I have the expertise for this topic because I was raised in a loving home with a mother who struggled with bipolar disorder. At times my life was hilariously adventurous or heart-wrenchingly sad. Given little direction, I married an alcoholic and then went on to work at a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center. I have fallen on hard times, but at the age of thirty-two, as a single mother collecting welfare, I managed to grief, heal and dig myself out, creating a rewarding life. I am optimistic, and I try to find humour in all things, especially after the tears and healing have subsided. My writing has brought me tremendous healing and joy.
By Karen Harmon
Karen's memoir takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 1970-1990. Looking for love in all the wrong places, Karen leaves home at seventeen at her mother's urging. She soon finds herself emersed in the disco scene, meeting unsavoury characters and going from one dead-end job to another. Where is my Happy Ending is a true story about a girl who enters adulthood after being raised in a home plagued with mental illness. A genuine, heartbreaking and heartwarming account that is relatable to women of all ages. Karen's wit and storytelling abilities and simplicity at looking at life will keep you engaged from start to finish.
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By Jeannette Walls
Jeanette's memoir is one of my favourite books. A heartbreaking and heartwarming story of a girl growing up in a home with addiction and mental health issues. Even though her parents have serious problems, the author paints a picture of love at all costs. She weaves us through her childhood, allowing us to see the world through her eyes. You will smile, laugh, and possibly cry.
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By Catherine Gildiner
Too Close to the Falls is hilarious and moving with a dark side that at first is undetectable. Gildner's memoir is richly absorbing and captures childhood's essence, where each experience is a lesson. In the 1950s, Too Close to the Falls is an exquisite, haunting portrayal of friendships, brushes with death, and how a schoolgirl affects the course of aboriginal politics. Memorable and skillfully told.
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By Mira Bartok
A harrowing and beautiful tale of two sisters growing up with a paranoid schizophrenic mother. The author describes a fine line between gentle artistic creativity and debilitating mental illness. The reader will come away with a better understanding of how deeply children are affected growing up in a dysfunctional and traumatic environment. A mother's love and a journey to forgiveness teach us the complex meaning of love.
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By Mary Ediger
This lovely memoir follows Mary, the daughter of Mennonite Pastors. Her recollections are comical and heartwarming as she deals with growing up in a Mennonite home in a non-Mennonite community. The creativity that goes with being raised with little means and living frugally makes Mary and her family rich beyond belief in adventure and storytelling.
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By Elizabeth Strout
Stout's story is fiction, but we can all see the truth in ourselves displayed by the main character Olive. She never fails to exude the ugly parts while also showing lovable humanitarian features. Olive comes across as not a very nice person, but we somehow fall in love with her. The author introduces us to Olive's life and the characters, who are equally trying to maneuver around who she is as a wife, mother and friend. Olive Kitteridge is also a four-part Netflix original.
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