This is an unusual book. The writing is lucid and informative, but the text ranges from disjointed paragraphs of observations and reflections, to solid chapters describing revealing aspects of the author's life (e.g. competitive gymnastics heroes, a rich grandfather, and other snippets), to a highly footnoted section in which the footnotes provide asides only indirectly linked to the text at hand. The disorganised structure somehow evokes her close-hand but directionless musings about her interactions with her mother and brother, who lived and died with schizophrenia. It seems that her father and friends were much more consistently and actively involved in caring for them, but overall this is a compelling narrative of the author's gestalt of experiences over decades on the rather distant sidelines experiencing, but not influencing, the mental illness of her closest relatives. The nearest analogue that I have encountered is the equally outstanding and far more coherent and involving memoir Operators and Things by the pseudonymous Barbara O'Brien, who recovered from a schizophrenic period of some months during the 1950s. I'd highly recommend both these books as revealing views of schizophrenia from the outside and in, and of the daily difficulties of understanding and (quite powerlessly) living alongside the mental illness of loved ones. ( )

Scattered memoir by author living with family members dealing with schizophrenia. The memoir was disjointed, as I assume was her life. Many details were illuminating. ( )

The Edge Of Every Day: Sketches of Schizophrenia
by Marin Sardy
due 5-21-2019
Pantheon
5.0 / 5.0

This is a fantastic memoir! Absorbing and compelling, told with amazing candor, insight and understanding, I thought this was amazing and totally enjoyed it.

Marin Sardy´s struggle to understand her mother and her brothers diagnosis of schizophrenia, and her deep desire to be able to communicate with them were incredible and inspiring. Her support made a difference in their lives. The way in which she shares her experiences and interactions really give a clear and concise picture of the nature of the illness. I learned so much, and saw so many examples of how stereotyping and misconception have made this illness so elusive and hard to grasp.
Thank you for sending this awesome ARC for review.
#netgalley #TheEdgeOfEveryDay ( )