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Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite
The Light in His Soul: Lessons from My Brother's Schizophrenia by Rebecca Schaper and Gerald Everett Jones tells the story of Call Richmond Jr. who went missing. After 20 years had passed, he suddenly appeared on the doorstep of a family member, homeless, suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, and a broken man. It was then his sister Rebecca took on the role of caregiver for the next 14 years and everything that came with it. The struggles, the ups and downs and the reality of dealing with the traumas that happened in both of their pasts. Take part in this gritty journey and follow Rebecca and Call by reading this intimate memoir.
I hesitated to start reading this book, because my best friend, a woman I consider a sister, is a paranoid schizophrenic and I am her caretaker. I know the struggle involved in caring for someone like this and, in all honesty, I found myself scared to look at the hard truths of someone else's story dealing with this. However, I knew I needed to and I really wanted to read this book, and I am so glad I did. The story you find within this book is not pretty; it is very real and deeply emotional. It is gritty and full of the hard truths that come with the battle that not only the one with schizophrenia has to fight but anyone who loves and cares for them must as well.
However, to me this story is also full of beauty and love, because no matter how hard things got, how deep the pain went, there was still that unbreakable bond found within family. The strongest, most beautiful steel is often forged in the hottest of fires and I believe the same can be said for relationships and love. The more you face together, the stronger you can become. I want to thank author Rebecca Schaper for writing this gripping, hard, but loving memoir and sharing it. You don't have to know someone or love someone with schizophrenia to feel the emotion in this book. It is truly a story that shows the bonds that can be forged, a lesson that anyone can learn from about family, trials and love. I highly recommend this book for anyone who can appreciate the ties that bind us.
