A mordant novel about a woman dealing with depression. The first half describes the New Years Eve when Bunny's depression tipped over into a condition requiring hospitalization; the second half covers her first three weeks in the psychiatric ward. Interspersed throughout are Bunny's assignments from the hospital's Creative Writing activity, most of which are anecdotes from Bunny's childhood.
There's nothing too remarkable about Bunny's story; in fact, many of the incidents are nearly cliché for stories about mental illness. But Kirshenbaum captures something elusive in her prose. The early chapters, for instance, illustrate the fine line between a sardonic worldview and depression; the chapters in the hospital show tacit compassion for Bunny's fellow patients.
A few of my favorite parts:
- The story about when young Bunny opted out of a family Thanksgiving in favor of some alone time. Her sister came back to gleefully tell her that nobody even asked where she was. "In retrospect, that was my happiest Thanksgiving ever."
- In order to get the hospital staff to quit pestering them about joining in activities, a few of the patients set up a Monopoly board on the table between them, then did their own things.
- The story about the time when Bunny's husband Albie agreed to get her some cantaloupe without hesitation. It was a clear portrait of Albie's character in 300 words or less.
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