I did not want my mother to one day make art out of it.

Because I did not want people to think my father was not a good parent.

After almost ending her own life, Martha says. There are many stories about mental illness, however, Mason's focus on its impact on family relationships sets this book apart. You have to be fatter than me on the day.'Īlongside the humour are the heartbreaking truths. 'But it's contingent upon your weight obviously. She said, obviously she wanted me to be her bridesmaid. She said, 'Fucking finally' and told me that I had to come home so we could workshop bonbonniere for five years or however long it would be before they actually got married.

The humour is dark and wry, and mostly expressed through particular characters, notably Ingrid. First and foremost, a story that makes me laugh and cry in equal measure will always top my list. This is a book I will be pressing on people for many reasons. The plot becomes more complex when Martha does find out what is 'wrong' with her reflects on her first, toxic and short-lived marriage to a man named Jonathan and struggles with her decision about having children. The history of Martha's mental illness is revealed through a series of vignettes about her teenage years, which illustrate the delicate relationships she has with her parents, her sister Ingrid, and her extended family. He had been reading it in bed every night and as ill and scared as I was, I couldn't bear to disappoint someone whose desires were so modest they could be circled in pencil. Patrick's response to Martha's struggle is borne from his love for her, rather than pig-headed denial, and much of the emotional energy in the story is directed toward the particular issue of wanting to be 'well' for the people we love and the feelings of guilt and anxiety that go along with that. As soon as you think that's it, it's going to be like this forever, they change again.' everything is broken and messed up, and completely fine.

Her husband, Patrick, thinks she is fine, and that the important thing is that life carries on. Martha knows there is something wrong with her but she doesn't know what it is. Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason was such a book. But occasionally, I have to put everything on hold because I've become absolutely engrossed in a book. I wish that were the case! In reality, my reading is done in short bursts - ten minutes at breakfast and lunch, a couple of five minute 'power-reads' during the day, and then half an hour before I sleep. You might be surprised to know that I rarely get so engrossed in a book that I'm reading for hours - I think there's an assumption that people who 'read lots of books' devote great rafts of time to the pursuit.

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