Charlotte Pierce-Baker’s son Mark was 25 years old when he experienced his first psychotic episode due to what was soon diagnosed as bipolar disorder. In her gut-wrenching narrative, Pierce-Baker gives readers an intimate view of her family’s struggle to cope with Mark’s ailment, exacerbated by drug and alcohol addiction.
Despite marital stress, financial strain, and emotional fatigue, Pierce-Baker and her husband find that their love for their son, an accomplished writer, spurs them on to do all that they can for him while gradually attempting to accept the fact that they “could not save Mark.”
Mark’s prose and poetry, interspersed throughout the book, give readers a glimpse into the depths of his distress. (Lawrence Hill Books)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.