Songs my mother taught me

by Audrey Callahan Thomas

Book by Thomas, Audrey Callahan

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1900

Reviews

[Paltia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Are you interested in the modern - 20 th century - treatment of those labeled mentally ill? If so, this is an okay read. Ms. Thomas does a decent job of describing the state hospital wards prior to de institutionalization. The heroine in the story, at first petrified and horrified by what she experiences when she takes a summer job, ends up growing accustomed to the “mad” behavior and comes to find it more honest than the words and actions of her family who still cling to the illusion of being sane. It reads like an autobiography with many dull moments and a few sparkling insights. It was a fast read. I wouldn’t pass it on to a friend.

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

1950s America. A wee bit depressing but I like those kind of books.

[Sandra Yuen (MacKay) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is set in the forties and fifties, exploring the childhood, upbringing, and coming of age of Isobel Cleary. At that time, sexuality was something to be hidden, not openly discussed. When she gets a job at State Hospital Hill, which houses the insane, she works on the 'shit ward', where the smell and sight of excrement are overwhelming. I disliked the portrayal of the mad patients and the state of their accommodation, however, during that time, it may very well have been like that. Also, there is a scene where someone is trying to draw a pint of blood, but blood ends up splattered all over the room and the people. Again, the depiction wasn't something I was drawn to. For me, as a person with mental illness, I felt dismay at the way madness was shown in this novel which adds to stigma.

When Isobel has sex for the first time, she is doped up on pills and she remarks that she isn't concerned about syphilis or pregnancy, perhaps symbolizing a sense of freedom.

Despite any reservations I may have about this book, Thomas is an award-winning author who also received the Order of Canada.