The Blueberry Patch by Anita Rochester

The Blueberry Patch is a family saga novel that tells the story of a mother and daughter battling mental illness in very different ways. Janet Robbins and her mother, Helen Kendricks, are both diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder. Janet tries to do everything she is told by her doctors and follow the rules, but still encounters obstacles in her battle to come to terms with her diagnosis. Helen is defiant and stubbornly doesn’t think she needs medication, which causes her to plummet to highs and lows so severe that her family worries for her safety. The Blueberry Patch will open eyes to the struggles that bipolar affective patients face in today’s society. The story also gives many bipolar affective patients hope, with the knowledge that it is possible to overcome this diagnosis and lead a normal life.