Synopses & Reviews
Miriam Feldman lives a seemingly peaceful and idealistic life, she has a lucrative career painting gallery exhibits and large-scale commissions for scores of Hollywood celebrities. She, her husband and their children live in an upscale enclave in Los Angeles, complete with white picket fence, but Miriam's home life is anything but the serene family portrait she portrays to the outside world.
He Came In With It chronicles how Miriam and her family learned to navigate everyday life with her son's Schizophrenia, her tireless search for help and answers, her feelings of shame and overwhelm, insights she gleaned, and lessons she learned about the ongoing struggle our nation has with mental health care. He Came In With It reveals how one mother's struggle to help her son created a new definition of family, forgiveness, and forging ahead...with no false facades.
Review
"Captivating, moving, and masterfully wrought....I marvel at the resiliency of the human spirit revealed in this brilliant memoir; He Came In With It is a redemption story for the ages." Garth Stein, New York Times Bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
Review
"...a cleansing narrative that should inspire mothers ― and other caregivers ― to rise up, unite, and breathe hot new life into the drooping cause of mental healthcare reform." Ron Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of No One Cares About Crazy People
Review
"An excellent choice for book clubs seeking meaningful conversation about mental health, and for public libraries collecting resources for caregivers." Library Journal
About the Author
Miriam Feldman is an artist, writer, and mental health activist who splits her time between her Los Angeles studio and her farm in rural Washington state. She has been married to her husband Craig O'Rourke, also an artist, for 34 years and they have four adult children. Their 33-year-old son, Nick, has schizophrenia.
With an MFA in painting from Otis Art Institute, Miriam founded Demar Feldman Studios, Inc., a distinguished mural and decorative art company, in 1988. At the same time, she built a strong career as a fine artist, represented by Hamilton Galleries in Santa Monica, CA.
When Nick was diagnosed in 2004, Miriam became an activist and a writer. With first-hand knowledge of our mental health system, she decided to be an advocate for those who have no voice. She serves on the advisory board of Bring Change 2 Mind, the non-profit founded by Glenn Close, and writes a monthly blog for their website. Miriam is active in leadership at NAMI Washington and writes for their newsletters. She is a frequent guest on mental health podcasts and is active on Instagram, where she has created a community of family and loved ones dealing with mental illness.
Gigi Little on PowellsBooks.Blog
One of the things that has sustained me in this very different year has been discovering new voices telling their stories...
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