PRAISE FOR DEFYING THE VERDICT

“Defying the Verdict is a wonderful book: deeply human, full of life’s joys and suffering. Full of the author’s courage and faith. Charita Brown describes her bipolar illness in telling detail; her writing is powerful and eloquent. I highly recommend this book.”

—KAY REDFIELD JAMISON, author of An Unquiet Mind

“Charita Cole Brown writes with grace, vulnerability, and a fearless urgency about being a black woman with bipolar disorder. Her story is remarkable, full of insight and inspiration.”

—NANA-AMA DANQUAH, author of Willow Weep For Me: A Black Woman’s Journey Through Depression

“In an artful and gripping account of life inside an over-imaginative brain, Charita’s fierce determination to ride the waves of her illness with unshakeable resolve inspires fortitude in the most challenging of personal circumstances. Grounded by her family’s love and her own undeniable intellect, this victorious story activates hope for those with and without a brain-based illness.”

—CASSANDRA JOUBERT, author of Losing Control: Loving A Black Child With Bipolar Disorder

“Most people who buy a book about mental illness are seeking education. With style and grace Defying the Verdict does just that. But Charita Cole Brown’s narrative also gives the reader a positive dose of hope and encouragement—just what the reader needs. Brown’s account of her journey is straightforward, her symptoms carefully worded. Be open, don’t hide. Her life is not easy, but she finds a way to exist in a dignified and satisfying manner. As a member of a family where mental illness is well known, I recommend this exceptional book.”

—MIMI BAIRD, author of He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird and His Daughter’s Quest to Know Him

“We don’t talk about mental illness—especially in African-America families! In Defying the Verdict: My Bipolar Life, Charita Cole Brown shares her arduous journey living through bipolar disorder. With honesty and in raw detail, Ms. Brown illustrates how genetics, childhood experiences, family dynamics, race and shame affect diagnosis and treatment. She eventually overcomes the intertwined obstacles and roadblocks along her path, demonstrating how to live your best life in the midst of a traumatic illness. It is a must read!”

—ANDREA M. COLE, Producer, Opening Minds, Ending Stigma documentary series

“In Defying the Verdict, Brown vividly presents a compelling story of her descent into and through the frightening depths and euphoric heights of Bipolar Disorder. She deftly plants the early seeds, within herself, and within her family, that later manifested in the full-blown disease that overtook her as a college student. It was then that her disease threatened to destroy her promising future.

Defying the Verdict underscores the notion that it is possible to not only survive a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder but that one can live a full life and thrive. Brown’s book is a document of the strength, resilience, and encouragement for others who face this journey.”

—DIANE C. POMERANTZ, PH.D., Clinical Psychologist, author, Lost in the Reflecting Pool: A Memoir