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Writer Paterson has assembled a collection of personal vignettes that illustrate his struggles with mental illness and his continued, deeply rooted faith in God and Jesus Christ. By age eight, he became aware of his affliction—schizophrenia—but suspects it may have been with him from birth. Once diagnosed, he began to perceive more clearly the ways in which the illness affected him. Schizophrenia is considered a severe mental handicap, and those with it as a possible danger to themselves and others.
The author's stories, revealing the ways in which his spiritual faith and mental agonies have affected him, cover a wide range of incidents and outcomes. For instance, schizophrenia can cause people to hear voices. For Paterson, these voices seemed at times to emanate from God, contributing scriptural clues that empowered him in difficult situations. His memories include being helped in small and larger ways by kindly strangers as he traveled, often homeless and penniless, across his Canadian homeland, being hospitalized, mistreated by police at times, and encountering others who shared his religious convictions.
Paterson presents his subject matter in an engaging manner, showing his gifts as a wordsmith as well as a philosopher. He is able to effectively parse his own experiences for the benefit of his readers. Memories of his adolescent attraction to beer and other substances offer wry humor, while experiences of encounters with generous strangers are inspiring. He sets out medical explanations of schizophrenia and presents an intelligent history of how the disease has been treated and regarded in changing times, acknowledging that current medications and therapies have improved the general life opportunities of those with the diagnosis. With a narrative both enchanting and credible, Paterson offers practical advice for those similarly afflicted and those wishing to help someone in their care in gaining greater, more sensitive understanding.