"A brutally honest book about growing up with – and around – mental illness. This should be required reading for anyone who seeks to understand its impact on families."—— Rone Shavers, Co-Editor, Paper Empire: William Gaddis and the World System"Havel rips the blinds off of family destiny, a memoir of thwarted love and tragedy. He writes as he walks, strolling, back through layers of time to the conclusive moment at the core of everything. Smoke from an ever-present fire leaks from page to page. The reader will never see – or smoke – cigarettes in quite the same way again."——- Allen Parmenter, Freelance Writer"A well-written and very honest story of the relationship between mother and son. He puts you into the story, explaining the emotions and the struggles of mental illness."—— Patti Mutterer, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Albany County Mental Health