Lucy and Ben

By Robin LaGanza Lindstrom

Three-year-old Lucy and eight-year-old Ben live with their mother, who has bipolar depression. The book, which is semiautobiographical, shows how the children cope with their mothers illness. In the beginning, Ben picks up the slack as their mothers latest episode begins. Nana makes her entrance, and soon Mommy is in the hospital.

Nana is a strong character. She not only takes care of their physical needs but their psychological needs as well. She is there to hold things together with lots of love and understanding. Nana explains to Lucy in terms that Lucy can understand why Mommy is sick. She lets Ben express his anger and loneliness, soothing him as best as she can.

When it is time for Mommy to come home, Lucy is full of excitement and joy as she rides home from nursery school. She runs to her mother, elated that Mommy is home. Ben, however, is not so happy to see his mother as he gets off the school bus. He expresses his anger, and Mommy is quite understanding. Soon, he hugs her, and his anger begins to melt. There is a big family hug, and the healing begins.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Aug 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781490784250

Robin LaGanza Lindstrom

I have been writing since I learned to write. My first publishing was a poem in the SCSU literary magazine. In my early to mid twenties, I was a copywriter for an advertising agency. At the age of twenty-five, I gave birth to my first child and left the agency to become a full-time mother. Due to being a full-time mother and my own bipolar depression, I was unable to write. When I was feeling better, a good friend told me the local newspaper was looking for an opinion/editorial columnist. I jumped at the chance. I applied and was hired! I wrote about my life and family, national and local politics. There was a great deal of humor along with seriousness of the column. I wrote that column for about six years until we moved out of town. Once again, due to stress and mental illness, I was unable to write. To my great pleasure, I found the Independence Center where I began writing in the monthly newsletter. Now I am writing and illustrating my stories.

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