"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" fourteen-year-old Jane cried, believing she was being bitten by spiders as she fled her bedroom to seek the comfort of the sofa in the downstairs living room. On succeeding nights, this behavior was repeated, only now, she was also shouting, "Bats in the belfry! Bats in the belfry!" imagining there were people occupying the unfinished area of the upstairs that was accessed through her bedroom.
These episodes revealed for the first time she was having full-blown mental health issues. This was not news to her younger sisters, Elaine and Julie, who recognized from a very young ages Jane's inappropriate and antisocial behavior.
As adults, the two younger sisters, for the most part, managed to escape from dealing with the tribulations presented by their older sister until their mother's heart attack when they were thrown into Jane's hell head-on.
Book Review Highlights
for Seasons of Insanity
"Fans of books like A Beautiful Mind or The Quiet Room will appreciate this account of people
living with schizophrenia and the loved ones that are affected by their mental illness.
Additionally, this would resonate with readers who liked Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle
about her eccentric and emotionally unstable family."
-Pacific Book Review, by Ella Vincent
"Killifer and Martin are direct, detailed, and painstakingly honest-requirements for any
interesting autobiography. . . . there are no easy answers for dealing with mentally imbalanced
loved ones. Still, this sometimes painful retelling of the family's struggles is a gift to society
because it sheds light on a subject not often discussed."
-The US Review of Books, by Toby Berry
"It is not an easy book to read-or, no doubt, to write. But it is a well-crafted story that will be
deeply touching to many readers as you follow two girls going from childhood to adulthood
trying to navigate the difficult and complex situations that Jane puts them in . . . As Louise
stated, 'You can't fix the situation and you can't feel guilty. You just have to go with it and do
your best.'"
-The Pagosa Springs (Colorado) SUN, by Carole Howard
