Jessie Close

Resilience: Two Sisters and a Story of Mental Illness Jessie Close

Publisher Marketing: A memoir by Glenn Close s sister Jessie about the challenges of living with severe bipolar disorder with chapters by Glenn Close. The Close sisters are descended from very prominent and wealthy ancestors. When the Close sisters were very young, their parents joined a cult called the MRA, or Moral Rearmament. The family was suddenly uprooted to a cult school in Switzerland and, ultimately, to the Belgian Congo where their father became a surgeon in the war ravaged republic, and ultimately the personal physician to President Mobutu. Shortly after the girls returned to the US for boarding school, Jessie first started to exhibit symptoms of severe bipolar disorder (she would later learn that this ran in the family, a well-kept secret). Jessie embarked on a series of destructive marriages as the condition worsened. Glenn was always by her side throughout. Jessie s mental illness was passed on to her son, Calen. It wasn t until Calen entered McLean s psychiatric hospital that Jessie herself was diagnosed. Fifteen years and twelve years of sobriety later, Jessie is a stable and productive member of society. Glenn continues to be the major support in Jessie s life. In "Resilience," the sisters share their story of triumphing over Jessie s illness. The book is written in Jessie s voice with running commentary and an epilogue written by Glenn." Review Citations: Library Journal Prepub Alert 08/01/2014 pg. 60 (EAN 9781455548828, Hardcover) People Weekly 11/03/2014 pg. 81 (EAN 9781455548828, Hardcover) Kirkus Reviews 11/01/2014 (EAN 9781455548828, Hardcover) Publishers Weekly 11/24/2014 (EAN 9781455548828, Hardcover) Library Journal 02/01/2015 pg. 98 (EAN 9781455548828, Hardcover) BookPage 01/01/2015 (EAN 9781455548828, Hardcover) Library Journal 04/01/2015 pg. 48 (EAN 9781478924524, Compact Disc) Contributor Bio:  Close, Jessie Jessie Close is an internationally recognized speaker, author, poet, and advocate for mental health reform. She is the author of "The Warping of Al" and she writes a regular blog for Bring Change 2 Mind, an anti-stigma organization that her sister, Glenn, created at her request. She lives with bipolar disorder in the foothills of the Tobacco Root Mountains outside Bozeman, Montana, with her service dog, Snitz, and three other dogs. Contributor Bio:  Earley, Pete Pete Earley, a former reporter for the "Washington Post", is the author of several works of nonfiction, including the bestsellers "The Hot House" and "Family of Spies", and the multi-award-winning "Circumstantial Evidence". According to "Washingtonian "magazine, he is one of ten journalist/authors in America who have the power to introduce new ideas and give them currency. Earley is also the author of three "New York Times" bestsellers and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.