My Mothers House

Set in the bucolic, yet brutal South of his youth, My Mother’sHouse is a memoir by novelist David Armand. It recounts theyoung author’s early memories of being born to a schizophrenicmother, then given up for adoption, only to be raised in ahome with an alcoholic and abusive step-father. In this sharply remembered portrait of the people and places that shapedhim, Armand paints his seemingly negative experiences witha sympathetic and understanding brush. As the reader followsArmand through his childhood and later into adult life—whenhe is reunited with his mother after she makes a failed suicideattempt—a surprisingly new world of hope and possibility isrendered, despite the overwhelming challenges of this reunion.

"A gut-wrenching personal narrative of family love and loss, My Mother's House is the compelling story of Armand's relationship with his mother and also a penetrating critique of the American mental health system. I recommend it to anyone interested in learning what it's like to lose someone you love to mental illness. Armand's memoir, dramatic and fast-paced, has all the hallmarks of a fine work of fiction. I couldn't put it down, and was sorry when it ended." -Sheryl St. Germain author of Navigating Disaster, "An honest, searing, and brave portrayal of a brutal childhood, yet the author emerges compassionate and victorious." -Ashley Rhodes-Courter author of Three Little Words , "This is a difficult story, well told. My Mother's House is a tale of survival narrated by a son given up for adoption and brought into a family riddled with abuse; it is also the story of reuniting with his birth mother, only to be introduced into even more difficulties. But within the morass of psychological maladies that breed--oftentimes generationally--further layers of trouble and sorrow, there is hope, and this story of a son's trek through his life in search of the meaning of family is a beautiful one." -Bret Lott author of Jewel

David Armand, who lives in Hammond, Louisiana, teaches at Southeastern Louisiana University, USA where he also serves as associateeditor for Louisiana Literature Press. In 2010, he won the GeorgeGarrett Fiction Prize for his first novel, The Pugilist’s Wife, which was published by Texas Review Press. His second novel, Harlow, was published by Texas Review Press in 2013. David’s third novel, The Gorge, is forthcoming this fall from Southeast Missouri State University Press.