“By turns an eloquent meditation on the power of nature and a terrifying exposé on the hellscape of parenting a mentally ill child into young adulthood…[Tanya] Frank hangs her intense, readable journey on…the healing power of nature and community.… This book will be a balm for relatives of people with mental illness.… Frank’s writing is fresh with keenly observed details.”
― Beth Macy, New York Times Book Review
“I felt [Tanya Frank’s story] in my bones.… [P]owerful.… [Frank’s] writing is measured and thoughtful and beautiful.”
― Zibby Owens, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books
“Zig-Zag Boy takes us to the heart of loving and parenting a child in the most intensive and often heartbreaking way. Tanya Frank’s book is marked by wonderful storytelling, a wry sense of humor, and a determination to tell the truth no matter what. You will get lost in this story, and be better for it.”
― Emily Rapp Black, author of Sanctuary
“[A] moving, beautifully written book about love and mental health and life. Recommended.”
― Bob Odenkirk, via Twitter
“Psychosis isn’t new territory for literature, but it features much less in memoirs than grief, depression and anxiety. Frank’s vivid account is therefore an important addition to the genre.”
― Julia Bueno, Times Literary Supplement
“A bracingly beautiful account of learning to live with uncertainty in turbulent times.”
― Shelf Awareness
“From the Hollywood Hills to hospitalisations, Zig-Zag Boy shines a universal light on mental healthcare.… [E]legant, replete with meaning and metaphor.”
― Frieda Klotz, Irish Independent
“Compassionate and moving.… Zig-Zag Boy delves into a story that isn’t just Frank’s or her son’s, but also many other sons and daughters, mothers and fathers.… Zig-Zag Boy is a collective book, giving voice to all families who have experienced this often terrifying and jarring experience.”
― Leslie Lindsay, Hippocampus
“A great book about the power of motherhood.”
― Terri Schlichenmeyer, Philadelphia Tribune
“The book is a heartfelt and beautifully written account of dealing with mental distress and speaks movingly and honestly about the family’s struggles with broken healthcare systems in the US and the UK.”
― James Moore, Mad in America
“As she explores the sometimes-painful limits of mothering, Frank candidly discusses the wisdom of letting go what cannot be healed or made whole in exchange for the gift of acceptance. A heartfelt memoir about family, mental illness, and unconditional love.”
― Kirkus Reviews
“[A] crucial account, which will speak to other families caught between loved ones, mental illness, and society’s judgment.”
― Booklist
“Tanya Frank’s Zig-Zag Boy starts by chronicling a mother’s nightmare as her promising son falls into psychosis but ends up being far more than the story of what happens when we fear for the life of someone we love. A searing indictment of the medical industrial complex across continents, Frank’s memoir also offers a battle cry for new ways of looking at mental health care and reveals the deep urgency of valuing oneself enough to dare to heal in a perpetually uncertain world.”
― Gina Frangello, author of Blow Your House Down: A Memoir of Family, Feminism, and Treason
“In unforgettable imagery and nuanced prose, Tanya Frank gives us an incredible journey―from a parent’s worst fear to an opening in the world―through patient observance and love.”
― Susan Straight, author of Mecca and In the Country of Women: A Memoir