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ritareadthat 's review for:
I'm Telling the Truth, but I'm Lying: Essays
by Bassey Ikpi
A book of essays about the struggles of living everyday life with a mental health disorder. Bassey Ikpi takes us from her childhood in Nigeria to her teenage years in America to her twenties in Brooklyn. She manages to give us intense glimpses into her life, while still keeping her privacy intact. This is an accomplishment to be applauded. The author was able to really, truly convey the ups and downs of mixed mood bipolar disorder (I have the same, so I can highly relate). If anyone out there wants to understand what it's like to live with the crazy that goes on in the head of a person with bipolar disorder, this is the book to read. I mean this with no ill intent. It's facts. And facts that the author was able to convey onto the page. This can be oh so hard. I struggle constantly with lovely things that sound phenomenal and inspiring in my head, but once conveyed to paper, it turns into mush, like so much uneaten oatmeal left on the counter too long.
I gave this book 4 stars and not 5, because of the conflicted feelings I had about what was revealed and what was not. While I applaud her ability to keep her private life more private, by not revealing certain details throughout the book - she also left me wanting to know more that occurred in given situations that she outlined. Like I really want to know who Peter is? This part of the book felt like it was something deeply personal to her, but she revealed very minimal details, not even enlightening the reader as to who Peter was in her life.
Her writing was lovely, not exceptional, but I did have a few quotes that spoke to me that I kept for myself from the book. (I have a whole notebook of book quotes and excerpts.)
The "Like A War" essay was especially meaningful to me, as I have recently been in a similar relationship, and could identify with many different thoughts and sentiments that the author experienced in this relationship. "To ask him why I always have to take care of him without him ever noticing that I need saving too." Truth. You can be both strong and need saving all at the same time.
I gave this book 4 stars and not 5, because of the conflicted feelings I had about what was revealed and what was not. While I applaud her ability to keep her private life more private, by not revealing certain details throughout the book - she also left me wanting to know more that occurred in given situations that she outlined. Like I really want to know who Peter is? This part of the book felt like it was something deeply personal to her, but she revealed very minimal details, not even enlightening the reader as to who Peter was in her life.
Her writing was lovely, not exceptional, but I did have a few quotes that spoke to me that I kept for myself from the book. (I have a whole notebook of book quotes and excerpts.)
The "Like A War" essay was especially meaningful to me, as I have recently been in a similar relationship, and could identify with many different thoughts and sentiments that the author experienced in this relationship. "To ask him why I always have to take care of him without him ever noticing that I need saving too." Truth. You can be both strong and need saving all at the same time.