The Fragments of my Father

A Memoir of Madness, Love and Family Secrets

Sam Mills author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers

Published:29th Apr '21

Should be back in stock very soon

This paperback is available in another edition too:

The Fragments of my Father cover

This memoir intricately weaves personal narrative with literary history, exploring the challenges of caregiving and the complexities of familial love in The Fragments of my Father.

In The Fragments of my Father, Sam Mills shares a deeply personal memoir that explores the complexities of family dynamics, particularly the relationship between parents and children. The narrative delves into the themes of freedom and responsibility, madness and creativity, as Mills reflects on her life growing up with a father who was often absent due to his struggles with a rare form of paranoid schizophrenia. This poignant account captures the emotional turmoil of navigating such a challenging family situation, especially after the loss of her mother, which left her as her father's primary caregiver.

Mills intertwines her own experiences with the stories of two notable literary figures, Leonard Woolf and F. Scott Fitzgerald, both of whom faced the daunting task of caring for their mentally ill wives. By drawing parallels between her life and theirs, Mills highlights the unique challenges and burdens that come with being a caregiver. As she grapples with her father's illness, she reflects on her own fears of becoming overwhelmed by the responsibilities of care, offering readers a raw and honest perspective on the impact of mental health on familial relationships.

The Fragments of my Father is not just a memoir but a powerful exploration of love, loss, and the intricate web of human connections. Through her eloquent prose, Mills invites readers to consider the profound implications of caregiving and the resilience required to navigate life's unexpected challenges.

‘…a beautifully written memoir … a brave and original book filled with all kinds of glittering fragments — personal, literary and political … It is not a how-to manual, but a powerful exploration of loving and giving’ The Times

‘Stunning – brilliantly original, wise and profound. Mills writes with great philosophical depth and lyrical beauty about the quotidian asperities and painful tragicomedy of caring for a very ill parent, and the knowledge that they inhabit a surreal nightmare and the insane rules of this nightmare are that they are ravaged however much you love and protect them. Immensely moving, timely and also timeless’ Joanna Kavenna, author of Zed

‘Mills’s interweaving of stories, both historical and contemporary, displays the complexity of the bonds of familial and romantic love and how they can enrich one’s life and work if we allow them to … beautifully exposes the grains of an author’s life through the exploration of their place in a family. It show us there are many ways to move towards our unknowable futures via the stories of our past’ Spectator

‘… a poignant memoir about being a carer for a father who suffered from mental illness. Mills melds her own touching story with reflections on the literary figures – including Zelda Fitzgerald – who have been through similar struggles’ Independent

‘A beautiful book, written with rare honesty and emotional complexity, as well as a lively and amusing one. It will provide comfort to anyone who’s done the debilitating work of caring for a loved one, and insight to anyone who hasn’t’ Edmund Gordon, author of The Invention of Angela Carter

‘Mills takes you into the human heart at its most broken and its most hopeful in this brilliant book that will make you laugh and cry. It is a passionate cry for the millions of carers across the world, unpaid, unthanked, fighting every day out of love’ Kate Williams, author of Rival Queens

ISBN: 9780008300623

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 27mm

Weight: 290g

416 pages