A Note from the Author
I wrote this book to understand what happened, to vindicate my mother, and to honor those who continue with courage.
About the Book
When Suzanne Sherman is four years old, her musically gifted mother is struck by sudden-onset schizophrenia—and nothing in her family will ever be the same.
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Set in ’60s–’70s Los Angeles, Living in the Long Shadow is a poignant memoir told in dual timelines: the formative years of Suzanne’s childhood and the two weeks following her mother’s suicide when Suzanne is eighteen. With honesty and grace, Suzanne traces what it means to grow up in the shadow of mental illness—navigating her need for guidance and belonging, the fear of inheriting her mother’s illness, and the journey of loving a mother unable to live with or without her medication.
Ten years after her mother’s passing, an extraordinary sign affirms the enduring presence of her love—and Suzanne’s grief begins to make room for acceptance.
This is a story of resilience: the difficult choices that lead toward healing, the friendships and family bonds that sustain us, and the way love can reach us even after death.
Praise for Living in the Long Shadow
About the Author
I’ve spent more than forty years helping writers write bravely, claim their truths, and discover the meaningful stories within their lived experience.
In Living in the Long Shadow, I turn my attention to my own life, exploring my mother’s serious mental illness and its ripple effects, her suicide, and my resilient childhood journey.
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