What do readers think of He Wanted the Moon by Mimi Baird with Eve Claxton? Write your own review.

This book tells a tragic story of lives destroyed by the mental illness of the author's father. It is a stark reminder of how poorly understood mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder were, even as recently as the 1940s. I expected more information about Dr. Baird's own research into what was then known as manic depression, although I realize that there may not have been any since his research was halted by his illness. I felt that the book was too detailed (I don't think that including all of Dr. Baird's descriptions of his hospitalizations added much, especially since they were not particularly realistic) and not detailed enough (the book covered only a couple of years of Dr. Baird's life and skimmed over that of the author). While understanding that these memories and the things she learned about her father were extremely important to the author, I am not sure who this book would appeal to.

I have no doubt the author accurately portrays the manic depressive illness of her father in the 1940's and the horrendous treatment he was given as evidenced by his writings which served as the basis of this book. I am glad the author got some closure as to why her father was not in her life. I knew it would be a tough read but I got bogged down in the details of each hospitalization and just didn't care. Definitely not recommended for a book club. And certainly not for anyone dealing with mental illness.