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Hurry Down Sunshine    by Michael Greenberg Amazon.com order for
Hurry Down Sunshine
by Michael Greenberg
Order:  USA  Can
Other Press, 2008 (2008)
Hardcover, CD, e-Book
* *   Reviewed by Leslie McKee

Michael Greenberg's world changed dramatically on July 5, 1996, when his daughter Sally was struck mad. After Sally is brought home by the cops for acting crazy, Michael and Pat (her stepmother) take her to the emergency room. While there, Sally admits, 'I feel like I'm traveling and traveling with nowhere to go back to.' The psychiatric resident believes Sally's condition has been building for some time and she is admitted to the clinic (despite the fact that they have no medical insurance).

Michael is extremely candid about Sally's 24 days at the clinic, where she is diagnosed as Bipolar I. As his brother Steve seems to have mental issues, Michael asks himself if it could have a genetic basis. In order to experience Sally's world more fully, Michael tries her medication and is startled at the effects. This memoir also chronicles Sally's struggle to reclaim her life after being released from the clinic.

While the account is confusing at times, the reader is taken along on the roller coaster ride of Sally's battle with Bipolar Disorder. It is apparent that Sally is a bright individual, and astonishing to read how dramatically she changes as a result of the disease. It is inspiring to see how her family, and Sally herself, are impacted by, and cope with, the stigma associated with a diagnosis of mental illness.

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