Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!'s Reviews > While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence
While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence
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by
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Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!'s review
bookshelves: celadon-readers, widget-received, netgalley
Sep 09, 2023
bookshelves: celadon-readers, widget-received, netgalley
**Many thanks to NetGalley, @CeladonBooks, and Meg Kissinger for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 9.5!!**
Meg Kissinger grew up in a veritable whirlwind of uncertainty: as one of EIGHT children, life was always an adventure. Though she had two loving parents, the duo presented one side of their personalities to the outside world, and an entirely DIFFERENT side to their family. Meg's mother recognized the presence of nascent mental health issues prior to their marriage, but perhaps didn't realize the severity until several years later...at the same time her husband's hot temper turned their home life upside down.
In the meantime, a couple of Meg's siblings started displaying symptoms of mental health issues, including bipolar disorder and suicidal ideation and everything begins to escalate. When Meg actually LOSES one of her siblings for good, the situation reaches a fever pitch. Meg pursues a career in journalism, desperate to uncover the truth behind the nature vs. nurture of mental illness and to make a difference in the way it is handled in our country. Can she finally urge her siblings to break their silence and help one another cope, all while having the bravery to share her story...with the world?
As a staunch advocate for mental illness awareness, education, and acceptance, I was very intrigued by the premise of this memoir and hoping for an emotional and impactful experience reading this book. Things were a bit slow at the start, with a VERY exhaustive family history, including discussions of the background of Kissinger's grandparents (which I'm not sure was very relevant) but I hoped after this initial info dump, things would pick up. The introduction mentions the information included in the memoir was compiled from interviews and the like, so what I was hoping to read WERE excerpts of interviews and the like to help get me into the minds and hearts of the members of this family.
But instead of feeling like I could CONNECT with Meg and her family members, I very much felt like an outsider looking in. The detail in the first half of the memoir was just TOO much for me. Instead of opening a window into her past and the thoughts and emotions that helped to shape her, I felt like I was reading very exhaustive, long-winded stories with details that didn't necessarily make an impact. I felt very sad for Meg and the situation she was in, but this was based more on the straight facts of her life than writing that showed any emotion. I'm not sure if this is just because of KIssinger's background as a journalist, but as a huge feeler, I was hoping to connect to the tales she was telling...but I felt the age gap rather dramatically. Though I'm certainly not as young as she was experiencing some of these events, I was very aware of the author's age at the time she penned this book, and in this case, it wasn't a good thing.
At the beginning of the next part however, there was a dramatic flip: Kissinger went into pure journalist mode, and I felt like I was reading a different book. Her exploration of the background of the trajectory of mental health programs in this country and the roadblocks that popped up along the way was engaging AND infuriating. We had such a potential for change in this country many years ago, and instead of moving away from mental health institutions in a pragmatic way, so many of these people were instead funneled from institutions into the prison system, or ended up on the street. THIS was my great takeaway from this book, and rather than a memoir, I was inspired to check out some of Kissinger's journalism pieces on this very subject.
While I applaud using this forum to work through the pain that Kissinger dealt with over the years, as a reader, I was missing the emotional connection I was so hoping to find, especially dealing with such sensitive subject matter. I think a book focused on her decision to WRITE this book would have been more interesting: how did she get from there to here? When I read a memoir, I tend to have the best experience as a reader when I feel as though I know the author far better after reading it. But after reading this particular memoir, much like a therapist at a withdrawn patient's very FIRST session, I felt like I had been left with FAR more questions than answers.
3.5 stars
#WhileYouWereOut #CeladonReads
Meg Kissinger grew up in a veritable whirlwind of uncertainty: as one of EIGHT children, life was always an adventure. Though she had two loving parents, the duo presented one side of their personalities to the outside world, and an entirely DIFFERENT side to their family. Meg's mother recognized the presence of nascent mental health issues prior to their marriage, but perhaps didn't realize the severity until several years later...at the same time her husband's hot temper turned their home life upside down.
In the meantime, a couple of Meg's siblings started displaying symptoms of mental health issues, including bipolar disorder and suicidal ideation and everything begins to escalate. When Meg actually LOSES one of her siblings for good, the situation reaches a fever pitch. Meg pursues a career in journalism, desperate to uncover the truth behind the nature vs. nurture of mental illness and to make a difference in the way it is handled in our country. Can she finally urge her siblings to break their silence and help one another cope, all while having the bravery to share her story...with the world?
As a staunch advocate for mental illness awareness, education, and acceptance, I was very intrigued by the premise of this memoir and hoping for an emotional and impactful experience reading this book. Things were a bit slow at the start, with a VERY exhaustive family history, including discussions of the background of Kissinger's grandparents (which I'm not sure was very relevant) but I hoped after this initial info dump, things would pick up. The introduction mentions the information included in the memoir was compiled from interviews and the like, so what I was hoping to read WERE excerpts of interviews and the like to help get me into the minds and hearts of the members of this family.
But instead of feeling like I could CONNECT with Meg and her family members, I very much felt like an outsider looking in. The detail in the first half of the memoir was just TOO much for me. Instead of opening a window into her past and the thoughts and emotions that helped to shape her, I felt like I was reading very exhaustive, long-winded stories with details that didn't necessarily make an impact. I felt very sad for Meg and the situation she was in, but this was based more on the straight facts of her life than writing that showed any emotion. I'm not sure if this is just because of KIssinger's background as a journalist, but as a huge feeler, I was hoping to connect to the tales she was telling...but I felt the age gap rather dramatically. Though I'm certainly not as young as she was experiencing some of these events, I was very aware of the author's age at the time she penned this book, and in this case, it wasn't a good thing.
At the beginning of the next part however, there was a dramatic flip: Kissinger went into pure journalist mode, and I felt like I was reading a different book. Her exploration of the background of the trajectory of mental health programs in this country and the roadblocks that popped up along the way was engaging AND infuriating. We had such a potential for change in this country many years ago, and instead of moving away from mental health institutions in a pragmatic way, so many of these people were instead funneled from institutions into the prison system, or ended up on the street. THIS was my great takeaway from this book, and rather than a memoir, I was inspired to check out some of Kissinger's journalism pieces on this very subject.
While I applaud using this forum to work through the pain that Kissinger dealt with over the years, as a reader, I was missing the emotional connection I was so hoping to find, especially dealing with such sensitive subject matter. I think a book focused on her decision to WRITE this book would have been more interesting: how did she get from there to here? When I read a memoir, I tend to have the best experience as a reader when I feel as though I know the author far better after reading it. But after reading this particular memoir, much like a therapist at a withdrawn patient's very FIRST session, I felt like I had been left with FAR more questions than answers.
3.5 stars
#WhileYouWereOut #CeladonReads
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Reading Progress
August 11, 2023
– Shelved
August 11, 2023
– Shelved as:
to-read
August 11, 2023
– Shelved as:
widget-received
August 11, 2023
– Shelved as:
celadon-readers
August 30, 2023
–
Started Reading
August 30, 2023
– Shelved as:
netgalley
September 5, 2023
–
Finished Reading
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Jayme
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Sep 09, 2023 01:19PM
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![Rachel Hanes](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1612631995p1/75009563.jpg)
![Amina](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1704684472p1/150665344.jpg)
![Rosh](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1700254211p1/91622714.jpg)
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
It was! I applaud her bravery, but at the end of the day, I wanted this to feel more intimate and emotional. (I couldn’t help comparing it to Mama Love and how much I loved that memoir!) Thanks so much, Jayme! 💕
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
I’ll be honest, there was a part of me at the beginning that wanted to DNF. 😔 I don’t like to rate non fiction lower than 4 normally since it seems like it should be slightly less subjective than fiction, but in this case, I think her editor should have encouraged the book to go in a different direction. I was far more interested in the research she explored in her articles than some of her extended family’s backstory: it was like a fiction book with too many characters. I did learn some interesting facts about the system at large and it has inspired me to learn more, so that was a win. (And sorry for the insanely long reply! 😂) thank you very much, Rachel! 💞💞
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
It was a bummer but my last memoir was so freaking good I don’t care! 😂 plus I have the Fonz’s book coming up so fingers crossed! TYSM Pink 💗
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
I just didn't get the impact I was hoping to find, I connected so much more with the researched parts in the book. It may hit differently for you though Barbara since I am a bit of an outlier, if you try I hope it'll work for you! 💙
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
Aww thanks Rebecca! 💕 I did learn a LOT even though it wasn't what I was expecting!
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
Why thank you, Rowan! 😊 I wanted to rate higher based on the author's courage, but I think the book just could have been structured differently and that hindered my enjoyment. I'm glad it has been a better read for lots of other readers, though.
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
Thank you very much, Amina! 💖 I felt so terrible writing this in part because I think the author is a tremendous person and writing this book took courage and clearly so much collaboration from her family too, but it didn’t quite click for me. I am glad she shone a light on some of the missed opportunities for mental health reform and access in this country…hopefully someday we can say we’ve made real progress in that area! ♥️
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
I think maybe because her parents and her siblings went through much more serious and trying times, the focus was really on them and I wanted to know more of Kissinger’s story in terms of her emotions and thoughts rather than just recounting the events. I’m still glad I read this though because it had some eye opening moments! Thanks for your kind words, Rosh!! 🤗 💜
![Melissa (Trying to Catch Up)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1559343382p1/721595.jpg)
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
Thank you very much, Carol! 💕 it had some interesting and shocking moments but I was hoping to feel like I knew the author by heart by the end and I can’t say that I did. I’m so glad she and her siblings have overcome so much adversity and found a way to support one another though!
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
So very true! I love reading them (usually) but reviewing can be so tricky for that very reason. I think in this case because the author is a journalist it might have been harder for her to write outside of that vein. Thanks for your kind words, Melissa!
![Jayne](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1609436276p1/81520480.jpg)
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
Thank you so much, Jayne! I was hoping for such a strong emotional component, but unfortunately it was missing for me in this read. I just wanted to know the author better, but I think at the end of the day her journalistic tendencies won. I do applaud her contribution to the field though and sounds like she has accomplished a lot through her research, so that was admirable!!
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
I am not sorry I read it, just sorry it didn’t have the emotional impact I expected! Thanks so much, Kay!! 💕
![JanB](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1527313486p1/260116.jpg)
![Kendall](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1672840012p1/42327848.jpg)
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
Thank you very much, Jan! 💜 it’s always hard when you don’t connect with a memoir because it feels like a criticism of the person themselves, but in this case I think the book being structured differently could have made a huge difference. Maybe she’ll write another one with more of her inner world for the reader to explore, who knows!
![Melissa ~ Bantering Books](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1669137927p1/33853154.jpg)
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
It was so frustrating, because the subject matter is near and dear to me and she has certainly been through so much, but for me that element being lacking was a disappointment. Thanks so much, Melissa!! :)
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
First of all, kudos to you Kendall! 👏👏👏 working in that field must be so draining, mentally and emotionally, and we need so many more people like you in the world! I considered going to school to be a therapist but I think I was so afraid I would take everyone’s problems home with me, so therapists are so unbelievably valuable and selfless. I would be very curious what your thoughts are as a member of the community, but I am so glad to hear that even if your colleagues are at times uneducated that you’re there to provide guidance…you truly have a heart of gold!!! 💛
![Nikki Lee](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1717245559p1/145104549.jpg)
![Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - even more behind!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1565295366p1/29919991.jpg)
Thank you so much, Nikki! 💜 I was hoping in ‘breaking the silence’ that the author was going to be a bit more vulnerable in her conversations and maybe explore more of her emotion vs. her emotions in relation to her siblings and the hardships they experienced. I was incredibly impressed by what she has accomplished via her journalism though, and that alone made me glad I read this one!