The author clearly admire his father and is proud of the role model he became for him. I enjoyed reading the story of an ‘average Joe' who seemed to love life and relish in his background and upbringing.

I was initially drawn to this book as I was intrigued by the idea of a son commenting on a father's biography, especially a father with a mental illness that can have such an enormous impact on oneself and those around you. However I found the reflections of the author to lack enough deep reflecting and often didn't bring anything new to the narrative that the reader wouldn't have already picked up on and thus just became a repetition of the father's chapter. Often the reflection chapters are less about his father and more about society as a whole: capitalism, the economy, apathetic citizens, etc. which is interesting to read but can become a bit ‘preachy’ or off topic.

I found the chapters interesting that dealt with the Vietnam war and the civil rights movement and found the perspective interesting of someone who started out conservative and changed their position. I would have loved to have those sections expanded a bit more to really understand how someone changed their opinions almost completely.

The beginning of the novel was interesting as it explored bipolar disorders from a very objective perspective, however, the next half of the novel really didn’t deal with what I thought was going to be the main theme of the book - dealing with mental illness. It was alluded to every now and then but didn't feel like it was dealt with for a large portion of the novel. While it was interesting to hear from the perspective of someone as they are dealing with the diagnosis, there wasn't enough of the story to really dig in enough.

As mentioned, the author seems to regard his father highly and the bipolar disorder doesn't seem to have caused relational friction as it does for most. It would have been interesting to hear from others where the relationship was impacted by the illness. I did often feel that the author was maybe looking at his father with rose-tinted glasses and it's a pity we didn't see much of the author's childhood through either the dad or son’s perspective.

I enjoyed that the author played with style and format - I find it interesting to have different voices and different genres - but I felt it needed to grapple with the topic of mental illness, bipolar disorder, more thoroughly. ( )

Those of us with bipolar disorder understand firsthand the upheavals this mental illness can exert on a life. Before diagnosis, moodiness can lead to a lack of linearity in life. Diagnosis typically only comes after a crisis. Self-awareness can grow after diagnosis, but medications and therapy cannot fully “cure” this disease. Many stories in this genre focus on hardships and a general lack of life control – not exactly fodder for inspiration. Into this millieu, Lukas Klessig offers his father’s posthumous memoir along with some commentary. Despite lifelong struggle, his father became an award-winning environmentalist and professor. This book presents his story and, along the way, offers healing to his son.

Father Lowell Klessig journeys from being raised on a farm to college at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. In graduate school, Lowell’s career transitioned from biochemistry into the environmental sciences for moral reasons. He also lived in the South for a time and engaged in anti-Vietnam War protests along with the Civil Rights movement. Lowell’s personal account does mention bipolar disorder, but does not dwell on it in depth.

In contrast, son Lukas’ account explores how this disease influenced every step of Lowell’s journey. The contrast in focus is stark. Lowell seemed to manage this disease well, once he had become aware of it and thanks to Lithium treatment and therapy. In editing this memoir, Lukas is clearly coming to terms with his now-deceased father’s life. Bipolar disorder had an impact on Lowell’s entire family, sons included, and Lukas appreciates his father’s struggle with respect.

As a shortcoming, this biography/memoir seems to try to do too much and does not focus on one topic at length. As common with the nature of bipolar disorder, this work touches on so many highlights but doesn’t delve into detail with any one. Although the father is the dominant author, its main theme seems to be a son coming to terms with his father’s life. I respect that aim, but it could have been pulled off with more subtle artistry and storytelling finesse.

Those struggling with mental illness, either personally or with loved ones, can appreciate a positive story about dealing with these diseases. The struggle is inescapable, but Lowell’s story illustrates that a good life can also be had. Also, those coming to terms with father-son relationships can benefit from this healthy example. Mental health and mental illness are popular topics today, but few conversations say something factual. In its own way, the Klessigs’ bio/memoir turns over an interesting leaf and leaves us with something to ponder. ( )