Brain on Fire

Cahalan, S. (2012). Brain on fire: My month of madness. New York, NY: Free Press.

Genre: Memoir 

I won this book as a first reads winner (GoodReads Giveaways) in the fall of 2012 from Free Press. Lots of life happened and kept me from reading and blogging as I once did. However, this past Friday (3/18/16), a friend and I were walking around a bookstore as casual therapy after a medical-related meeting and this cover caught my attention…

…after picking the book up off the shelf, I realized I had this book at home. I have an advanced reader’s edition of this book, so there might have been some minor tweaks and changes before it was officially published and released—but nonetheless, Susannah’s scary and incredible journey is still the same in either edition. For curiosity’s sake, here is what the ARC cover looks like…

My review…

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness was impossible for me to put down. Susannah Cahalan is a journalist, so her writing is just as compelling as ground-breaking news. In this memoir, she shares with us the horrifying experience of what happened to her when her brain unleashed war on itself. Cahalan’s story is raw, absolutely frightening, and yet still thought-provoking and incredibly moving. From her fear of bedbugs to seizures to paranoia to incidents of rage to blackouts…she reveals her inner most fears, thoughts, and experiences as this incredibly rare condition completely took her away her out of herself. 

The insight she was able to piece back together from her loved ones, doctors, journals, medical records, etc. is just mind-boggling. It must have been so eerie for her to research herself to recapture what unfolded in the months of her unraveling. For me the most powerful take-away from this memoir is the frightening reality that hundreds (if not thousands) of people are diagnosed with mental illnesses or other conditions that potentially leave them imprisoned in psych wards or other facilities when it’s very possible they could have a similar rarity in their brain. As Cahalan argues in part 3 of this book, there is a great and growing need for fields to work together and for doctors of every kind to be up-to-date with recent literature and studies so people aren’t falling through the cracks of a system that just doesn’t work well together. This could happen to anyone. It did. It does. There has got to be a better way to quickly get people a correct diagnosis and treatment. 

I am amazed by the strength of Susannah Cahalan. Her ability to keep fighting to find herself again and then share her journey with the world is absolutely remarkable. She is raising awareness and saving lives. I cannot wait to see what she writes next. I’m sure she has much more to share with the world. 

I recommend this book for everyone. Seriously. Every single person. Do you really know yourself? Would you notice if your brain was distorting your thoughts, behaviors, and perceptions? I’m going to make a lofty statement and say that a people don’t and wouldn’t. This is why Cahalan’s story is so powerful. Read it…sooner than later. My only regret is having not read it sooner.

The Lemonade Club

Polacco, P. (2007). The Lemonade Club. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Genre: Children’s Picture Storybook (Memoir)

Polacco has an almost magical ability to tell powerful, yet beautiful stories. In “The Lemonade Club,” Polacco is telling a true story that involves her daughter, Traci, Traci’s best friend, Marilyn, and their fifth grade teacher, Miss Wichelman.

Traci and Marilyn were best friends and did everything together---as best friends do. They were even in the same class and they both loved their teacher, Miss Wichelman. Miss Wichelman was loved because she encouraged her students to dream and to overcome challenges by making lemonade from lemons. This advice was put to the test when Marilyn was diagnosed with cancer (leukemia). Marilyn undergoes treatments, becomes weak, obtains bruises, loses her hair, and struggles with good and not so good days. Traci and Miss Wichelman visit her frequently while she recovers from her treatments…meanwhile; the entire fifth grade class plans a surprise for Marilyn’s first day back to school. I was already teary-eyed from the beginning of the book but the surprise released the floodgates and I cried happy tears. It also happens that Miss Wichelman has breast cancer, so she bonds with Marilyn and Traci in a meaningful way. The three become the Lemonade Club and when Miss Wichelman marries five years later, Marilyn and Traci wear bright lemon yellow gowns in the ceremony in celebration of not only the wedding but also in celebration of their recoveries and Miss Wichelman following her career dream.

Polacco includes actual photographs of The Lemonade Club ladies all grown up and it is remarkable to be able to connect the book characters with the real people.

*Written June 2012

“Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile”

Houston, G. (2010). Miss Dorothy and her book mobile. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Genre: Memoir/Biography, Children’s Picture Storybook

Loving books and people, a young Dorothy knew right away that she wanted to be a librarian in a fine brick library--just like the one in her hometown. She went to college and library school but married and moved out to the beautiful country before she could be a librarian in a fine brick library. Despite this, Dorothy never stopped loving books and people and she continued to read and share books with friends. A group of those friends came together and just like that Dorothy was traveling all over the countryside in a green bookmobile sharing her love of books with everyone, young and old. She grew a little older and in time, a patron donated a fine white house for Dorothy to use as a library. Miss Dorothy was never able to run a fine brick library but she touched the lives of many as a traveling librarian in a fine bookmobile.

Heartfelt story with soft, serene illustrations emphasizing the caring nature of Miss Dorothy. I loved the letters shared from her now grown-up patrons. I was most fond of the message that although we may not end up fulfilling the dream we set for ourselves, we can still inspire others to pursue their dreams...as long as we are doing what we love.

Lost Boy

Yolen, Jane. (2010). Lost Boy: the Story of the Man Who Created Peter Pan. S. Adams. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Literary Genre: Biography (Picture Book) 

James Matthew Barrie’s character Peter Pan is a favorite among children (young and old) and readers will enjoy learning how events in Barrie’s life led to the creation of the magical boy who never grew up. Every page displays a quote from one of Barrie’s works that emphasizes the influence that Barrie’s life had on his novels and plays. The beautiful illustrations invite the readers to see Barrie’s playfulness and highlight his connection to the Llewellyn Davies boys that inspired his greatest work.

This is perhaps one of the best picture book biographies I have read. Many times biographies provide facts in a dull manner; this book is very much the opposite. Jane Yolen writes Barrie’s life story as if it were a fairy tale, she even begins with ‘Once upon a time’. Although Barrie did experience many hardships, Yolen does a nice of job of showing how Barrie overcame those and kept pursuing what he loved, the theatre. The inclusion of quotes from Barrie’s works is one of my favorite aspects of the book; it is a nice of way for readers to indirectly connect his life events to his works. Yolen also includes a list of Barrie’s works as well as a list of famous actresses (yes, actresses) that played Peter Pan.

Martin's Big Words

Rappaport, Doreen. (2001). Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. B. Collier. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Literary Genre: Biography (Picture Book) 

“When I grow up, I’m going to get big words, too.” Martin did grow up to just this. He was a minister, just like his father and used big words to preach. Martin said “together” when others were saying “separate”. Martin walked, talked, and sang with others as they protested for equal rights. When black Americans were beaten and murdered for marching, Martin reminded people that “love is the key to the problems of the world.” In April of 1968, Martin was shot and died in Memphis, Tennessee, but “his big words are alive for us today.” Rappaport’s creativeness with text size, placement, and color emphasizes Martin’s big words while Collier’s stained glass artwork emphasizes Martin’s non-violent beliefs.

I enjoyed this biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. because it was organized uniquely and provides readers with a new perspective on a well-known leader. Both the Author and the Illustrator have written a “note” on the dedications page that reveals how they are both connected to and inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I particularly like how Rappaport mentions that she read several other biographies on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in preparation for this book (and she learned that a child, Martin was determined to use “big words”) because it validates her authenticity but teaches the readers something new about this great leader.