While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence by Meg Kissinger

4.28 AVERAGE

krittabug's profile picture

krittabug's review against another edition

As a general rule, I don’t traditionally “rate” a memoir because I’m not here to put a number on someone’s lived experience. But Meg’s novel tells such a beautiful story about a family deeply affected by mental illness during a time and place that didn’t put value in being open about it. Her investigative reporting (both on mental health care AND about her own family’s history) is so thorough, and it was interesting to hear her stories from and about Milwaukee. Meg narrates the audiobook, which is fantastic. And while the stories within the book are deeply heavy, she relays them with such care, humor and honesty. HIGHLY recommend this one for anyone impacted by or interested in mental illness (and advocacy) or suicide (and prevention). Also if you’re local and a journalism fan of Meg’s work. 

elisabrown's review against another edition

4.5
emotional informative reflective medium-paced
erinbeth11's profile picture

erinbeth11's review

4.75
dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced
Absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful and thoughtful and enlightening but oh so tragic. Meg is a genius at telling her story, and I hope to read more of her work
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maya3333's review

5.0
emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

hailey_rhiannon's review

5.0
emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

kng_writes's review

4.5
Reminds me of another book I read last year, called Hidden Valley Road, but overall written better. Kissinger approaches this impossibly dark subject matter with authenticity, passion, love for her family, and skill, and it just bleeds off the page. 
bethcroissant's profile picture

bethcroissant's review

5.0
Raw, heart wrenching, but witty and funny at times. This memoir tackles hard subjects as Kissinger reveals all about her family plagued with mental illness in a time of limited understanding and avoidance of speaking out.

She discusses her parents and siblings in such an honest way, with both the perspective of her younger self and her more compassionate and understanding present self. It was hard to read about, but also healing in a way. It gave me a lot of perspective about my own family growing up.
5/5 stars
padigrumae's profile picture

padigrumae's review against another edition

4.25
emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
I really appreciate Meg Kissinger’s voice and ability to tell the story of her family. Parts of it made me laugh and parts of it made me cry. I think her capacity to recount the moments of her and her family’s lives that were so full and so difficult are a really welcome look at what it is like to grow up in a family where many suffer from various mental illnesses. It is especially poignant in the way it relates the love and trauma that go hand in hand, and how as much as we want things to be black and white, they tend to be many shades of complex grey. Though tragic, it is also a story of hope and an invitation to choosing to love instead of hide.

healthysew's review against another edition

4.0
informative reflective medium-paced

aterich's review

4.25
challenging emotional hopeful reflective