"In the Middle of the Mess" by Sheila Walsh

While the cover features a broken teacup and the title boasts words like "mess" and "broken life", I was not expected for how intense this book would be.  Readers learn firsthand about the author's father who committed suicide after he escaped from a mental hospital.  They also learn about the author's mother and how her death affected those around her; the mother's sad case of Alzheimer's is detailed.  Readers also learn about the author's nervous breakdown, thoughts of suicide, and mental institution visits.  Yes, there are triumphant areas of this book where the author speaks about God and quotes Bible verses.  This book has Christian undertones as there are many references to Jesus.  There is definitely hope in this story, and I'm sure many readers will respect how far Walsh has come in her own personal journey of healing.  However, given how depressing the majority of this book is, I definitely want to warn readers.  This is not a book to make you smile.