
Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling to understand a parent's erratic behavior or is beginning to fear that their family's history of mental illness might be their own destiny. Set in the 1960s, this verse novel follows fifteen-year-old Laura as she navigates her mother's spiraling bipolar disorder while trying to maintain her own identity as an artist and a normal teenager. The story explores deep emotional themes of inherited trauma, the stigma of psychological struggles, and the therapeutic power of creativity. It is highly appropriate for middle and high school students who need a realistic yet hopeful look at family dynamics. Parents will appreciate how it validates the confusion and guilt often felt by children of struggling parents, ultimately offering a path toward resilience and self-definition.
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Sign in to write a reviewThe book deals directly and honestly with bipolar disorder and the historical (mis)treatment of mental illness in the 1960s. It is secular in nature. While the depictions of the mother's episodes are realistic and sometimes frightening, the resolution is hopeful and grounded in the protagonist's growing agency and the power of professional support.
A 14-year-old who feels like they are 'parenting their parent' or a student who feels like an outsider because of a difficult home life they feel they must hide from friends.
Parents should be aware of scenes depicting the mother's hospitalizations and the era's somewhat primitive psychiatric approaches. It is helpful to discuss how mental health treatment has evolved since the 1960s. A parent might see their child withdrawing from social activities or showing hyper-vigilance toward the parent's moods, indicating the child is carrying the weight of the household's emotional stability.
Younger teens will focus on Laura's social navigation and the fear of 'being different,' while older teens will better grasp the nuance of the genetic anxiety and the historical context of the feminist era.
Unlike many prose novels on the subject, the verse format creates an intimate, immediate emotional connection that mirrors the fragmented feeling of living in a household in crisis.
Laura is a high school student in the 1960s whose mother suffers from what was then called manic depression. As her mother's episodes become more frequent and severe, Laura grapples with the 'family secret' and her own intense fear that she is genetically destined to lose her mind as well. She uses her art and poetry as a lifeline to process her reality.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.