By g emil reutter
There is much involved when dealing with mental illness in a family member. There is always the hope for a turnaround, a recovery and in some cases, there are successes and in others no so much and the toll on immediate family members is often indescribable. It is not an easy path for all involved, there are the highs and lows, hopes and joys, deep sorrows and regrets.
The Bearable Slant of Light by Lynnell Edwards confronts the totality of mental illness and it effect on the person suffering, (her son), and those around them. This is not a candy coated let’s blame someone or somebody else for the illness. This collection of poems is blunt realism concerning the treatments for mental illness, impact on the family, the dire straits and painful situations all involved find themselves in. Edwards pulls up the shades and lets the light cast upon this issue, an issue many find uncomfortable.