From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This powerful story of a mother trying to cope with her daughter's bipolar disorder reads at times like a heightened procedural. Keri, the owner of an upscale L.A. resale clothing shop, is hopeful as daughter Trina celebrates her 18th birthday and begins a successful-seeming new treatment. But as Trina relapses into mania, both their worlds spiral out of control. An ex-husband who refuses to believe their daughter is really sick, the stigmas of mental illness in the black community, a byzantine medico-insurance system—all make Keri increasingly desperate as Trina deteriorates (requiring, repeatedly, a "72 hour hold" in the hospital against her will). The ins and outs of working the mental health system take up a lot of space, but Moore Campbell is terrific at describing the different emotional gradations produced by each new circle of hell. There's a lesbian subplot, and a radical (and expensive) group that offers treatment off the grid may hold promise. The author of a well-reviewed children's book on how to cope with a parent's mental illness, Moore Campbell (
What You Owe Me) is on familiar ground; she gives Keri's actions and decisions compelling depth and detail, and makes Trina's illness palpable. While this feels at times like a mission-driven book, it draws on all of Moore Campbell's nuance and style.
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Trina Whitmore is bipolar. Her mother struggles with Trina's extreme mood swings, multiple 72-hour holds in the health care system, the frustration and impossibility of securing a conservatorship, and, ultimately, a radical intervention. Pamela D'Pella's Russian, Latino, and British accents all sound like they share a Jamaican ancestry. However, her presentation of Trina's roller coaster ride through mental illness is chillingly raw and painfully believable. D'Pella's presentation of Trina's psychosis-fueled rage flies powerfully off the CD, demanding insight into the need for accessible, ample, and aggressive health care. This novel is a must read for policymakers, health care providers, and those still learning to live with this enslaving disease. K.A.T. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
