Elephant in the Sky

June 9, 2014
Ashley Carter seems to have it all, a loving husband, two children, a big house, and a job she loves, but her world is turned upside down when her nine-year-old son Nate begins to act strangely. Following Clark's successful debut novel Chai Tea Sunday, her second novel is a magnificent story about mental illness and the unwavering love of a mother for her son. The book delves into the effects and impact of bipolar disorder on those affected as well their family members by splitting the narration between Nate and Ashley. The effect is to bring readers into a close-up experience of both Nate's episodes of fear and delusion and a mother's pain as she tries to help her son through something she doesn't understand. Clark's brutally honest narrative follows their journey through Nate's psychosis: pre-diagnosis, hospitalization, and post-diagnosis. Clark expertly presents Ashley as someone who fears and lacks understanding of mental illness but who, with guidance, learns to accept what she cannot change and begins to deal positively with the situation. The result is a story about love, strength and the struggles those with mental illness and their loved ones face in a society in which many stigmas about mental illness persist.