Mental Health and History

filled star filled star filled star filled star star unfilled
rebecca Avatar

By

In The Myth of Perpetual Summer, Susan Crandall has written a story that shows how far we've come over the last 40-50 years in our understanding of and attention to mental illness (despite the stigmas and issues that still surround mental health). Tallulah James and her family are living in small town Mississippi in the 1960s, and with two parents who are clearly struggling with their mental health, gossip abounds. Flash forward to a few years later, Tallulah has escaped the confines of her family and is living in San Francisco when a new accusation threatens her younger brother, and she returns to the South, and the terrible memories that remain.
The James family's dysfunction and the parents' casual cruelty (unintentional or not) are heartbreaking, and the way secrets have broken down the bonds in this family is evident. As historical fiction, the story acknowledges the larger issues at play during the time periods it covers, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, but the focus remains mostly on the family dynamics (and how the culture at the time influences their actions). Most of the action tends to take place in the summers, and the sweaty, humid feeling adds atmosphere to the story. The description of this book on Goodreads indicates that it "harkens to...The Secret Life of Bees", and that's an apt comparison.