Victoire Charpentier is a young woman living in Lucie-sur-Vionne, France, at the end of the 18th century. When her father dies in a coach accident and her mother is drowned for witchcraft, she has no choice but to go to Paris to work as a scullery maid for a noble family. Overwhelmed by the big city and abused by the Marquis who employs her, life doesn’t get any easier for…
Tag: mental illness
Biography
Continue Reading
RIP Harper Lee
Last week, I learnt with sadness about the passing of Harper Lee. Her book To Kill a Mockingbird is a favorite of mine and is, in my opinion, one of the best American classics. Born Nelle Harper Lee on 28 April 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama, she was the youngest of 4 children. Her father was a lawyer, perhaps the inspiration for Atticus Finch. Her mother suffered from mental illness, and…
Guest Post
Continue Reading
Interview With Jonathan LaPoma
The following is a guest post by Jonathan LaPoma, author of Developing Minds: An American Ghost Story. If you would like to write a guest post on my blog, please send me an e-mail at contact@cecilesune.com. Can you tell us a little about yourself? I’m an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, songwriter, and poet from Buffalo, NY. In 2005, I graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo with a BA in history…
Review
Continue Reading
Memoirs of a Stranger by Tamar Douglas
Asha Shakes was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and now lives in the US. She is desperately trying to get rid of her culture, as she believes it weighs her down. At the same time, she develops all kinds of conditions (paranoia, OCD, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, delusions), and she ends up being admitted against her will to a mental health hospital. During her stay there, she only trusts one therapist, Dr. Gayle….
Michelle Muckley
Continue Reading
Psychophilia by Michelle Muckley
Back in July 2014, Michelle Muckley wrote a guest post on my blog on Being Adaptable as a writer, and I finally got the chance to read her book, Psychophilia. It is the story of Charlotte Astor, a 32-year-old real estate agent, who has just tried to commit suicide. Because she lost part of her memory, she doesn’t understand why her husband, Gregory, is so cold towards her, especially as she…
Kate Mayfield
Continue Reading
The Undertaker’s Daughter by Kate Mayfield
The Undertaker’s Daughter is the true story of Kate Mayfield’s unusual childhood. The first 13 years of her life, she lived in a funeral home in a small town in the South of Kentucky. Frank, her father, was an undertaker, and death was a big part of their lives. When a body was brought to the funeral home, the kids were not supposed to make any noise, so there was no…
Arthur Thomas Morton
Continue Reading
Way Out by Arthur Thomas Morton
This is the true story of Eugene Uttley as he contends with schizophrenia. At first, all seems well: after graduating from university with a B.A. in English, Eugene starts working as a teacher. He sometimes struggles in his relationships but nothing is obviously wrong with him. After a while, he decides to go to South Korea as an ESL instructor. Once there, he meets Jen, and they eventually move to Jeju Island. That’s when…