|
|
|
|
|
Finding
Alice
By Melody Carlson
Retail: $12.99
Waterbrook Press
On the surface, Alice Laxton seems no different from
any other college girl: bright, inquisitive, and excited about the
life ahead of her. But for years, a genetic time bomb has been
ticking away. During a stress-filled senior year at college, a new
world of voices, visions, and unexplainable "knowledge" cause Alice
to begin to lose her grip on reality. Her struggle with
schizophrenia is ultimately subjected to a wide range of treatments
even more frightening and painful than her illness. Powerfully raw
and brutally honest, "Finding Alice is a story of individual
suffering and hope, a family's shared ordeal, and a search for true
mental and spiritual healing.
|
Jeni's
Two Cents |
 |
The award-winning Carlson has penned more than 90
books for the CBA market, and her experience is in full evidence
here. Using the allegorical characters and imagery of Lewis
Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Carlson unfolds the tale
of Alice Laxton, a smart, talented senior at Oregon's Portland State
whose life is about to be irrevocably changed by the onset of
full-blown schizophrenia. As Alice moves deeper into paranoid
delusions, her alarmed mother attempts to have her "demons" cast out
by the pastor at Salvation Center, the family's fundamentalist
church, then takes her to a mental hospital. After rebelling against
treatment, Alice escapes to the streets. She soon acquires a sickly
cat, predictably named Cheshire. The "Cat Lady" Faye offers healing
for the kitty, a temporary home for Alice and the keys to finding
wholeness again-and possibly romance with her nephew, Simon. As
Alice gropes toward mental healing, she also finds spiritual healing
from her distorted view that schizophrenia is a punishment for her
sins. The excellent choice of first-person narrative draws the
reader into close identification with Alice, and her bizarre
illusions and paranoia feel poignant and believable. The pacing
slows a bit toward the end, and some of the scenes where Alice
temporarily hooks up with a group of hippies are reminiscent of
Carlson's novel Looking for Cassandra Jane. But kudos to Carlson for
tackling this disturbing topic in ways that should broaden an
understanding of schizophrenia.
This book was different than any I've ever read in the Christian
market. Carlson gives you a peak inside the head of a schizophrenic.
It is well researched and gives you an honest look at what it is
like to live with mental illness. The story is touching,
poignant, and a good read for any age adult. I do not
recommend it for children under the age of 16 as it has some scary,
real-life situations.
I feel this is a good book to share with non-believers as it in
non-threatening way to introduce others to the Christian message.
*Book Bargains & Preview Rating is
based on Five Stars.
Price Shop
|
|
|
