Everything Is Fine: A Memoir
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- Create Date：2021-05-11 12:31:27
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Vince Granata
- ISBN：179712515X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Caitlin （CMAReads）
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Filled with such openness and vulnerability。 Granata’s memoir is so tough to read， yet so full of love。
Kathleen
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An incredibly moving and well written memoir。
Anna
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Nonfiction novel about the author’s brother who is schizophrenic and killed their mom。 Hard to read as it’s so sad。
Heather
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This is one of the most beautiful and devastating books I have ever read。
Steve Horowitt
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Unforgettable。
Cynthia Judkins
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True story about a man who's schizophrenic brother kills their mother。 Beginning was more engaging， it kind of wandered at the end but was interesting。 True story about a man who's schizophrenic brother kills their mother。 Beginning was more engaging， it kind of wandered at the end but was interesting。 。。。more
Lori
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Since the topic of these memoirs is well-known， I don’t think there are any spoilers here。 I read this book in just over four hours， but had to space out the reading over a couple of days， as the horror of Tim’s descent into schizophrenia and psychosis and his murder of his mother is set out in highly readable form and I needed to take time away from that horror。 Vince （the author） cannot avoid the murder of his mother by his brother， and I can see both how it impacted his life in the short-term Since the topic of these memoirs is well-known， I don’t think there are any spoilers here。 I read this book in just over four hours， but had to space out the reading over a couple of days， as the horror of Tim’s descent into schizophrenia and psychosis and his murder of his mother is set out in highly readable form and I needed to take time away from that horror。 Vince （the author） cannot avoid the murder of his mother by his brother， and I can see both how it impacted his life in the short-term after the murder， and in the years that follow。 I can only hope that writing this book has helped him and his father， sister， and brothers （yes， Tim included） to heal somewhat。 。。。more
Beth
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Very well written， but heartbreaking。
Rachel Dobin
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This was so well written with so much honesty， self reflection and knowledge of one of the worst tragedy’s any family can experience
Kris
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“I love my brother—and—my brother killed our mother。”The mind， man。 What a fickle beast。 It is simply fascinating。 I knew within the first 3 pages of this book that it would be a five star read for me。 I stand by that initial assessment。 And also， I am sufficiently creeped out。 As I started this book I was wearing a Yale New Haven Hospital fleece， the hospital where his brother was treated。 Vince and his family vacationed in the same area of the Cape that I did as a child and that my parents now “I love my brother—and—my brother killed our mother。”The mind， man。 What a fickle beast。 It is simply fascinating。 I knew within the first 3 pages of this book that it would be a five star read for me。 I stand by that initial assessment。 And also， I am sufficiently creeped out。 As I started this book I was wearing a Yale New Haven Hospital fleece， the hospital where his brother was treated。 Vince and his family vacationed in the same area of the Cape that I did as a child and that my parents now reside in。 I attended his prep schools rival。 And despite this happening in my state， neither my husband nor I remember this tragedy。 This one hits close。 “I saw his psychosis as a shroud covering his recent history， concealing the final months when his illness had festered untreated， his madness putrefying his brain。”This book is raw and unfiltered and devastatingly honest。 I devoured it and cannot recommend it highly enough。 You would be hard pressed to find a single person out there who has not been touched by mental illness in some way。 Although this story is an extreme case it is， unfortunately， not unheard of。 Thank you to Netgalley， Atria Books and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Molly He
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It’s been a while since a book makes me cry。 “There’s so much I want to tell you。”
Leslie
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I devoured this memoir。 Walking beside Vince as he recounts his personal experience growing up as a big brother to triplets， the diagnosis of his youngest brother Tim with schizophrenia， and the eventual matricide of his mother as a result of this severe mental illness is a powerful and deeply moving experience。 His candor as he recounts his thoughts， feelings， and actions as he grieves is real。 Vince truly lays it all out there for the world to see。
Susan
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What a tragic story。 It's a very well written book， made all the more poignant because it was a family member who wrote it。 Not much more to say about it other than it made me sad for the whole family。 What a tragic story。 It's a very well written book， made all the more poignant because it was a family member who wrote it。 Not much more to say about it other than it made me sad for the whole family。 。。。more
Kerry Morley
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This memoir had me hooked from the prologue。 I received this book as an ACR from Simon and Schuster/Atria Books， so did not know what to expect when I started reading。 Vince is the oldest of four siblings， the younger three are triplets。 Their family is close， closer than most。 His mother is the rock of the family and loves her children deeply。 Vince and his siblings spent their childhood together and were each other’s best friends。 But as a young adult， Tim， one of the triplets develops schizop This memoir had me hooked from the prologue。 I received this book as an ACR from Simon and Schuster/Atria Books， so did not know what to expect when I started reading。 Vince is the oldest of four siblings， the younger three are triplets。 Their family is close， closer than most。 His mother is the rock of the family and loves her children deeply。 Vince and his siblings spent their childhood together and were each other’s best friends。 But as a young adult， Tim， one of the triplets develops schizophrenia that becomes very severe， very quickly and ultimately murders their mother。。This memoir is beautifully written。 Vince takes you through how he struggled to come to terms with what his brother did and who his brother was when he did it。 Forgiveness， anger， and love all wrapped into one。 I also appreciated how this memoir really dives into serious mental illness and how we as a society need to do more to take care of people like Tim。 How schizophrenia is not just what we see in the movies， and behind this disease is a person; a person who is just as deserving of help and forgiveness as we all are。。Long review but if you enjoyed hidden valley road then I would definitely recommend this to you！ If you want to understand schizophrenia and how it affects the family as a whole get this book！！！ 。。。more
Aubree （mnreadingmama） Cheadle
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Memoir is one of my favorite genres and this one sounded totally up my alley。 I enjoyed Granata's raw， real look into the tragedy that struck in his family when his schizophrenic brother murdered his mother。 He did a good job of looking into the effects of mental illness on his brother and his family， while painting a vivid picture of who his brother is and really made us see him as a whole person beyond just his disease。 I thought he approached delicate issues very tactfully and appreciated tha Memoir is one of my favorite genres and this one sounded totally up my alley。 I enjoyed Granata's raw， real look into the tragedy that struck in his family when his schizophrenic brother murdered his mother。 He did a good job of looking into the effects of mental illness on his brother and his family， while painting a vivid picture of who his brother is and really made us see him as a whole person beyond just his disease。 I thought he approached delicate issues very tactfully and appreciated that approach。 While I enjoyed the look into some systemic problems surrounding mental health and care for those struggling with mental illness， I did find it got a little slow and clinical in places， and it did end up dragging a bit and took me longer than I expected to get through。 I really enjoyed this book， and would recommend it to anyone interested in memoirs dealing with issues of mental illness and family tragedy， but it wasn't quite a hit for me in the way I expected。 。。。more
Karen
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Extraordinarily moving， harrowing account of devastation caused by uncontrolled serious mental illness。 Brilliantly executed memoir。 Important， educational， insightful。 Could not put this book down until very last page。 Will stay with me forever。
Bookreporter。com Biography & Memoir
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In stunningly raw and vivid prose， Vince Granata examines the tragedy that ripped his family apart in his ironically titled memoir， EVERYTHING IS FINE。 Writing about mental illness， grief and the systems that prevent real care for those who suffer， Granata covers the full spectrum of human emotion --- from anger to shame， forgiveness to hope， and everything in between。Granata was four years old the day his mother and father came home with his three new siblings: Christopher， Timothy and Elizabet In stunningly raw and vivid prose， Vince Granata examines the tragedy that ripped his family apart in his ironically titled memoir， EVERYTHING IS FINE。 Writing about mental illness， grief and the systems that prevent real care for those who suffer， Granata covers the full spectrum of human emotion --- from anger to shame， forgiveness to hope， and everything in between。Granata was four years old the day his mother and father came home with his three new siblings: Christopher， Timothy and Elizabeth。 In an instant his family doubled in size， and he proudly and exuberantly took on the role of older brother。 Twenty-three years later， Tim would violently kill their mother， the penultimate moment of his increasingly erratic and disturbing battle with schizophrenia， forever changing the fabric of the Granata family’s lives and forcing each of them to confront Tim’s mental illness。 In the aftermath， Granata pieces together his family’s history from the day the triplets came home to the day his mother died on their family room floor， asking how such a joy-filled event --- the miraculous birth of three desperately wanted children --- could start the countdown to murder。Granata is an expert curator of memories。 Despite the horror that we know is coming for his family， he is able to relay warm， happy memories from his youth to introduce readers to Tim。 With humor and heart， he talks about the way his father sheathed the family furniture in pink foam board when the triplets started to walk; the way his mother walked them around on a leash （their “tails”） so that they could experience the world together; and even the fights in which he and his siblings displayed their childhood might， protected by bouncy foam weapons。 It is clear from the start that Granata always took his role as a big brother seriously。 How could he not， with so many young charges looking up to him and following his lead？ Even as a child， Granata often found himself aligned with his parents， while the triplets formed alliances among themselves， with Chris and Tim becoming the closest of brothers and best friends。The Granatas， an upper middle-class family， had disposable income， access to good health care， food on the table， and plenty of extracurriculars to keep the children busy and well-rounded。 So how could Tim’s mental illness have snuck its way into their lives？As Granata tells it， Tim’s shift started in high school， an almost impossible time to make any real evaluations of a person’s mental health or grip on reality。 Tim， a brick house of a boy， went from playing football to lifting weights to dominating his school’s wrestling team， a feat that earned him the respect of his peers， who adored him as a gentle giant。 He spoke in funny accents in class， carried his injured brother off a football field and performed in jazz ensembles。 But all the while， “Tim was accelerating。 Somehow it started， on an atomic level， a single cell， something misfiring， an electron hitting the wrong synapse， a chemical imbalance slowly putrefying his brain。”This fracturing of his psyche continued in college， first diagnosed as “severe depression” and later as psychosis NOS， “not otherwise specified。” Writing with the grit of a journalist， Granata quickly breaks down the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders （the bible of psychology） definition of schizophrenia and psychosis， and how people suffering from single psychotic episodes and others descending rapidly into madness are grouped under the same umbrella， often in ways that put them in danger。As Tim’s mental illness continues to take hold， first in suicidal ideation and later in an obsession with good and evil and the depravity that divides them， Granata highlights how his schizophrenia starts to work on separating him from the world。 First， his illness adopts a malleable religious language， a “spiritual vocabulary that [animates] his delusions，” convincing him that others are corrupt， that he cannot connect with his peers。 At first this helps Tim shape the world he struggles to recognize。 But， as Granata comes to learn， it goes hand-in-hand with anosognosia， a form of denial that is neurologically programmed into the minds of the mentally ill that forces them to create and accept illogical explanations for the symptoms of their diseases。Writing from a brother’s perspective， Granata painstakingly details how difficult this hardwired denial is to combat。 Even more eloquently， he describes his --- and his family’s --- comprehension of the early symptoms of Tim’s illness as delusions themselves。 Having never dealt with a mental illness as destructive and devastating as Tim’s， it is easy for Granata to feel angry at Tim’s denial， take too much stock in his brief moments of lucidity， or， even worse， poke holes in his careful understandings of the world his brain has created。 Delusions beget delusions beget delusions， all as the medical community turned a blind eye to the powder keg that was building in the Granata home。Writing about the day of his mother’s murder， Granata is clear-eyed， almost too graphic。 He provides a detailed timeline and the thoughts that took hold of his brother， who by then believed that his parents had sexually abused him as a child。 I won’t share the details of that day here， but what happens after is one of the most powerful， transformative bits of writing I have ever had the honor of reading。 As Granata writes， “At first， I fought back， tried to separate my life into before and after， as though memories were photographs to sort into albums。” When he breaks through this linear way of thinking and focuses instead on the complex and layered emotions that drive memory， the book takes on a somehow even more shocking and earth-shattering tension as he moves toward honoring his mother， forgiving his brother and finding himself in the process。EVERYTHING IS FINE is an immediately gripping book， not least for its ripped-from-the-headlines topic。 But this is no shock-value memoir by someone looking to trauma dump their story into the lives of others with no follow-up。 Granata is an eerily prescient writer who is able to look at the big picture of even the smallest， most tender and intimate moments。 What is so impressive about this book is not the shock and horror of what happened to Tim or what he did to his mother， but the ways that Granata is able to weave a tapestry of loss --- Tim’s loss of his control， his mother’s loss of life， Chris’ loss of his best friend and womb-mate --- into something that perfectly demonstrates the ways that we have failed our mentally ill neighbors and the families who love them。 Through his salvaging of the Tim he grew up with （which is not easy， not taken or given lightly）， Granata is able to explore decades of reform in mental illness care， the changing bonds of familial love， and， of course， the binds of grief and anger。Haunting， poignant and eye-opening， EVERYTHING IS FINE is a testament not only to a brother’s love， but to a family’s ability to heal。 Vince Granata is a cadenced， courageous writer you won’t soon forget。Reviewed by Rebecca Munro 。。。more
Mckenzie Clark
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Absolutely heartbreaking story of mental illness and the devastating tolls it takes on families。 Phenomenal writing— Vince isn’t an author for a living but you’d never know that by reading this book。 His words flow freely and you can tell they’re from the heart！
Julia Sanchez
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This book was amazing！ Really love the author。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
lexi ✨
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wow。。this was an extremely heavy read。 i can't imagine how hard this was for vince granata to write， sort through & re-live， but i really hope this memoir helped him in some way。vince granata uses this memoir as a way to navigate through all the trauma， fear， & anger of his mother being murdered by his schizophrenic brother tim， but he does it in a way where he explores his own feelings & emotions， & goes in depth to try to salvage the good， pure & happy memories of tim & his mother。 now， this d wow。。this was an extremely heavy read。 i can't imagine how hard this was for vince granata to write， sort through & re-live， but i really hope this memoir helped him in some way。vince granata uses this memoir as a way to navigate through all the trauma， fear， & anger of his mother being murdered by his schizophrenic brother tim， but he does it in a way where he explores his own feelings & emotions， & goes in depth to try to salvage the good， pure & happy memories of tim & his mother。 now， this does not mean this memoir is a walk in the park， it digs deep， at times it is very difficult to get through， but i think that's what makes it strong。 i have never read anything like this before。。 i think vince was very transparent & very willing to be open about how he sorts through his thoughts。 he goes through his fears of tim being violent， he cycles through projecting his anger， having memory loss from trauma， overthinking all the possible "what ifs" & outcomes if him & his siblings came home sooner， & his alcoholism to drown his grief。 his story was very fluid， it flowed exceptionally， even though he was writing about his healing processes which were anything but linear。 i appreciated being able to read about vince's trauma & fear and how they clouded a lot of his pure memories & the ways he tried to get back to them。 i also appreciated the fact that he took the time to discuss the link between untreated serious mental illness & violence through the role of psychosis & how important it is to not stigmatize mental health。 i really liked how he described the grieving processes his brother chris & his sister lizzie went through & how that changed their relationship with tim， because every single person in the granata family had their own way of grieving， their own ways of communicating with each other after the fact， & i felt that was very important to include because not everyone grieves & experiences trauma in the same ways。 he goes into detail about anosognosia， which in brief is the lack of ability to perceive one's own realities of a condition。 in this case it was tim's schizophenia that was being examined & you could just tell that vince really tried to learn as much as possible to try to get closer in understanding tim's illness even though it is difficult。 i even learned from vince's explanation of the term。 overall， it's definitely a memoir that carries a lot of pain， grief， trauma， & healing， but it is very real， vince does not try to sugar coat anything， he really tries to search for answers within himself & takes his time to analyze everything about this traumatic experience。 everything down to the title just holds so much significance。- arc provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Audrey Farley
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Beautifully composed， tender， and heartbreaking。 This one will stay with me for a while。
Christi
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A powerful retelling of a family’s grief and a son’s mental illness。
the。unexpected。reader
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Right from the start of this book， Vince Granata recounts the day in which he got the tragic phone call - his mother had been murdered， murdered by his younger brother Tim who suffers from schizophrenia。Looking back， Vince remembers the day his parents brought home these tiny new siblings， a set of triplets - Tim， Elizabeth， and Christopher; announcing that meeting his new siblings was the greatest day of his life。As his recollections move forward， Vince singles out specific memories of Tim。 Fro Right from the start of this book， Vince Granata recounts the day in which he got the tragic phone call - his mother had been murdered， murdered by his younger brother Tim who suffers from schizophrenia。Looking back， Vince remembers the day his parents brought home these tiny new siblings， a set of triplets - Tim， Elizabeth， and Christopher; announcing that meeting his new siblings was the greatest day of his life。As his recollections move forward， Vince singles out specific memories of Tim。 From childhood， to being the powerhouse on the high school wrestling team， to college – where his schizophrenia started to take hold。 How Tim would lift weights to help muffle the voices in his head。 The ones that would twist his perception of reality。 The ones that would make him believe things that hadn’t happened happen。His parents sought out help， but the severity of his mental illness needed much stronger and urgent help。 Then one horrific day， when Vince's mother was home alone with Tim （she was too afraid to leave him by himself and was never worried that he’d ever hurt her） his voices got too loud for him to control。 Who knew that this would be this day Tim would listen to them and kill one of people who loved him most unconditionally？It would take Tim years to fully remember details of that day。Vince， Tim， and the remaining family would have to listen to every painstaking detail of the case。 Their love for the unwell brother mixed with the murder of their much-loved wife and mother。 There are no sides to be taken here， for Vince it is only understanding and forgiveness。 But the reality of all of this is， has had a harsh lasting effect on them all。Everything Is Fine is very well written。 It’s a hard read， as I’m sure it was for Vince Granata to write it， and portrays the reality of growing up with a sibling with a mental illness。A big thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read this advanced copy。 。。。more
Zibby Owens
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The book follows the author's family's story and explores how they were impacted by schizophrenia。 Most of the book involves his younger brother Tim who became ill right after starting college， and how his illness progressed over several years。 There were many challenges to getting Tim the care that he needed。 Tragically， he began having hallucinations that involved their mother and killed her。 The book reconstructs how the author's family arrived at that tragic day and then tracked how they sur The book follows the author's family's story and explores how they were impacted by schizophrenia。 Most of the book involves his younger brother Tim who became ill right after starting college， and how his illness progressed over several years。 There were many challenges to getting Tim the care that he needed。 Tragically， he began having hallucinations that involved their mother and killed her。 The book reconstructs how the author's family arrived at that tragic day and then tracked how they survived and grieved in the aftermath。Clearly， there's a traumatic， emotional story here， but the way the author tells it is very gripping and vivid。 I felt like I was there， all the details of his home and everything he discovered through his research。 It's incredible how he made his tragedy come alive on the page so that I shared in his pain。 I love how the author talked about his male friends organizing and rallying together around him。 I don't get many examples of amazing， deep male friendships， not the kind of friendships we see in women's stories。 It was amazing to see how the author's friends showed up when he needed them。To listen to my interview with the author， go to my podcast at:https://zibbyowens。com/transcript/vin。。。 。。。more
False
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I would rename this book "Everything is NOT Fine。" I only read it because it was on a list of "current books you should be reading，" which is usually an alarm for me to not be reading them， given my tastes; i。e。 not of the general populace。 It reminds me of a friend who's father killed his wife （my friend's mother） and then himself。 Now， his son goes around on Facebook boasting of his father's past （work） and comments about "he's my hero，" when the bald truth is that he killed his wife and then I would rename this book "Everything is NOT Fine。" I only read it because it was on a list of "current books you should be reading，" which is usually an alarm for me to not be reading them， given my tastes; i。e。 not of the general populace。 It reminds me of a friend who's father killed his wife （my friend's mother） and then himself。 Now， his son goes around on Facebook boasting of his father's past （work） and comments about "he's my hero，" when the bald truth is that he killed his wife and then cowardly （some hero） killed himself。 I keep silently saying， "Some day this is going to catch up with you and grind you to dust。" I'm not a big fan of seeking help through phases of crises as they usually don't have anything to tell you that you don't know--if you have the courage to face it。 Which my friend is not。 I wonder about this author。 His schizophrenic brother murdered their mother， yet he lives， under lockdown。 This is way too complicated to dissect in a simple book review。 I've seen parents who will wear themselves down into a nub， dealing with adult children with mental illness。 Somehow feeling responsible for this creature。 The mother was warned she could be in danger。 She went into denial saying he would never harm her。 I guess he showed her。 His sister is a mess now， his father an aged shell。 Yet he goes to visit his brother and keep that channel open， not wanting his brother to feel abandoned。 I've seen "children" like this wipe family's out， not just through murder， but their psychosis， freewheeling spending， out of pocket medical expenses not covered， physical harm。 I could tell twenty quick stories in this review， each a nightmare， and in the end？ You have to make your choices。 The author choses to remain in touch with his sibling， due to what？ As he said， his mother would never see him married， never hold her grandchildren。 In truth， he's been robbed， and do you stay in contact with the thief？ I am sure many would agree with the author's humanitarian approach to all of this， but having seen it firsthand？ Sometimes you need to cut your losses and close the door。 。。。more
Nancy
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It’s heartbreaking， but an important book to read。 Starting with a horrific event， the author then takes us back through his childhood， with triplet siblings Christopher， Tim， and Lizzie， providing some important background and perspective。 In doing so， you’re able to see the development of a Tim’s mental illness and how it impacted his family over time。 In writing about Tim， and his mental illness Granata uses a wide range of source material， including treatment notes， hospital records， etc。The It’s heartbreaking， but an important book to read。 Starting with a horrific event， the author then takes us back through his childhood， with triplet siblings Christopher， Tim， and Lizzie， providing some important background and perspective。 In doing so， you’re able to see the development of a Tim’s mental illness and how it impacted his family over time。 In writing about Tim， and his mental illness Granata uses a wide range of source material， including treatment notes， hospital records， etc。The book graphically illustrates the challenges of obtained sustained and effective treatment for adults with a serious mental illness。 I recently read Happy Valley Road by Robert Kolker and Everything is Fine brings the subject of schizophrenia to the present day。 The research presented is not as scientifically rigorous as in the Kolker book， but still informative。Thanks to Simon and Schuster， Book Club Favorites， and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Everything is Fine in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader
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I don’t know where to begin with this book other than the blurb， “In this extraordinarily moving memoir about grief， mental illness， and the bonds of family， a writer delves into the tragedy of his mother’s violent death at the hands of his brother who struggled with schizophrenia。 Perfect for fans of An Unquiet Mind and The Bright Hour。”Mental health deserves our spotlight and attention。 We can’t ignore it any longer。 We need to reduce the stigma， so real life stories where mental illness plays I don’t know where to begin with this book other than the blurb， “In this extraordinarily moving memoir about grief， mental illness， and the bonds of family， a writer delves into the tragedy of his mother’s violent death at the hands of his brother who struggled with schizophrenia。 Perfect for fans of An Unquiet Mind and The Bright Hour。”Mental health deserves our spotlight and attention。 We can’t ignore it any longer。 We need to reduce the stigma， so real life stories where mental illness plays a big part are beyond critical。 Vince Granata is a skilled writer， and this memoir is highly readable even though the topics are heartbreaking but important。 Vince and his family never lose their love for their brother and son。 The complex catwalk of that love and the path to understanding and redemption is an experience I can’t even begin to put into words。Everything Is Fine is a book to be read and discussed。 It's a portrayal about the power of forgiveness in the face of immeasurable loss， as well as a testament to grappling with the complexity of mental illness in those whom we love most。I received a gifted copy。Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www。jennifertarheelreader。com and instagram: www。instagram。com/tarheelreader 。。。more
Cynthia
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This will be the memoir that everyone is talking about in 2021。 Loss and grief are multifaceted things and， in this case， even more so。 Vince Granata lost his mother in 2014。 She was not the victim of her own disease， but the disease ravishing the mind of one of her children。 Vince’s younger brother， suffering from unchecked schizophrenia， murdered their mother in their home one hot July day。 In Everything is Fine， Vince shares the shock of this news， his memories of his brother and mother befor This will be the memoir that everyone is talking about in 2021。 Loss and grief are multifaceted things and， in this case， even more so。 Vince Granata lost his mother in 2014。 She was not the victim of her own disease， but the disease ravishing the mind of one of her children。 Vince’s younger brother， suffering from unchecked schizophrenia， murdered their mother in their home one hot July day。 In Everything is Fine， Vince shares the shock of this news， his memories of his brother and mother before the murder， and his convoluted path of grief and acceptance。 The details of the Granata family’s pain are difficult to read， but Vince conveys it all poetically。 He is transparent in the thoughts he wrestled with throughout and shares a number of pertinent facts about the mental health system， with all of its shortcomings， and the disease that claimed his brother’s mind。 It’s worth noting that he makes it clear that schizophrenia and violent crime are not quick to go hand in hand and he advocates for a better understanding of the illness， as a whole。 Knowing that a parent can fight so hard for her child’s mental health only to have it result in her murder is heartbreaking and terrifying。 I don’t think there is an easy solution to such things or that anyone necessarily failed anyone else here。 It seems everyone did the best they could with the tools at their disposal。 That’s what makes it all the more tragic。 We are all so limited in what we can give and push for， although the guilt of hindsight often cruelly suggests we could have done more。 Vince Granata’s writing flows beautifully。 While tragedy guided him into this cathartic endeavor， it is clear he was born to be a writer。 His ability to express himself this way shines through。 He broke me several times as he aptly pulled me into the storm of his emotions。 He broke me one final time as I read the last few lines of his acknowledgments。 His love for his entire family was apparent， but his admiration of his mother and grace toward his struggling brother were， more than anything， the pulse of the narrative。 Although this was one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read， I could close it and walk away when it was over。 It isn’t my devastating story; the thing I’m forced to breathe in and live with every day。 The Granata family will never be able to choose the same。 To read a book like this runs the risk of discomfort， but it also promises to nourish compassion and growth。 If my prediction in the beginning of this review is wrong - if this isn’t the memoir of the year - the reading community will be making a terrible mistake。 You need to get to know Vince and his family。 This is a story of anguish that needed to be told; a story we all need to better comprehend。You can find all of my book reviews， lots of other fun bookish content， and the occasional ramblings about movies right here: https://www。facebook。com/abookishbutt。。。 。。。more
Sue
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Vince was a thousand miles from home， working in another country， when he received a call from his dad telling him that his schizophrenic brother Tim had killed their mother。 Vince was one of four children， the other three a set of triplets four years younger。 With both parents being physicians， there was a wealth of knowledge in the family， but the health care system still failed to treat Tim’s growing mental illness and adequately diagnose and deal with his long term psychosis。 It’s not a true Vince was a thousand miles from home， working in another country， when he received a call from his dad telling him that his schizophrenic brother Tim had killed their mother。 Vince was one of four children， the other three a set of triplets four years younger。 With both parents being physicians， there was a wealth of knowledge in the family， but the health care system still failed to treat Tim’s growing mental illness and adequately diagnose and deal with his long term psychosis。 It’s not a true crime memoir that dives into the grisly details of murder， but focuses on mental illness and the effects on the individual and the family。 This wasn’t an easy one to read， but I was so touched by the empathy showed towards Tim in this book。 I came away from this memoir incredibly sad， but touched by the compassion showed in Vince’s journey through grief and understanding of his brother’s mental illness。 。。。more
Tracy
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