Resilience: Two Sisters and a Story of Mental Illness

Close, Jessie

ISBN 10: 1478924527 ISBN 13: 9781478924524

Publisher: Grand Central Pub, 2015

Synopsis

The Close sisters are descended from very prominent and wealthy ancestors. When the Close sisters were very young, their parents joined a cult called the MRA, or Moral Rearmament. The family was suddenly uprooted to a cult school in Switzerland and, ultimately, to the Belgian Congo where their father became a surgeon in the war ravaged republic, and ultimately the personal physician to President Mobutu. Shortly after the girls returned to the US for boarding school, Jessie first started to exhibit symptoms of severe bipolar disorder (she would later learn that this ran in the family, a well-kept secret). Jessie embarked on a series of destructive marriages as the condition worsened. Glenn was always by her side throughout. Jessie's mental illness was passed on to her son, Calen. It wasn't until Calen entered McLean's psychiatric hospital that Jessie herself was diagnosed. Fifteen years and twelve years of sobriety later, Jessie is a stable and productive member of society. Glenn continues to be the major support in Jessie's life. In RESILIENCE, the sisters share their story of triumphing over Jessie's illness. The book is written in Jessie's voice with running commentary and an epilogue written by Glenn.

About this title

Review:

"She has lived a life that even at her worst was spellbinding, and it's a definitely-worth-the-read memoir." "USA Today""

"It's obvious that this is no ordinary memoir...hard to put down...Close is telling her story to the world in hopes of removing the stigma from mental illness. It's a story well worth reading." "BookPage""

"Her memoir tells of all this in frank, gritty detail." "Maclean's""

Book Description:

A memoir by Glenn Close's sister Jessie about the challenges of living with severe bipolar disorder with chapters by Glenn Close.

About this edition

• Publisher: Grand Central Pub
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1478924527
• ISBN 13: 9781478924524
• Binding: Audio CD