A raw and masterful memoir about becoming a woman and going mad—and doing both at once.When Suzanne Scanlon was a student at Barnard in the 90s, grieving the loss of her mother—feeling untethered and swimming through inarticulable pain—she made a suicide attempt that landed her in the New York State Psychiatric Institute.After nearly three years and countless experimental treatments, Suzanne left the ward on shaky legs. In the decades it took her to recover...

“Suzanne Scanlon enters the inverted space of grief and near-madness with courage, intelligence, and wit—and with a small, sharp light for us to follow.” —Dawn RaffelA series of fragmentary tales tells the story of Lizzie, a young woman who, in her early twenties, unexpectedly embarks on a journey through psychiatric institutions, a journey that will end up lasting many years. With echoes of Sylvia Plath, and against a cultural backdrop that includes Shakespeare, W...

A raw and masterful memoir about becoming a woman and going mad—and doing both at once.When Suzanne Scanlon was a student at Barnard in the 90s, grieving the loss of her mother—feeling untethered and swimming through inarticulable pain—she made a suicide attempt that landed her in the New York State Psychiatric Institute.After nearly three years and countless experimental treatments, Suzanne left the ward on shaky legs. In the decades it took her to recover...