Tanya J. Peterson's Leave of Absence is a story about two people who suffer immensely from mental issues, but through each other's friendship they are able to face thier fears and slowly accept the hope of a new beginning. Check out the full review of this new read!
Book Review - Leave of Absence

Thank you for recommending this book. I just read it based on your review. It was devastating. I say devastating because of the amount of mental pain and anguish the characters endure all the way through, despite caring and capable therapists and caregivers. The textbook descriptions of mental illness we read in nursing school were just clinical facts; this was the best picture ever painted in words of what it's like to actually be and think like a schizophrenic, medicated or not, and, in the case of the other main character, someone undergoing grief at a traumatized level along with PTSD. It was written by a therapist. Many times the writing, the dialog, is very stilted and simple, to the point where you think the characters are mentally challenged (as opposed to, or in addition to, mentally ill), but I think it's because it's a book that's meant to teach people of various levels and abilities.

Thank you for your post, ChrisCat, I am quite happy that you got to read the book based on my review. The book really is quite an eye-opener; it was indeed a 'painting in words' of what the mentally ill go through (you described it to a T!) This is exactly what gets me excited about literary fiction - the ability and skill (of the author) to show, to paint, to illustrate with WORDS with the intention to enlighten and educate, so that the we the reader can feel exactly what the characters feel, as though we were right there with them. I'm very pleased that you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Ije