![[Elaine's Thorn in the Flesh (by Kathryn Martin)]](/catalog/titles/covers/elainesthornintheflesh.jpg "Elaine's Thorn in the Flesh (by Kathryn Martin)")
Dealing with mental illness is a subject that has been close to my heart for many years since my husband and I both had close family members that were afflicted by it. This exposure gave me the idea to try and portray this life on paper -- with her consent.
This has caused me to read everything that was available to me on the subject in autobiographies, latest studies in periodicals and newspapers, mental health encyclopedias and the like.
I have also reached many of my conclusions concerning mental illness by watching "Elaine's" life for over thirty years. This exposure gave me the idea to try and portray this life on paper -- with her consent.
The readers are at liberty to draw their own conclusions; however, it was my purpose that this story could, at least in a small way, help to alleviate the stigma, misconceptions and misunderstandings so often associated with this illness - often amongst family members. I also hope that it could be a help and an encouragement to many others afflicted both personally or by way of family members.
I have also woven into the story some of the experiences of other close associates who have been afflicted with mental illness to help obscure "Elaine's" identity. So, even though the story is mostly true, it is somewhat fictionalized.
In the eighteenth century, Christopher Dock, a noted and pious Anabaptist schoolmaster lived and taught school many years at Skippack, Pennsylvania. He once made this observation: "Experience has proven that the slow learner is rather harmed than helped by severe discipline whether by the rod or by mouth."
I believe this would also be true of the mentally ill.
140 pages -- paperback
Dimensions: 5.75" x 8"
ISBN:
Copyright:
Martin's Pretzel Bakery
Link to this page:
http://www.anabaptistbooks.com/catalog/titles/516.shtml