72 Hour Hold

Trina Whitmore is bipolar. Her mother struggles with Trina's extreme mood swings, multiple 72-hour holds in the health care system, the frustration and impossibility of securing a conservatorship, and, ultimately, a radical intervention. Pamela D'Pella's Russian, Latino, and British accents all sound like they share a Jamaican ancestry. However, her presentation of Trina's roller coaster ride through mental illness is chillingly raw and painfully believable. D'Pella's presentation of Trina's psychosis-fueled rage flies powerfully off the CD, demanding insight into the need for accessible, ample, and aggressive health care. This novel is a must read for policymakers, health care providers, and those still learning to live with this enslaving disease. K.A.T. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 23, 2005
This powerful story of a mother trying to cope with her daughter's bipolar disorder reads at times like a heightened procedural. Keri, the owner of an upscale L.A. resale clothing shop, is hopeful as daughter Trina celebrates her 18th birthday and begins a successful-seeming new treatment. But as Trina relapses into mania, both their worlds spiral out of control. An ex-husband who refuses to believe their daughter is really sick, the stigmas of mental illness in the black community, a byzantine medico-insurance system—all make Keri increasingly desperate as Trina deteriorates (requiring, repeatedly, a "72 hour hold" in the hospital against her will). The ins and outs of working the mental health system take up a lot of space, but Moore Campbell is terrific at describing the different emotional gradations produced by each new circle of hell. There's a lesbian subplot, and a radical (and expensive) group that offers treatment off the grid may hold promise. The author of a well-reviewed children's book on how to cope with a parent's mental illness, Moore Campbell (What You Owe Me
) is on familiar ground; she gives Keri's actions and decisions compelling depth and detail, and makes Trina's illness palpable. While this feels at times like a mission-driven book, it draws on all of Moore Campbell's nuance and style. 100,000 first printing; 17-city author tour
.