Surrounded by Madness: A Memoir of Mental Illness and Family Secrets
On the KIRKUS REVIEWS Recommended List of books.  Says Kirkus Reviews:"Penned in a vivid, literary style that bleeds anguish, Pruchno's story is a mother's worst nightmare.  Since the book centers on a young person and leaves such a powerful impression, it would make a solid supplementary text for a college psychology course. Pruchno's feelings of desperation and powerlessness speak more to the reality of mental illness than an academic case study ever could. An unvarnished look at the destructiveness of mental illness, as told by a person who suffered at the hands of someone else's demons."Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan forReaders' Favorite A heart-breaking memoir of a woman who loses both her mother and daughter to mental illness. Brings to light the plight of mentally ill patients and how badly equipped the system is to give proper care and support. Gripping and thought provoking. The author speaks about how the strangling grasp of mental illness destroys the person and how family members succumb to the stigma of this illness and hide it. The book is a must-read - an empowering story.  Discussion questions at the end help readers evaluate what the author has tried to convey.