Radiant Daughter

Book excerpt: It is 1969 in Chicago and Elise Blazek is about to venture off to college and a bright future, much to her mother's delight. As a Czech immigrant who never got the chance to go to college, Irena vowed to give her daughter every opportunity for success and it looks like it has finally paid off. But when Elise is arrested for vandalizing an upscale high-rise lobby, we get the first glimpse of a young woman facing a long, frightening battle with mental illness. Over the next 30 years Elise cycles through mania and depression, all the while taking physical and financial risks and surrendering to delusions and paranoia. Out of love for her daughter, Irena does what she can to help Elise only to find herself enabling and participating in the madness. Grossman tells a powerful story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful about the enduring bond between a mother and daughter despite generational differences, cultural disparities, and a tenacious mental illness constantly pushing the strength of their bond to the limit.