Mental illness resources have become more plentiful in the past few years. Today’s post highlights Broken Brain, Fortified Faith: Lessons of Hope Through a Child’s Mental Illness. The book was written by Virginia Pillars, the mother of a young woman who began exhibiting symptoms in her late teens and early 20s.

I had the honor of reading an advance copy and wrote the following endorsement:

Virginia Pillars tells the story of her adult daughter s descent into schizophrenia with unflinching honesty in Broken Brain, Fortified Faith. But Pillars does more than tell how family, friends, and mental health professionals rallied around one young woman, providing the treatment and support her daughter needed to regain her mental health and learn to manage her condition. The author also educates readers about how the disease affects the brain, how it is treated, and what people must do financially and legally to protect loved ones until they recover from the disease. Best of all, Pillars shares her thoughts, doubts, and faith struggles, as well as the comfort and strength she found as she prayed for her daughter and saw those prayers answered in unexpected ways. Broken Brain, Fortified Faith is an approachable and highly readable book for anyone who wants to learn more about schizophrenia and how to support those dealing with it. I highly recommend it.

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Broken Brain, Fortified Faith has received several honors since its release in September of 2016. In April, it received the Catholic Writers’ Guild Seal of Approval. Then, in May, it won the Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference Selah Award in the memoir category.

What makes this book a powerful and valuable resource is Pillar’s unflinching recounting of the challenges her family faced while trying to find effective treatment. In addition to strong story telling, Pillars uses the research she conducted while searching for treatment to effectively explain this disease and the therapies used to control it. Woven into every page is the story of how her faith sustained and motivated her to advocate for her daughter and find hope in overwhelming circumstances.

If you’re looking for encouragement, plain talk, and information about schizophrenia, I encourage you to purchase the paperback or Kindle edition of Broken Brain, Fortified Faith.