Twenty-Four Shadows

When Tanya J. Peterson contacted me about reading her new novel, published in 2016, Twenty-Four Shadows, I suspected that I'd become absorbed in another intense story.  I've read other books by this very gifted author and educator, namely, Losing Elizabeth (2012) Leave of Absence (2013), and My Life in a Nutshell (2014), and each has kept me riveted.

Set in Portland, Oregon, Twenty-Four Shadows is written in the third person but focuses on the life of Isaac Bittman, his wife, Reese, and their 5-year-old son, Dominic.  Max, the Bittman family's good friend, and his 10-month-old daughter, Elise, are also important characters in the story.  A young and devoted husband and father, Isaac suffers from recurring, debilitating headaches, and his memory lapses and bizarre behavior are getting harder to conceal from others.  Early in the book, he exhibits out-of-control, out-of-character, angry behavior toward Max's wife, Gretchen. A bit later, Reese catches him puffing on cigarettes in the garage (even though he's a non-smoker).  Shortly after this, Isaac loses his job--because he's missed too many days of work--and then goes missing for a while.  This marks a turning point in the story: Isaac's mental illness has begun to affect the entire family.

"Isaac felt sick. What had he done?  What stupid thing did he do to get himself into this mess and hurt everyone so much?"
Twenty-Four Shadows, Tanya J. Peterson

  
Twenty-Four Shadows realistically depicts the thoughts of a caring but confused man who suffers from a mysterious, difficult, and daunting mental illness.  Gradually in this book, readers meet some of Isaac's "shadows" or alters.  He has twenty-four of them, male and female, young and old, with distinct personalities.  Isaac learns that he has a specific mental illness called dissociative identity disorder (DID). I found this book to be exceptional because it depicts the life of a man afflicted by DID, and features his alters--June, Isaiah, Ishmael, Alton, Archer, Jake, and others--as characters with unique voices, traits, and coping skills (some are protective, like June, while others are destructive and cause self-harm, which is rather frightening).  I've never read a book like this before!  It gave me a better understanding of how mental illness could affect a person and his or her family.  The characters are wonderfully drawn and complex; I rooted for Isaac (and his alters), Reese, Max, Dominic, and Elise.  I felt a great deal of empathy for these characters, who were going through difficult times, each in their own way.  Reese is a helpful, supportive, and loving wife, and Isaac loves Reese and Dominic deeply, but finds it harder to love himself (in fact, he's filled with self-loathing).

Twenty-Four Shadows is genuinely fascinating; it's emotional and impactful as well. It  makes you think about how difficult this mental illness would be to live with.  Fortunately, though, there is treatment available. In the book, Isaac goes to a DID specialty program at the Columbia Health and Healing Center, where he gets help from Dr. Charlie and Susanna Horton, a psychologist.  Previously, Isaac had always blamed and berated himself for his bad feelings; now he will learn how to deal with his illness (which was caused by a childhood trauma), including the voices he hears in his head, and his alters. There is hope for Isaac and his family, and for others afflicted by this disorder.

Twenty-Four Shadows held my attention from start to finish.  Peterson is a wonderful, skillful writer who brings her characters to life in a seemingly effortless manner.   I highly recommend this well-written and hopeful novel.  Twenty-Four Shadows is completely compelling.

Special thanks to the author for graciously sending me a copy of her new novel.
Thanks for reading!  Comments are welcomed, as always.

My LIfe in a Nutshell

Author Tanya J. Peterson does not shy away from difficult subjects in her books.  Having read two earlier, impressive books by Tanya J. Peterson, Losing Elizabeth (2012) and Leave of Absence (2013), I wanted to also read her new novel, which has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, My Life in a Nutshell, published in 2014.  Dedicated to the millions of people worldwide who live with anxiety disorders, My Life in a Nutshell, like Leave of Absence, is a novel about the debilitating effects of untreated mental illness.   

"I'm trapped.  My chest constricts even more, and I'm suffocating.  I feel like I can't get enough oxygen, and my lungs spasm again in a loud cough.  Now that I've started coughing fully, I can't stop."
~ My Life in a Nutshell, Tanya J. Peterson

My Life in a Nutshell is written in the first person from the point of view of Brian Cunningham, a school custodian who suffers from severe anxiety and frequent panic attacks.  Tanya J. Peterson paints an astonishing, realistic picture of thirty-seven-year old Brian, who's mourning the recent loss of his dog, Oscar.  The author presents his thoughts in a believable and often heartbreaking manner.  Depressed and full of self-loathing, Brian dreads interaction with people, and avoids it as much as possible.  In spite of his feelings, he cares a lot about his work, and he genuinely wants to help others.  On the first day of the new school year, he discovers Abigail Harris, a seven-year-old foster child who's been abused and who now lives with her aunt and uncle, hiding behind his cleaning cart in the mechanical room at school.  After he helps her put on her shoes, she asks Brian if she can live with him.  This chance meeting is the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. 

If I had to describe this book in one word, I'd choose the word intense.  Through the thoughts of the protagonist, I felt as if I were experiencing the chronic, agonizing anxiety and panic attacks that afflict Brian.  My Life in a Nutshell is powerful, incredibly real and compelling.  I felt immediate empathy for Brian and Abigail as I read this book.  Both characters are quite likable, and it made sense that their friendship would help them.

From the first chapter, I was hooked by this book.  Brian's story convincingly depicts mental illness, and I was swiftly drawn into his world.  He's a wonderful, caring person, yet he calls himself an idiot in the first line of the book; he loathes himself.  It is heartbreaking.  I wanted to find out why Brian felt the way he did about himself (readers do not learn about what happened in his life or its aftermath until much later in the book).  He's led a socially isolated life, is very uncomfortable in social settings, and has only one friend, the day custodian, Roger.  Although Brian suffers from extreme anxiety and struggles on a daily basis, he's a good and kind person, and he's also quite intelligent, and particularly sensitive to the needs of Abigail.  Brian knows he needs to deal with his recurring, troublesome anxiety, but he has a hard time getting that help, for numerous reasons.  Very reluctantly, Brian goes to a counseling appointment that his mother has set up with Dr. Beth Greene. The first appointment is not easy for him, but he does realize that the counseling will help him to cope.

As Brian and Abigail form an attachment to each other, they help each other, and the story is ultimately about friendship and love, and trust and hope, which all contribute to mental health.  My Life in a Nutshell highlights the value and importance of mental health.  It shows that purpose and positive social interaction contribute to mental health, and that counseling may help, in many instances.  Brian's thoughts are a major part of this story, which make you think about your own self-dialogue: are you mostly positive or negative?  Are your thoughts obsessive, or healthy?  In a more general sense, the book compels us to be less judgmental of others, and more understanding.  It reminds us not to evaluate others solely (and negatively) on the basis of occupation ("dumb" janitor, "lazy" housewife, etc.); get to know people--you might be surprised!  My Life in a Nutshell is a wonderful and hopeful book that I'm honored to have read.  Although often overlooked, mental health is an extremely important facet of overall health.

Warm thanks to author Tanya J. Peterson, who writes sensitively and beautifully about a challenging subject, for inviting me to participate in her book tour and for sending me a copy of her book.  For more reviews of this book, please visit the other stops on the My Life in a Nutshell book tour.

Thanks for reading!  Your comments are welcomed.

Really Random Tuesday #64: A Winner, a Geeky Question, and The Summer of France

Sometimes I toy with the idea of listing book winners in my blog's sidebar, but for the time being, I'll continue to announce them in these Really Random Tuesday (RRT) posts.  Welcome to edition #64!

And the randomly chosen winner is... Brian Joseph from Babbling Books, a terrific book blog I discovered a few months ago.  Congratulations, Brian! (Is it just me or do you also often type "Brain" instead of "Brian" and then need to correct your spelling?)  He's won a copy of Leave of Absence by Tanya J. Peterson, which I read and reviewed earlier this month.  If you didn't win this time, please take a look at the other book giveaways listed on the right side of my blog. 

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I have a "geeky" question for those of you who use Blogger.  Do you type up your posts in Compose or HTML mode?   I usually "compose" my posts, but switch to HTML when I need to have things in code.  It's nice to have this option.  Sometimes I want to copy code, like code for a photo or graphic, and I can get it neatly in HTML form.  And sometimes the only way I can fix spacing issues is by going to code mode, rather than compose mode.  I don't know if WordPress also offers both of these options.  And speaking of WordPress, I know some of you have switched from Blogger to WordPress and vice versa (I think).  I've never really considered changing to WordPress, because I've been on Blogger for five years, from the start of this blog, and feel as if I know it inside and out.  It usually works very well for me, except for occasional glitches.  Also, Blogger has made some positive changes fairly recently, such as offering a larger window for typing up posts (we used to have only a small rectangle for this), and it's quite user friendly.  If you use WordPress, I'm guessing it's relatively easy to use, for the most part.  I know so little about the mechanics of WordPress, but apparently it's the most popular platform for bloggers worldwide.

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Que faites-vous cet été?  Next month, I'll participate in The Summer of France book tour.  The book looks and sounds romantic, n'est-ce pas?  I just received my book in the mail yesterday (on Mailbox Monday), and I'm looking forward to reading it.  The author, Paulita Kincer, has traveled to France numerous times.

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Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related matters you can think of.  If you have miscellaneous book news to gather up and are inspired by this idea, "grab" the button for use on your own blog, then add your link to the "master" Mister Linky on the Really Random Tuesday page.

Your comments are welcomed.  Thanks for reading! 

Leave of Absence: Review and Giveaway

Having read an earlier novel by Tanya J. Peterson, Losing Elizabeth, a story about a young girl with a boyfriend who becomes increasingly controlling and violent, I had a feeling that the author's new book, Leave of Absence, published in 2013, would also be intense.  I was not mistaken. In the opening chapter of Leave of Absence, Oliver Graham is about to jump off the roof of an eighteen-story building.  Having recently lost his wife and young son, Oliver is desperate and distraught, and wishes to end his life.  This is a fitting opening for a book that goes on to tackle some very difficult subjects, including serious mental health issues, murder, and infidelity.  Oliver jumps off the building, along with an officer who has grasped onto him, but they survive because there's a landing pad below.  Oliver is then transported to Airhaven Behavioral Health Center, because of his suicide attempt.

Oliver's past life with his wife, Maggie, and young son, Henry, is recounted in the book through a series of memories, dreams, nightmares, and flashbacks.  Oliver is extremely agitated, because he could not save his wife and son, who were killed at a park.  Unable to cope with his feelings about the situation, he's left his house and his job, has become homeless, and wants to die.  Oliver's inconsolable and misses his family.  He wears the same outfit every day because it was a gift from his wife, and he feels incredibly guilty about their deaths (and is blamed by his wife's mother, Nancy).  His reaction and suicide attempt may seem extreme, but given what has happened, I understand his profound despair, his "leave of absence" from life.  His terrible mental state is a direct result of the horrific events and trauma, and he needs counseling and treatment.  He's a caring man who feels awful and responsible for "not being there", for not being able to save his wife and child, and he now apologizes frequently for everything when he speaks to others. 

At Airhaven, Oliver meets another patient, thirty-year-old Penelope Baker, who is schizophrenic.  The book focuses on the friendship developing between these two main characters, Oliver and Penelope, although there are other important characters, too, like William Vaile, a talented chef.  In spite of his personal misery, Oliver reaches out to Penelope, who's suffering because of her mental illness and the way it's affected her life and those she's close to; he acknowledges that his presence and kind words help her.  Oliver tries to make her realize that she must not push away William, her fiancé, who truly loves her.

Penelope feels as if she's lost control over herself, due to schizophrenia, which has affected her for the past couple of years; she's taken a "leave of absence" from her previous life.  Her former life, which included a promising job and a future with a man who cares about her, is gone.  Afraid that her mental illness will also ruin William's life, she pushes him away, even though he's completely dedicated to her, in spite of her illness (and in spite of the efforts of his attractive new neighbor, Mariska).  Others do not understand William's steadfast loyalty to Penelope.  They tend to regard her as "crazy" or strange, and shun her; William's "friend", Rob, lacks sensitivity and makes rude and uninformed comments, and shows how people with mental illnesses may be judged, ridiculed, and berated by others.

Both Oliver and Penelope are sensitive, considerate, likable individuals who do not want to inflict pain on others.  This moving and profound story underscores the importance of mental illness to overall health, and shows that these illnesses can be managed with treatment that may include medication and counseling--and connection to others.  The friendship between Oliver and Penelope becomes increasingly important.  They spend time together at Airhaven, and begin to share their feelings and concerns with each other.  Their empathetic friendship contributes greatly to their emotional well-being.  In fact, it becomes a lifeline for both of them.  In a larger sense, it shows how genuine connection with others is a vital part of mental health. 

Leave of Absence is an absorbing story about mental illness and its ramifications, and I entered a new world in this book.  (Although I believe I'm a sensitive person, I must admit that I don't usually think about mental health, except once in a while, if I question my own strong feelings about something, particularly if they're negative, or if I wonder if someone else might be having some mental health issues.)  I've never before been "inside of the head" of a schizophrenic, and it was a fascinating experience.  Penelope hears the voice of a domineering "Eleanor Roosevelt" who's critical and mean and who pressures her to do odd things, such as eat crayons.  This character undermines Penelope's self-esteem and overall mental health, and makes her feel awful about herself.  At one point in the story, William gives Penelope Eleanor Roosevelt's autobiography, with the hope that if they learn about this woman perhaps they can also discover how to deal with her presence and "voice" more effectively, and curtail future harassment.  Oliver's depression has made him homeless and suicidal, and because he's unable to eat, the staff at Airhaven give him Ensure for sustenance.  The loss of his wife and child have left him with an insurmountable amount of remorse and guilt--even though what occurred was truly not his fault.  Although he continues to suffer emotionally, very gradually, Oliver begins to see a tenuous glimmer of hope.  I felt as if I could understand the agony that these characters were going through, and when they began to feel better, I did, too. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S.. The aim of Mental Health Awareness Month is to educate and inform people about a variety of mental illnesses, including depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, and to reduce stigmas.  This book definitely raised my own awareness of mental health, particularly in regards to depression and schizophrenia.  Although the story's fictional and dramatic, it's believable and well written, and it makes you think about the importance of mental health.  Leave of Absence is a compassionate novel which drew me in promptly and clutched my emotions and attention until the very end.

Tanya J. Peterson is graciously offering a copy of Leave of Absence as a giveaway (U.S./Canada only).

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment. 
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. 

Enter by 5 PM PDT on Monday, May 20.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, May 21.  Good luck!

Special thanks to the author for sending me a copy of this book, and for including me on her book tour.  Please visit the other stops on the Leave of Absence Virtual Book Tour for additional reviews and other features.

Really Random Tuesday #48: An Updated Button and a Guest Review

Happy Tuesday!  This is a very short really Random Tuesday post, and you'll understand why in a few moments.

Special thanks to Veens from Giving Reading a Chance for updating my Really Random Tuesday button. A few months ago, I switched to a custom domain name, and the URL on the button needed to be changed.  Veens also gets the credit for designing this fun button for me a while ago.  She's very talented!

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Please stop by my brief review of Losing Elizabeth by Tanya J. Peterson at Lost in Fiction. Your comments there (and here) are greatly appreciated!  Lost in Fiction, an international portal for fiction fans, is devoting the month of May to young adult fiction.  I felt honored when I was asked to write a guest review for this wonderful site.

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Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of. If you're inspired by this idea, feel free to copy the button and use it on your own blog. Please leave a link in the comments if you’re participating and I'll add it to this post.  For another Really Random Tuesday post, visit Veens' blog, Giving Reading a Chance. Thanks for reading!