MISSING FATHER IBD

Sinopse

At once a powerfulástory of a daughter',s literal and figurative search for her fatheráand an indictment of the mental health system with legacies to this day, Missing Father will touch readers searching to make sense of the complexities of love, family and self-understanding.áFilled with searing memories and beautiful, poetic writing,áitácaptures the extraordinary character of a bipolar parentáas seen through the eyes of aábewildered little girl who grows upátoábecomeáa family therapist with children of her own. áWhile it is memoir,áitáreads like first-rate literature in a vein with classics such as A Beautiful Mind and One Flew Over the Cuckoo',s Nest.áMissing Fatherácuts through the layers of shame, alienation, and ups and downs of life in a family navigating through mental illness andáwill resonate with those who have tried to reach an inaccessible loved one.Missing Father...is beautifully rendered and filled with tenderness and compassion and clarity.... It reads like a dream.áá á -- Laura Davis, co-author ofáThe Courage to HealIt is brilliant writer plus hard experience, heartbreak plus love, a beautiful, shared sculpture of human life. ááááááááááááááááááááááááá--Gina Bliss, MD, pediatricianMissing Fatheráis a deeply moving and insightful personal narrative that draws the reader into the unnerving world of mental health system realities.áá--Lisa Bertaccini, LCSW, former chief of Child and Family Mental Health,áSacramento CountyBrilliant scenes abound throughout, as do moving, poetic images. á--Erica Miles, author ofáDazzled by DarknessA heartbreaking journey from confused child to confident professional....áMissing Fatheráwill resonate with anyone who has tried to alleviate the suffering of an unreachable loved one.áá-- Laurie Heller, adjunct faculty, Woodland Community CollegeSmith',s emotional honesty gives us permission to share our own dark secrets.áá--Janet Greenwood, PhD, RN, LMFT á&ldquo,Through compelling, emotionally revealing vignettes, Shauna Smith teaches us about the power of love and empathy. Lessons for all levels of mental health workers are found in the disturbing descriptions of how an uncaring system can contribute to wrecking a life.áAlso, our clients, those who are caretakers and those struggling with mental illness, may find validation and learn resilience.&rdquo,á-- Jean Rosenfeld, LCSWParents cast a shifting shadow over us and draw on our deepest wells of compassion. Smith ináMissing Fatheráuses memory, writing and reflection to put the shattered pieces of a loved one&rsquo,s life into perspective.á-- Kathryn Gronke, MAI startedáMissing FatheráMonday night and couldn&rsquo,t put it down! I love the short, bold &ldquo,chapters. &rdquo,And the mixing of narrative, conversation, and shared communication (letters), which, of course, would only be noteworthy with a well-written and compelling story.á-- Pauli Hakensen, áaddiction counselor, grief specialist