Undercurrents - by Martha Manning (Paperback)

About the Book

The memoir of an ordinary woman--a mother, a daughter, a psychologist, a wife--who skillfully, uncannily tells the tale of her spiraling descent into a severe, debilitating depression, Manning's is a witty and graceful account that belies the popular understanding of the controversial treatment she sought.

Book Synopsis

Like the lucid madness chronicled in "Girl, Interrupted," this riveting memoir traces the devastating path of clinical depression through the diaries of Martha Manning--a psychotherapist who became a patient and underwent electroshock therapy.

From the Back Cover

This is the memoir of an ordinary woman--a mother, a daughter, a psychologist, a wife--who tells the tale of her spiraling descent into a severe, debilitating depression. Undercurrents pioneers a new literature about women and depression that offers a vision of action instead of victimhood, hope instead of despair.

Review Quotes

"A brilliant combination of wit, irony, and despair...."Undercurrents "is absolutely as good as it gets."--"Los Angeles Times""Full of unexpected delights...honest, hilarious, full of hope."--"Dallas Morning News""Humor, candor, and a respect for the power of image and metaphor to heal."--"Philadelphia Inquirer""A moving and engaging journal....I found myself laughing out loud."--"Washington Post""A convincing testament to the inexorable cruelty of depression and a frightening reminder of its unprejudiced choice of victims."--"New York Times Book Review""An absolutely absorbing read."--"USA Today"