Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;andlt;Iandgt;and#8220;Killing yourself at any age is a seriously tricky business. But when I was seven, the odds felt insurmountable.and#8221;andlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;As a young girl, Terri Cheneyand#8217;s life looked perfect. Her family lived in a lovely house in a tranquil Los Angeles suburb where the geraniums never once failed to bloom. She was pretty and smart, an academic superstar and popular cheerleader whose father doted on her. But starting with her first suicide attempt at age seven, it was clear that her inner world was anything but perfect. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Thereand#8217;s something wrong with her,and#8221; her mother would whisper, her voice quivering on the edge of despair. And indeed there was, although no one had a name for it yet. Hostage to her roller-coaster moods, Terri veered from easy A-pluses to total paralysis, from bouts of obsessive hypersexuality to episodes of alcoholic abandon that nearly cost her her life. Throughout Terriand#8217;s chaotic early years, nothing was certain from day to day except this: whatever was so deeply wrong with her must be kept a secret. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Thirty years later, Terri wrote andlt;Iandgt;Manic, andlt;/Iandgt;a harrowing memoir that revealed her adult struggle with bipolar disorder. It became an instant andlt;Iandgt;New York Times andlt;/Iandgt;bestseller and received passionate critical acclaim. But it didnand#8217;t tell the whole story. The mystery of Terriand#8217;s childhood remained untouchedand#8212; too troubling, too painful to fathom. andlt;Iandgt;The Dark Side of Innocence andlt;/Iandgt;explores those tumultuous formative years, finally shattering Terriand#8217;s well-guarded secret. With vivid intensity, it blends a pitch-perfect childlike voice with keen adult observation. andlt;Iandgt;The Dark Side of Innocence andlt;/Iandgt;provides a heart-rending, groundbreaking insiderand#8217;s look into the fascinating and frightening world of childhood bipolar disorder, an illness that affects a staggering one million children. This poignant and compelling story of Terriand#8217;s journey from disaster and despair to hope and survival will serve as an informative and eye-opening tale for those who would trust a flawless facade.
Review
and#8220;Eloquent, rivetingand#8230;a tale that is hard to set aside.and#8221; and#8212;Ed Renehan, author of andlt;iandgt;The Lion's Prideandlt;/iandgt;
Review
and#8220;Cheneyand#8217;s chilling account of her struggle with bipolar disorder brilliantly evokes the brutal nature of her disease. . .Edgy, dark and often cynical, andlt;iandgt;Manicandlt;/iandgt; is not an easy book to read, but it has heart and soul to spare.and#8221; and#8212; andlt;iandgt;Peopleandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"The Dark Side of Innocence is a magnificent depiction of the ravages of bipolar illness in childhood.
Review
"Rewind the life of any adult with bipolar and you will find a childhood we would all desperately like to forget. Terri Cheney unflinchingly remembersand#8230;at long last, someone with the courage to break the silence." and#8212;John McManamy, author of andlt;iandgt;Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder andlt;/iandgt;
Review
"This will be big." and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Library Journalandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Once again, Terri Cheney has written an educational but bittersweet book that moved me deeply." and#8212;Muffy Walker, MSN, MBA, President, International Bipolar Foundation
Review
"As the father of an adult son with a severe mental illness, I found myself choking with emotion as I read Terri Cheney's riveting
Review
"Her story is a sound first step toward understanding your child's pain and finding solutions." and#8212;andlt;Iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"Cheney gives us a poignant, enlightening view of her struggles as a child." --The Daily Beast
Review
andlt;divandgt;"Cheney's chilling account of her struggle with bipolar disorder brilliantly evokes the brutal nature of her disease. . .Edgy, dark and often cynical,
Review
andlt;divandgt;andlt;iandgt;"The Dark Side of Innocenceandlt;/iandgt; is a magnificent depiction of the ravages of bipolar illness in childhood.
Review
andlt;divandgt;"This will be big."
Review
andlt;divandgt;"As the father of an adult son with a severe mental illness, I found myself choking with emotion as I read Terri Cheney's riveting
Review
and#8220;Cheney gives us a poignant, enlightening view of her struggles as a child.and#8221; and#8212;andlt;Iandgt;Theandlt;/Iandgt; andlt;iandgt;Daily Beastandlt;/iandgt;
Review
andlt;iandgt;"The Dark Side of Innocenceandlt;/iandgt; is a magnificent depiction of the ravages of bipolar illness in childhood. Cheney has the wondrous ability to put herself back in the mind of a child, and we feel with her the exhilarating highs and desperate lows, as well as the terrifying confusion created by an illness for which she had no name...In an age when more and more people recognize that bipolar disorder may affect children too, Cheneyand#8217;s intensely personal account provides much-needed hope and understanding about a highly stigmatized illness. A real andlt;iandgt;tour de forceandlt;/iandgt;." and#8212;Elyn Saks, author of andlt;iandgt;The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madnessandlt;/iandgt;, and recipient of the 2009 MacArthur Award
Review
"As the father of an adult son with a severe mental illness, I found myself choking with emotion as I read Terri Cheneyand#8217;s riveting and illuminating account of her childhood growing-up with bipolar disorder. What did I miss as a loving father? Were there signs? Could I have saved my son? Cheney provides us with important insights from the eyes of the most innocent among usand#8212;our very own children." and#8212;Pete Earley, andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;CRAZY: A Fatherand#8217;s Search Through Americaand#8217;s Mental Health Madnessandlt;/iandgt;
Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author, a gripping and eloquent account of the awakening and unfolding of Terri Cheney's bipolar disorder.
Synopsis
“Killing yourself at any age is a seriously tricky business. But when I was seven, the odds felt insurmountable.” As a young girl, Terri Cheney’s life looked perfect. Her family lived in a lovely house in a tranquil Los Angeles suburb where the geraniums never once failed to bloom. She was pretty and smart, an academic superstar and popular cheerleader whose father doted on her. But starting with her first suicide attempt at age seven, it was clear that her inner world was anything but perfect.
“There’s something wrong with her,” her mother would whisper, her voice quivering on the edge of despair. And indeed there was, although no one had a name for it yet. Hostage to her roller-coaster moods, Terri veered from easy A-pluses to total paralysis, from bouts of obsessive hypersexuality to episodes of alcoholic abandon that nearly cost her her life. Throughout Terri’s chaotic early years, nothing was certain from day to day except this: whatever was so deeply wrong with her must be kept a secret.
Thirty years later, Terri wrote Manic, a harrowing memoir that revealed her adult struggle with bipolar disorder. It became an instant New York Times bestseller and received passionate critical acclaim. But it didn’t tell the whole story. The mystery of Terri’s childhood remained untouched— too troubling, too painful to fathom. The Dark Side of Innocence explores those tumultuous formative years, finally shattering Terri’s well-guarded secret. With vivid intensity, it blends a pitch-perfect childlike voice with keen adult observation. The Dark Side of Innocence provides a heart-rending, groundbreaking insider’s look into the fascinating and frightening world of childhood bipolar disorder, an illness that affects a staggering one million children. This poignant and compelling story of Terri’s journey from disaster and despair to hope and survival will serve as an informative and eye-opening tale for those who would trust a flawless facade.
About the Author
As a successful entertainment attorney in Beverly Hills, Terri Cheney represented the likes of Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, and major motion picture studios. But beneath her seemingly flawless faÇade she was struggling with a dangerous secret: for the better part of her life, Terri had been battling a severe case of bipolar disorder. Despite numerous suicide attempts, wild mood swings, and repeated hospitalizations, she managed to keep her condition secret from everyone – but at a terrible price.
Finally, in an effort to save her own life, Terri wrote a soul-searing account of her mental illness. Manic: A Memoir hit the New York Times bestseller list within a month of its release, was optioned by HBO, and has been translated into over half-a-dozen foreign languages. Terri’s writings about bipolar disorder have also been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, NPR, and countless articles and popular blogs. Her second book – a childhood memoir about growing up bipolar, entitled Crayons and Suicide – will be published by Simon & Schuster in 2011.
Terri now devotes her advocacy skills to the cause of mental illness. She is a member of the Honorary Board of the California Bipolar Foundation, served on the Community Advisory Board of the UCLA Mood Disorders Research Program, and is on the board of directors of the forthcoming USC Center for Law, Mental Health and Ethics. In recognition of her public service, she received an official commendation from the County of Los Angeles, as well as the annual Advocates Award from Mental Health Advocacy Services. She also founded and facilitates a weekly support group at UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute.
Terri graduated with honors from Vassar College, and attended UCLA School of Law. She currently resides in Los Angeles.