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A review by alysonimagines
Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington
5.0
Dear Sarah Nelson,
I’m writing to tell you how much I enjoyed the story you share in your own words called Sure Signs of Crazy (by Karen Harrington, who helped you write it down). It makes me so sad that your mom tried to drown you when you were only two years old. How hard it must have been for you to grow up without your mom, since she was confined to a mental health facility. On top of that, when your dad drinks too much and forgets to take you out for your twelfth birthday, and the only best friend you have to confide in is a plant you’ve taken from one rental home to another as you and your dad try to stay one step ahead of the awful media that is always digging up your family’s past—well, it sounds to me like you’re in a really depressing situation.
But your buoyancy amazes and inspires me. You find joy in the little things, like collecting your favorite words, writing letters to Atticus Finch (the beloved father of Jem and Scout in your favorite book, To Kill A Mockingbird), and learning how to make King Ranch casserole. It’s not easy to have fun when you’re stuck in a small Texas town during the long, hot summer. You manage splendidly, though, and you even meet your first big crush.
Of course, you still think about your mom a lot. You wonder if you’re like her at all. You worry that maybe you’ll grow up to be crazy like her, and you keep watching for signs. When you receive a generic birthday card from her, you confess, “I ache to know more about my mother, while at the same time I wish she’d never send me any cards at all. Feeling two things at once must be one of the first signs of going crazy.”
Sarah, while I read your story you became as real to me as Atticus Finch is to you. I wish I could give you a big hug and tell you that you are not going crazy! You say, “I am not strong like Scout,” but you are much stronger than you realize. You find the courage to trust yourself, even when your feelings take you to uncomfortable places. You find the courage to forgive. And you find the courage to make new friends. Thank you for sharing your story and reminding me that no matter what happened in the past, the future is still wide open.
Sincerely,
A big fan
I’m writing to tell you how much I enjoyed the story you share in your own words called Sure Signs of Crazy (by Karen Harrington, who helped you write it down). It makes me so sad that your mom tried to drown you when you were only two years old. How hard it must have been for you to grow up without your mom, since she was confined to a mental health facility. On top of that, when your dad drinks too much and forgets to take you out for your twelfth birthday, and the only best friend you have to confide in is a plant you’ve taken from one rental home to another as you and your dad try to stay one step ahead of the awful media that is always digging up your family’s past—well, it sounds to me like you’re in a really depressing situation.
But your buoyancy amazes and inspires me. You find joy in the little things, like collecting your favorite words, writing letters to Atticus Finch (the beloved father of Jem and Scout in your favorite book, To Kill A Mockingbird), and learning how to make King Ranch casserole. It’s not easy to have fun when you’re stuck in a small Texas town during the long, hot summer. You manage splendidly, though, and you even meet your first big crush.
Of course, you still think about your mom a lot. You wonder if you’re like her at all. You worry that maybe you’ll grow up to be crazy like her, and you keep watching for signs. When you receive a generic birthday card from her, you confess, “I ache to know more about my mother, while at the same time I wish she’d never send me any cards at all. Feeling two things at once must be one of the first signs of going crazy.”
Sarah, while I read your story you became as real to me as Atticus Finch is to you. I wish I could give you a big hug and tell you that you are not going crazy! You say, “I am not strong like Scout,” but you are much stronger than you realize. You find the courage to trust yourself, even when your feelings take you to uncomfortable places. You find the courage to forgive. And you find the courage to make new friends. Thank you for sharing your story and reminding me that no matter what happened in the past, the future is still wide open.
Sincerely,
A big fan