My Sister's Keeper Learning to Cope with a Sibling's Mental Illness

When Margaret Moorman's older sister, Sally, was first hospitalized with schizophrenia in 1959, her family denied the truth to neighbors, friends -- and even themselves. Not until thirty years later, when their mother's death made her Sally's sole caretaker, did Margaret face the truth. Now, in this poignant memoir, she tells the brave story of her struggle to come to grips with the legacy of her sister's devastating disease and its effect on her own life and on her entire family. Margaret reveals her fears that she too would become ill and her ambivalence about having a family of her own. She writes about the difficulties of assuming the responsibility for Sally's care while trying to manage her own career, relationships, and the birth of her first child. And she tells how she and Sally finally learned to negotiate their relationship and accept each other. Candid, moving, and ultimately healing, My Sister's Keeper is a heartwarming story about two sisters and their love for each other. Hallmark has presented My Sister's Keeper as a film starring Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Perkins, and Lynn Redgrave. Book jacket.

Margaret Moorman is the author of Waiting to Forget. She lives in New York City