In Resilience: Two Sisters and a Story of Mental Illness noted advocate for mental health reform Jessie Close, along with bestselling author Pete Earley and including three vignettes and an epilogue by her sister, Glenn Close, presents and inspirational memoir about her unconventional childhood and the challenges with, and overcoming, severe bipolar disorder. Jessie’s early estrangement from her parents and emerging mental illness led her into a life of addictions, through five failed marriages, and to the brink of suicide. Jessie would later learn that the disorder ran in the family—a well-kept secret. It wasn’t until her son, Calen, entered McLean’s psychiatric hospital that Jessie herself was diagnosed. Now, fifteen years and twelve years of sobriety later, Jessie is a stable and productive member of society and a supportive daughter, mother, sister, and grandmother. In Resilience, she dives unblinkingly into the dark and dangerous shadows of mental illness without shying away from its horror and bewilderment.
Jessie Close is an internationally recognized speaker, author, poet, and advocate for mental health reform. She lives in the foothills of the Tobacco Root Mountains outside Bozeman, Montana, with her service dog, Snitz, and three other dogs. She is the author of Warping of Al, and she writes a regular blog for
BringChange2Mind.org, an anti-stigma organization that he sister Glenn created at Jessie’s request.