Woman 99 by Greer Macallister

1888, the time when women could be committed to an institution for any reason, including being inconvenient or embarassing to the family, is the focus of this historical novel. Charlotte finds a way to have herself committed to Goldengrove Asylum to rescue her sister who was committed by their father. Once inside she discovers that the imates and conditions are not the same as the glossy brochure. I found the descriptions of Goldengrove and the treatments offered there interesting (and terrifying). How would Charlotte and her sister escape?

The rest of us just live here by Patrick Ness

This is like what life would have been like for Hufflepuff students whose names we never knew. While Harry Potter and friends were off saving the world, they just had to get on with high school. It’s about a group of teenagers just about to finish school, dealing with family problems, mental health challenges, relationships, and planning for the future, while the “indie kids” have to save the world from supernatural forces. I found it a funny, touching, and hopeful book about friendship and growing up.

Sorrow and bliss by Meg Mason

Such a story for our times, really funny, terribly sad, and so much like life. Martha struggles with her mental health and her upbringing, but her husband loves and cares for her, until she learns something that makes things really fall apart. It’s about modern life, love, marriage, parenthood, and responsibility. It reminded me a little of My Year of Rest and Relaxation, and Rabbits for Food, but was more hopeful than either of those; less bleak, and so funny, with a London and Oxford setting.

Transcendent kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Gifty grew up in Alabama with Ghanaian parents, though her father returned to Ghana when she was very young, her beloved brother died of a heroin overdose, and her mother was overtaken by depression. Now Gifty is a scientist, studying reward-seeking behaviour, depression, and addiction, trying to make sense of what happened to her family. It is a deeply emotional book about a woman trying to reconcile the faith of her youth with the unfulfilled promises of science, and has themes of loss, mental illness, family, identity, coming of age, and the search for meaning and hope.

The forgotten letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn

The story begins with a young mother being dropped off to an island by her husband. He is in fact putting her into the care of a asylum. From these tragic circumstances we are given strength and compassion. There is also a dual storyline set in the present, Rachel comes to the island for oceanic research, and along with discovering some long ago love letters, is facing some home truths herself. The characters were well written and I was hooked into the story from the beginning. Kayte is a great storyteller.

Rabbits for food by Binnie Kirshenbaum

Bunny, her real name, is a New York City writer, deeply depressed. Though her husband has grave misgivings, they go out for dinner with pretentious friends on New Year’s Eve, and Bunny ends up in a psychiatric hospital, after stabbing her thigh with a fork. Yes, it’s dark, but also very funny. There is a cast of quirky characters, plenty of black, sarcastic, humour, and pathos. Not for people who like a neat, happy ending, I found the description of mental trauma fascinating but suspect many would find it a little dark and depressing.

Reasons to stay alive by Matt Haig

I have read a number of Matt Haig’s novels, and enjoyed them very much. This is a memoir, in the main, with elements of self help. In his early twenties Matt had a major episode of depression and anxiety, and they have been with him ever since. This is his story of how he has felt, and what has helped him to stay alive, and find enjoyment in life again. It’s funny, sad, thoughtful and life affirming. The helpfulness of any book depends on the reader, of course, but as someone who doesn’t struggle with depression or anxiety, I appreciate the window into someone’s experiences with them.

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Normal people by Sally Rooney

Set between 2011 and 2015, this is the story of Marianne and Connell whose relationship begins in secret while they are at school, and how it and they change as they leave their small town and go to Dublin for university. It’s about class, communication, love, abuse, mental illness, friendship and the struggle to find one’s place in the world as an adult. It’s very modern, and made me feel old, but it was very compelling.

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First we make the beast beautiful by Sarah Wilson

It was really great to get a picture of what anxiety can be like to live with; how it feels, and how easy it can be to misunderstand an anxious person. I found that element of this book fascinating and helpful. Otherwise, I found it confused and confusing, contradictory and scattered. There are many more questions in the book, than answers, but perhaps the journey will be helpful to other travellers.

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The insanity of murder by Felicity Young

Another solid story in this series of books about Dody, a female autopsy surgeon in Victorian London. This story focused on the suffragette movement and the treatment of female mental patients. The story made me squirm in places as practices towards female patients was rudimentary, the thought that female mental health was totally connected to their sexual organs and removal of those organs did wonders is preposterous! There was not as strong a story line in this volume but I enjoyed learning about early medical practice and am glad times have changed.

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