Victoria Costello

THE BOOKLIST REVIEW.... Science journalist Costello’s educative memoir gives poignant testimony to the fact that not only do we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us; we carry their burdens as well.

At the point where it was almost too late to intervene in her eldest son’s
mental deterioration, Costello embarked on a journey backward in time that moved her and both of her sons forward into a brighter future.

While admitting Costello’s son to a psychiatric ward, the admissions counselor inspired her to examine the skeletons in her family’s closet. Therein Costello discovered generations of psychiatric issues that, upon investigation, increased her and her sons’ risk for mental illness. Had these problems not been kept secret—as too many families do—she could have avoided present-day heartbreaking circumstances.

The story Costello shares is a twofer. It is a cautionary tale about the price families pay for keeping mental illness secret. It is also a road map for identifying risk factors for and recognizing early signs of psychiatric issues, the better to preempt advanced disease. —Donna Chavez