, challenging, depressing, a page turner, a social history book in the making, an easy read... believable characters.... I loved it. Looking forward to looking back at this book in another ten years.

The Verdi Solution, 22 Jul 2009
By Jodie (Hoylake)

This is the most incredible book, & absolutely the best thing I have read this year. The first few chapters took a bit of getting into, but after that it became the most intriguing, tense, & captivating book which I struggled to put down. The subject matter is dark & at times horrific but it is a fascinating story told by someone with a career's worth of experience in the field. An excellent read, & with a liberal dash of choral music. Buy it.

The Verdi Solution, 19 Jun 2009
By Mike H (Wirral)

What an excellent read. O'Hagan draws on professional experience and an admirable grasp of current affairs of recent years to produce a story that is, from the very start and through to the end, gripping and at times utterly shocking, laying bare aspects of life of which many people are blissfully ignorant. The story is written in short chapters which make it compelling to read 'just one more' and carries the reader right through to the nail-biting 'finale'.

Great Read, 3 Jul 2009
By H. Heawood (Yorkshire, UK)

Once I got into this it was a great read. What a plot! An unbearable story if it were true but hopefully it's fiction! For readers not familiar with what social workers actually deal with it may be shocking, but alas this is the reality

The Verdi Solution, 20 Jun 2009
By Thomas Mclarnon (Belfast, N. Ireland)

This is an excellent and well written book which I really enjoyed. I found myself unable to put it down and read it at one sitting with only a few coffee breaks. The characters are eminently believable and I look forward to reading further novels featuring some of those who featured in this.

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping, 24 Sep 2009
By BeeReader (Merseyside)

I found this story fascinating yet sad - sad that perhaps, even probably, the author has drawn a great deal on fact and not fiction! Little do most of us know what goes on in many households and this story peers in and reveals horrors which tell a gripping tale.

I found myself picking it up at times of the day I don't usually read. The author draws you into the story and doesn't let you go until the end.

Enjoyable, thought-provoking - not to missed!, 27 Nov 2009
By Marjut Kosonen

This first novel is, and is not, easy reading. It is riveting, and the pages fly. However, it is not for the faint hearted. The reader is challenged by disturbing realities of its characters, which are complex but believable. As with any good book, there are no ready answers; the book is full of moral ambiguities. The plot is excellent, it makes you want to know more about the lives of the characters. There is a sense that the author has more to say - I am looking forward to a sequel.

A Great Novel, 6 Oct 2009
By Mrs. M. M. Hunt "Margaret Hunt"

This is not only a gripping novel it is also a first class account of what goes on beneath the surface in our communities. I didn't expect to enjoy what is a deeply disturbing subject but because of the excellent quality of the writing I can say I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I am glad that I now have a deeper understanding of the subject. As a piece of current social history this is a very well written book by an author who clearly has a deep understanding of human nature.

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