Summer of Glorious Madness

Many others have said better than I could why this book is so fantastic. I'll just add my agreement to the other reviews and expound on them a little bit. Something about Ms. Yorke's writing drew me right in. This is the kind of book that has caused me to get excited about what else the author has written. I came across it quite by accident at a used bookstore and the description intrigued me. I'm so glad I read it. For the life of me, I can't understand why this book did not become a best seller. Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that books based on rich character development do not seem to sell that well (at least from my limited observation). The general reader seems to want plot twists galore -- thrillers, page-turners. This book WAS thrilling for me and I could never wait to get to the next page. And it did have a brilliant plot. But it was so much more than that. It was a deep look into the hearts and minds of its characters. I truly feel as though I have gotten to know them! That somehow, I might run into one of them at the grocery store. That -- that is why I read. For that very feeling -- for that rare reaction to words on a page. This author is amazing. I can't wait to devour whatever else she has penned. Happy reading.

I really enjoyed this book as well as her others. She adds so much description in the book....

I've been following Christy's career since she wrote under her married name of Cohen. Her writing improves with every line it seems. I rated her previous book "Song of the Seals" as 5 star and "Summer of Glorious Madness" is even better. Her sculpting of the book's characters is as inspiring as the story line. Jack and Elizabeth, the central characters, gain our empathy immediately and show Christy's depth of knowledge of bi-polar disorder and treatment. It's also worth noting the character of Chloe, demonstrating Christy's insight on the pressures of teenage girls. I'm anxiously awaiting Christy's next book.

Ms. Yorke has a gift for description and for making words come alive on the page unlike any other author I've read. I could smell the exotic flowers in the prolific, unique, magical gardens created by Jack as he fell into the abyss of mental illness. The colors jumped from the pages as she described the flowers and even Annie's hair. This book was a sensual delight to read and experience. I fell in love with the folks in Dr. Elizabeth Shreve's group sessions...especially the Colonel and Kayla...such a vivid portrait of love and healing!!! The story was very well written and unputdownable.I like this quote regarding madness by Robin Williams: "You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." Jack had a magnetic spark of madness that lit up and enchanted everyone around him, me included. If you love books that leave you feeling good/happy about life, then this is a MUST read! Thank you, Ms. Yorke, for another fabulous book!! I highly recommend all of her books. "The Wishing Garden" is magnificent and my favorite book of all time.

Jack Bolton is an eccentric, sometimes mad landscape artist and Elizabeth Shreve his psychiatrist. Though she's brought in to try to cure him, somewhere along the line she stops wanting to. His creativity and madness brings her, and her garden, to life, and she's left wondering where the line is between genius and mental illness. This is a dramatic, intense, and gripping story of love, oddity, and living life to the fullest. Anyone who suffers or knows someone who suffers from bipolar disorder needs to read this book. If you have any interest in gardening at all, beware: You'll never look at your plants the same way again.