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This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
R. Burrow grew up in a small, hilly town in West Virginia. In her teens, she traveled to various parts of Europe with her family, and went to school in the U.K. Before graduating high school, she began to suffer from symptoms of schizophrenia, and would continue to struggle with the illness for the next ten years of her life. During this time, she was able to travel to Buffalo, and attended the State University of New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. After winning the long, hard battle with mental illness, she married a wonderful man, Martin, and settled in Upstate New York. At age 31, she felt a sudden and strong desire to tell her story; it was then that she began to write about her experiences, in the hope that it would educate and inform others from the rarely- heard point of view of the patient. The material seemed to flow almost effortlessly, and the novel was completed in a year and a half. The author currently plans to have a child, and is in the process of writing a collection of short fiction.
Warmest thanks to Kathleen Betsko, writer and friend, without whom this book could not have come to be,
To Ann Goldsmith for her valuable contribution,
To Norine Spurling for her cover art,
And special thanks to my mother and Marty for their support.
Dedication
To my mother, and canine daughter, Susie, who loved me unconditionally, and to the one doctor who was able to help me.
The novel, "The Tree Outside The Window," is based on autobiographical information about the author, and describes a girl's encounters with schizophrenia and the mental health system. It begins with the childhood experiences of Jill Walker, the main character, and follows with the chronological events leading to her initial psychotic breakdown. The story continues through treatment by various psychiatrists, therapists, and city, state, and county institutions, and culminates in the character's conquering her insanity, and achieving autonomy into adulthood. Above all, it's a tale of hope, that the will and spirit can overcome the horrors and devastation of a mind ravaged by mental illness.
Many of the incidents and descriptions relating to the doctors and psychiatric hospitals were actual occurrences, revealing the problems, inadequacies, and abuses that are common in the mental health system.
The story is fast-paced, insightful, and often amusing, and could be enjoyed by persons of any background, from the age of puberty and up. Mental health workers are encouraged to read the book - it conveys the firsthand experience of schizophrenia, as well as the patient's perspective on life in the mental health establishment. The reader will be enlightened as well as entertained.
...interesting, supportive, suspensefull, and informative as well as entertaining...I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy reading it as well as benifit from it. Some parts of the book will affect everyone's life. ...I can't wait to read the next chapters in "Jill's" life. I've already recommended it to others. —Brenda Ainsworth
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