Love’s All That Makes Sense: A Mother Daughter Memoir by Anika and Sakeenah Francis

This is a beautiful memoir that is told in alternating views between Anika (the book’s author) and her mother Denise. The book chronicles the years in which Denise lived with schizophrenia that was, at times, treated in the form of hospitalization, but for the most part, went untreated. Having a mental illness was a “hush hush” subject while Anika was growing up, so the fact that her mother is sharing her secret makes this memoir that much more precious. Denise tells her story through letters, and in between each letter, Anika shares her reflections with the reader. The story ends with trip to Mexico that proves to be healing for both mother and daughter. Perhaps the best piece of advice I’ve heard this year can be found in this book: “As long as you have a breath in you, it’s never too late to do something.” That was Denise’s advice to her daughter in one of the final letters she wrote Anika.
I appreciate that the author includes a list of additional books and documentaries on the same subject.