An enthusiastic group met at The Queen’s Hotel to discuss our latest book ‘Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason’. It is a book based on the mental health issues of a 17 year girl Martha ( when her symptoms first became apparent). To her life was always so very difficult to live. The book opens with her second husband Patrick walking away from their marriage due to her very unreasonable behaviour – something he had endured for years as he loved her very much. He had a very busy job, a consultant in emergency medicine, and had been very patient with Martha who made life very difficult. A lot of her time when she was not in a ‘good place’ would be spent under a desk in her father’s study or in bed crying. From time to time, she did hold down jobs in the publishing world. Her home background was a very dysfunctional one, Dad a poet and Mum an alcoholic sculptor of recycled items. Her Mother was always throwing parties – a very hectic lifestyle. Over the years Martha had visited several psychiatrists and due to the medication she was prescribed, advised not to have children. Martha’s sister, Ingrid, on the other hand had no problems in having children and Martha tried to avoid little contact with them, although her sister was very concerned for Martha and did try to help her.
Her first marriage failed after a very short time and whilst visiting her Mother’s sister, who had married into money and always gave the most wonderful Christmases, Martha and Patrick got together and married. By accident Martha became pregnant and was very unhappy that she would have to abort her child – especially as she felt Patrick with no siblings, would have liked children. She was saved from having to go through the agony of an abortion as she lost the baby who she had named Flora – determined it was going to be a girl. Whilst at a social event with Patrick friends, she met a girl who she bonded with and discovered her husband was a psychiatrist. She made an appointment (did not tell anyone and went to see him). She found him to be so accepting of her. He told her exactly what was her problem, prescribed medication. Martha did ask what happened if she became pregnant, he said that would not be a problem, he has many clients who have had babies with no problems. This lifted her but she did not tell Patrick but he said he knew as he saw the tablet packet lying around. After this life became very hard for her and Patrick and he finally walked out.
Martha’s moods did appear to settle down and she found life was not so difficult, became friends with her Mum who told her she had this particular condition, it was inherited. After a while with Martha living back with her parents Patrick contacted her asking to have some of his furniture which had been placed in storage. She met Patrick at the installation – they had taken out the bean bags and were busy sitting and chatting – Martha said she had to go but did not realise she had left her diary. Once she did realise, she quickly headed back to the storage unit only to find Patrick still there having read her diary. He was still very much in love with Martha and they decided to get back together with Martha now seeming so calm, badly wanting to have his baby.
The author Meg Mason only refers to Martha’s condition with ‘dashes’ in the book so the reader has to make up their own mind as to the exact name of her condition. As a reader I felt certain that the author herself, had suffered similar experiences with mental illness but no it was a topic she wanted to write about and one must assume she read many casebooks on the subject to write as she did. Some of the members felt it was a harrowing read but others, who read to the end, enjoyed the storytelling and gave it 8/9s. The overall average was 40.5%.
I think the book needs to be read to understand the full story. There is a film to be made on this! (Pat G)
Crowlas & Ludgvan WI 