Fall Reads: A Time for Reflection

By Chris Weber

Every family has secrets, some big and some small. In many families, mental illness has always been there. Whether it is just being “eccentric” or full-blown psychosis, any mental illness impacts everyone in the family. Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, and uncles, everyone has a cross to bear. The two books I am reviewing this month both discuss the pain and the decisions we make in our lives. One is fiction, the other non-fiction. Both are worthy and should be read by all. It’s time to let the secrets out of the closet, try to come up with solutions, and heal.

Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult:

We all remember where we were and what we were doing on 9/11. For 22-year-old Molly, this holds great significance, as her mother died on that day. Not that she remembers, as she was only two months old. She has borne the scars well, has made a life with her husband, Jesse, and is looking forward, albeit timidly, to the birth of her first child. What Molly doesn’t know is that her mother did not die on that day; she merely escaped. 9/11 was just a means, as she had nearly killed her own child, and she slowly submerged into a life of acute psychosis. As Eloise/Georgia rebuilds her life in the south, can she keep the secrets at bay? At what cost will she keep her past and her mental illness a secret? With the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11 coming up, Ms. Picoult decided to revisit the tragedy that impacted us all. In doing her research, she came upon a secret that profoundly influenced this story: a woman who simply disappeared, pretending that she died on that day.  Around the same time, the author received a letter from a young woman in jail for killing her child, as she suffered from postpartum psychosis. As Ms. Picoult often does, she takes an idea, researches it, and then places it as the central focus of her novel. Hopefully, this novel will help bring focus to this illness.

Dad, Love Me, a memoir by Matthew Quick:

Matthew Quick and I have always had a connection, even though we have never officially met. He often sends me personal notes with his books, so I feel at some cosmic level our souls have intertwined. I’ve just opened his book to read, and already I’m crying. Yep, from the first page. The publisher’s note about what it means to forgive a parent who never really knew how to love you spoke volumes, as I, too, have made this journey. And then the title page with a note written by Matthew simply saying “Chris – Thank you.” Got me again…. When we face the impending death of a parent or loved one, we also look in the mirror and say to ourselves, how can we be at peace. Matthew’s journey with his father was difficult. My relationship with my mother was complicated. We both faced the screaming and the put-downs. Somehow, we both survived and even thrived. This is also a story of a mother who loved her son and a wife who supported her husband. Thank you, Matthew, for taking us on this journey with you!

Upcoming books:

The American Way of Killing by Malcolm Gladwell

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel

The French Illusion by John Grisham

Hollywood Ending by John Green

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

Under Story by Chloe Benjamin

Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman

Chris Weber is a partner of The Bookshelf, Madeira’s only small, independent bookstore, where every book is carefully selected to meet both contemporary literary trends and bestsellers.The Bookshelf is open 10-5 Monday-Saturday and Sunday 1-5.