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876 reviews for:
While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence
Meg Kissinger
4.28 AVERAGE
876 reviews for:
While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence
Meg Kissinger
4.28 AVERAGE
A moving, accessible memoir on a deeply personal yet nearly universal anguish.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
This is an incredibly well-written account of a family affected by severe mental illness. It’s HEAVY and depressing but super impactful. I wish it included a little bit more about the authors career as a journalist as I really enjoyed learning about her experience exposing the atrocities of mental health care in America.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Meg’s family seems perfectly normal on the outside. She had seven siblings and two loving parents. But things aren’t always the way they seem. Behind closed doors, her mom was heavily medicated and often hospitalized for anxiety and depression, and her father was manic and prone to violence. Then some of her siblings also struggled with their mental health – two of which would fall victim to their diseases. Meg tells this story with enough wit to keep you engaged and interested.
What a deeply wonderful and harrowing read. There was so much for me to relate to in this book. Alcoholic parent, and mentally ill parent, and like Meg, it was both parents for me as well. This book is a super heavy read and definitely not for the faint of heart. This book also touches on suicide. If there is something related to mental health, Meg was touched by it and this book shares her story. Her writing style is deeply captivating and keeps you engaged. I appreciated the pictures that were throughout as well – it helped add a personal touch that I connected with. Meg also grew up Catholic, and while I knew some of the things that she mentioned – I hadn’t thought of them for years, so I was outraged at how her mother was treated.
If you are looking for a very interesting, but heavy read then I urge you to pick this one up – you won’t be able to look away.
Thank you so much to @CeladonBooks for sending me this arc to read in exchange for an honest review.
What a deeply wonderful and harrowing read. There was so much for me to relate to in this book. Alcoholic parent, and mentally ill parent, and like Meg, it was both parents for me as well. This book is a super heavy read and definitely not for the faint of heart. This book also touches on suicide. If there is something related to mental health, Meg was touched by it and this book shares her story. Her writing style is deeply captivating and keeps you engaged. I appreciated the pictures that were throughout as well – it helped add a personal touch that I connected with. Meg also grew up Catholic, and while I knew some of the things that she mentioned – I hadn’t thought of them for years, so I was outraged at how her mother was treated.
If you are looking for a very interesting, but heavy read then I urge you to pick this one up – you won’t be able to look away.
Thank you so much to @CeladonBooks for sending me this arc to read in exchange for an honest review.