![]() ![]() She gradually introduces us to the characters’ inner worlds, which show just how similar the patients’ thoughts can be to their keepers’. Julie Hearn chooses to write from a neutral perspective. It raises important questions like where people draw the line between sanity and mental illness, and whether troubled times drive us all mad to some extent. The novel deals not only with the ethical issues raised by trials of electric shock treatment (ECT) but also with other complex issues, such as racism, separation, prejudice and exclusion. ![]() Diagnosed as a schizophrenic, we see the different methods used to treat his condition and the successes and pitfalls of mental health practice of that time. This novel follows Rowan’s journey through the twists and turns of WW2 hospital life. But sometimes his mind sprouts legs of its own and leads Rowan to do terrible things. Rowan is a young boy with a particularly vibrant imagination, who spends life captivated within his own thoughts – in many ways like any child. Review by Rachel Chetwynd-Stapylton (age 16) ![]()
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