SOCIAL WORK

A novel focuses on a New Yorker’s recovery following an attempted suicide.

Duffy’s latest book follows Marc Ziller, a 28-year-old man admitted to a psychological hospital and diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder after an attempt to take his own life. Marc forges a deep bond with social worker Lauren Davidson. Lauren guides him through the ups and downs of dating while he manages his mental illness, maintains a low-wage job, and rebuilds a sense of purpose. At the outset, the author’s premise contains a glimmer of potential à la One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Readers will expect to view society’s dysfunctions and paradoxes through the eyes of an outsider and the other misfits he meets. But Marc is discharged rather quickly, and the narrative never quite delivers on this possibility. Instead, Duffy pushes deep introspection aside to depict a series of Marc’s dead-end relationships and his obsessive quest for 15 minutes of television fame. Particularly repetitive are the accounts of Marc’s counseling sessions with Lauren, who oddly reinforces Marc’s connection between his self-worth and his financial instability by questioning his decision to date as a low-wage earner. But despite their somewhat dysfunctional dynamic, their mutual care for each other becomes clear over time and their poignant relationship is skillfully depicted by the author. Lauren, after leaving her career to marry and have a child, finds fulfillment in continuing to help Marc. And with Lauren’s help, Marc is able to find a new normal. After a video of an embarrassing first date goes viral, Marc discovers a former girlfriend is behind the fiasco. There is a rich moment of satisfaction when Marc finally stands up for himself and assertively confronts this ex, who had rejected him based on his mental health. He declares: “I’m a person. My disability doesn’t define me nor does it define what I am capable of.” Unfortunately, many of the chapters suffer from a glaring lack of description, leaving little relief from Marc’s persistently narcissistic internal monologue. In addition, stiff dialogue and declarative plot points move much of the prose along.

A touching but unpolished look at living with mental health problems.