As I began to read this book, I immediately had my doubts and thought this was going to be a tough book to get through and that at the end I was going to rate it 2 maybe 3 stars. Oh, how I was wrong. This book blew me away and had my heart breaking and my soul falling to pieces at the end.

The reason I struggled so much with this book at first is because of the writing style. It’s actually quite genius if you give it time. It was so disjointed and fragmented and non-linear and chaotic. I really struggled with following along and had to reread sentences over and over again. But what the author was trying to do was accurately portray this woman’s mental state in the best way she could. And as you read along, you finally come to realize that that’s what was happening. Granted, it would’ve helped me get into the book quicker if she didn’t do that at the very beginning and slowly led me into that. But what she did, she did so well. As the story went on and I read the main character’s different parts, I could really feel how unstable she was. There were times of complete awareness and lucidity and other times of chaos and confusion and disjointedness. I also think the other chapters that were in the viewpoints of the other characters was a fantastic structure choice. It really allowed the reader to see a 360 view of what was going on which made the ending hit so much harder.

I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about this book. I don’t know enough about the author, but this felt personal. This felt like she really understood a mother dealing with a handicap son as well as a mental illness alone and on her own. This was beautifully written, extremely heartbreaking and I’m so glad I got to read this book. I’m glad it’s getting published so that maybe more people will have access to it.

***Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. ***

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. Elaine Kraf wrote one my favorite novels, Princess of 72nd Street, so I was grateful for the opportunity to read this discomforting novel. As a mom, this novel made me feel everything. EVERYTHING. Anyone who has ever loved a child, especially a child who struggles, will never be the same after reading this.

Know that this was originally published in 1969 but that it's still relevant. Clarence's mother devoted herself to him until she just couldn't. Her mental health struggles see her institutionalized and it is in this setting that she considers their future. It's painful, it's poignant, it's thought provoking. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A worthy read.

OW, my heart. Ugh this one was ROUGH has a mom only 20ish months out. I remember so vividly the routine appointments and tests. Elaine was able to so quickly transport me back to that time.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Elaine Kraf, Random House as a whole, and Modern Library for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}

This was a good book and it gave a lot of insight into mental health and disabilities and the overlap of them too. It made me think about things I had never thought of, and also made me glad to not have to worry about certain things daily like they did in the book. It was an emotional read with a lot of growth.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I had enjoyed the Princess of 72nd Street and this had that element that I enjoyed about the first book. It worked well in this plot and uses the characters and their journey perfectly. Elaine Kraf wrote this in a way that was engaging and had that it was a realistic portrayal in mental health.