Poignant ... Zig-Zag Boy,...is by turns an eloquent meditation on the power of nature and a terrifying exposé on the hellscape of parenting a mentally ill child into young adulthood ... Intense, readable ... This book will be a balm for relatives of people with mental illness, particularly those who haven’t yet sought support. But if you’re looking for in-depth analyses of conflicting treatment modalities or scientific theories, “Zig-Zag Boy” is nowhere near as thoroughly researched as Kay Redfield Jamison’s work on bipolar disease or Leslie Jamison’s and Carl Erik Fisher’s addiction memoirs ... Frank is better at describing her journey than being prescriptive or placing it in historical context ... It reads as if she had committed to telling her story, but she still wasn’t comfortable probing the hardest parts, possibly because of her fear of being stigmatized and judged — and possibly to protect Zach’s privacy. We also don’t know whether Zach participated in or approved the writing of this book ... Still, much of Frank’s writing is fresh with keenly observed details.
A recurring motif of elephant seals punctuates this crucial account, which will speak to other families caught between loved ones, mental illness, and society’s judgment.
Frank candidly discusses the wisdom of letting go what cannot be healed or made whole in exchange for the gift of acceptance ... A heartfelt memoir about family, mental illness, and unconditional love.
