4.5
challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

 very very sad. Kolker’s writing is a feat in balancing empathy and honesty, trying to tell everyone in the family’s story evenly despite the tragedies that occurred within. The way he structured the book was fantastic, interweaving the history of schizophrenia with the tales of the family was fantastic. The small detail of continuing to use one of the daughter’s new chosen name despite family members not honoring the new name made me very emotional

 Oh my god the mom infuriated me but I also know she was really just doing her best