Brain, Child Magazine
15 Must-Read Mom Memoirs by Sally Allen – May 26, 2015
Wells’ stark prose poems build an affecting portrait of living, and parenting, with bipolar disorder. Her scenes shift so seamlessly from moments of lucidity to mania that they initially catch the reader off guard. We are left unsure of what is true and what is Wells’ mania, which then puts us on edge. These swings of emotion, their confusion and uncertainty, mirror the experiences of Wells herself and those closest to her, including her children. Underlying her battle with panic attacks, depression, and mania is a salient reminder for us all: “Time flies when you’re a parent./And there are no do-overs.”
Amazon.com Book Reviews
A clear story of being there in the mind of madness
on May 14, 2015
A clear story of being there in the mind of madness. She tells a story I had never heard, that needed to be told.
Touching and Personal..!!!!
By Dallas Tom on April 19, 2015
Amazing little book ! 159 pages of a person’s life, all neatly compacted into a 7 by 4 inch container…Wow!!….Wells says she wanted to ” give voice and form to my experience with bipolar disorder 1 “……and to ” create the best path toward understanding, with snapshots of my life with this disease.” and ” to share my story ( and subsequently my hope) with everyone impacted by this disease.”….Well, Wells nailed it !!!…I couldn’t put it down once I started reading…finished it off in one sitting…She does what she wanted to do for the reader…In “memoir” fashion, Wells bravely goes from event to event in her life, through her highs, lows, happiness, sadness, anger, excitement, love, hate,…and HOPE…all in a wonderfully personal way for each of us to understand and emulate what she’s going through..Isn’t that the point?..You won’t find anywhere else a clearer, and absolutely naked, let it all hang out, description of the madness of this disease through the eyes of someone who has experienced it..Even if you, or anyone you know doesn’t have bipolar disorder, do yourself a favor and get this book..It will open your eyes , and your heart, to someone and something truly human…Wells wrote this memoir not only for us..but for herself…and created a masterpiece of human emotion..
I do not think this could have been easy, but some how in spite of her illness
Growing up with and loving a family member with mental illness takes such a toll on family. Colleen Wells captures this struggle.
A beautifully poetic description of one woman’s experience with Bipolar Disorder I.
By clb on February 19, 2015
This book is a beautifully poetic description of one woman’s experience with Bipolar Disorder I. Told in small, vivid fragments, it gives those unfamiliar with the disorder glimpses inside its effects and gives those who live with the diagnosis many moments of connection and hope.In the Epilogue, Wells writes “I’ve learned that mental illness makes some people uncomfortable,” and there are uncomfortable moments in the book — the confusion and fear are painfully raw. However, there are also scenes of clarity, of insight, of joy. Its honesty is so needed in helping all of us to understand mental illness and those who live with it.
I hope anyone with someone mentally ill in their lives reads this book.
By Emmett on February 16, 2015
Wells is a wonderful writer. She approaches the difficulties of mental illness with such touching humor and honesty that I could not help but get sucked into this book. My sister was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and died early in life. Reading this book, there was so much that reminded me of her, and I gained so much insight into what life must have been like for her. I hope anyone with someone mentally ill in their lives reads this book. It is an important tool for combating the stigma of mental illness, and spreading a positive message of recovery.
Dinner with Doppelgangers 