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In this memoir, Walton walks the reader through her life-long experience with mania, psychosis, and depression, all parts of her bipolar disorder. With symptoms of her illness first occurring during law school, Walton details the insanity and disruption these episodes can cause, and how continual work with her doctors, a loving support network of family and friends, and awareness of the warning signs have helped her manage each episode just a little better than the last. Walton, an intelligent and capable woman with a successful law career and a solid marriage in which she and her spouse raised a daughter, walks the reader through the thoughts, hallucinations, and fears that accompany her illness. The intimacy with which she shares the details of her episodes helps make a hard-to-understand disorder much more real and comprehensible to those who find it difficult to fully grasp.
Walton's book is well-edited and easy to read. The narrative has a fictional quality that keeps the pages turning quickly. It never gets too concerned with medical jargon, psychological discussions, or the semantics of mental health issues, but stays focused on the day-to-day experiences of the author's journey through her disorder. There are a few instances when additional background information on the definitions and disorders discussed would be helpful, but the focus on the personal is insightful and never gets lost. Walton's bravery in candidly sharing her experiences with others through this memoir is commendable. Anyone interested in mental health or who wants to understand what someone with bipolar disorder goes through will find the author's story both engaging and informational.