Family memoirs are often riveting, and While You Were Out is no exception.

Meg Kissinger is one of the eight children in the Kissinger family, parented by two devout Catholics who each suffered their own mental illness; many of the children experienced the same. This is their story – a story of love, frustration, anger, and ultimately a story of loss and the struggle to make sense of it all. It would have been easy to lay blame at the feet of some characters, and the author writes unflinchingly as she describes he exploits of her parents, brothers and sisters – but never does she refer to them with disrespect, even when describing the nearly overwhelming anger she feels toward different family members during specific times of crisis.
The love always comes through, always.

It’s difficult to speak objectively about the writing, because the story itself is so engrossing that the reader never really steps out to examine the writing (at least this reader didn’t) – and I suppose that statement speaks for itself. One aspect of my critical reading of a new book is this: did some quality of the writer’s style pull me out of the story (like an alarm clock waking one from a dream)? In this book the answer is no, for the most part, and I only stopped reading when I had other obligations. The foreshadowing at the end of several chapters was a bit heavy-handed, but this is a minor point.

Anyone who appreciates family memoir will find this book fascinating and real. Meg Kissinger knows how to tell a story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book; I used it to write my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of While you were out by Meg Kissinger!

Meg Kissinger's While You Were Out was a moving, beautiful, heart-breaking memoir. A 5 star read for me.

The writing of this book was very strong and kept me hooked the entire time. Meg and her family's story itself was captivating and touching. For anyone who has or has known someone who has struggled with mental health (aka everyone?), I can highly recommend this book. Kissinger walks us through her childhood, growing up with parents who struggled with mental illness and the loss of multiple of her seven siblings to suicide. The last section of the book is much more about Kissinger's battle with reflecting and sharing her family's story. It reads quite differently than the first part of the book but I enjoyed both. I applaud her for sharing her story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced reader copy of this memoir in exchange for my honest review. The good news is that it's now out as of September 5th.

I like reading memoirs because they let you experience people's life and how it turned out for them. In this particular book, Meg Kissinger describes growing up in a family that ended up having two cases of suicide, and all the mental struggles the family went through. The writing style is compelling and makes you want to learn more about how they coped with the situation.

The author writes about growing up in a large family in the 1960/70s, Her clan was ripe with mental illness in a time when it was an embarrassing secret, and swept under the rug. The tragedies this family suffered due to their afflictions are horrific and just plain sad.
This book illustrates how far we have come in acknowledging, treating and accepting mental illness, but also how far we still have to go.
Thanks to #netgalley for this #arc of #whileyouwereout by #megkissinger in exchange for an honest review.

Meg Kissinger pulled me in from her very first sentence. This novel packs a powerful punch. Family units, for many, are not easy. Kissinger is honest, raw and leaves it all on the page.

As a current clinical psychology trainee, I am frequently on the hunt for books to add to my imaginary "required reading" list for future clinicians - this is one of them. Drawing on an impressive history of investigative reporting and mental health advocacy, Meg Kissinger crafts a tender yet candid portrait of a family ravaged by genetic vulnerability to depression and Bipolar disorder amid a wider culture of stigma and silence. The story reads as part autobiography, part journalistic exposé, as Kissinger paints a vivid portrait of her family and their struggles with a deeply flawed mental health care system. I applaud Meg and the entire Kissinger family for contributing to this powerful memoir, digging deep into a challenging family past marked by terrible tragedy and persistent intergenerational trauma in order to shine a light on a crisis that many families suffer in isolation.

This memoir is EVERYTHING. So well done.. it never fell flat. When I read a memoir I look for one that feels like I’m having coffee with a close friend. I, as the reader, want to feel engaged and apart of the experience in some way. Meg grants you this as well as a raw and honest look at familial dynamics that one must learn to grow through and out of. Coming from a home riddled with mental illness books like this will always be so important to me. You won’t regret reading this.

In this memoir, the award winning journalist recounts her childhood in the 1960’s suburbs of Chicago as one of eight kids in a large Catholic family. While the Kissinger family appeared to those around them as a typical, warm and loving family, they were hiding the truth from even those closest to them. Several of Meg’s siblings and both of her parents were dealing with mental health issues, ranging from depression to bipolar disorder. She shares the devastating suicides of two siblings and discusses how the mental health system failed her family time and time again. This could have been a very heavy book, but the author did a great job of balancing out the tragedy with humorous and thoughtful stories of her family’s time together. It was a very well written and insightful look at how mental health issues can, and do, affect the person’s entire family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for my early reader copy.

This was a good memoir, but as somebody who has an interest in mental illness & health & it’s history, it was nothing new to me. But that’s how it is, so many people struggle with these illnesses & come up against a horrible system that is essentially working against them. It’s heartbreaking, but it wasn’t as intense as others I’ve read, it focuses very much on how stigmatized mental illness was in the past & how important it is to be able to ask for help when in the throes of the illness bc it’s not possible to come out of it without help.

The writing was decent but not mind blowing. This was a solid 3.5 for me but for others who have not read as extensively on the subject this will likely be eye opening & a higher rating. It just was nothing new for me.

WOW! What a read! This book was something that was so addictive, I just could not put it down. While the content was heavy, it still made me want to keep reading.

This was a beautifully told tale of the impact and trauma of growing up with alcoholic and mentally ill parents and how one can stop the cycle of intergenerational trauma thru personal healing, forgiveness and love. Meg's investigative reporting background made her a perfect candidate to research her family history and getting buy-in from all her siblings was so gracious.

I recommend While You Were Out with some cautions. This book is Kissinger's story of her family and their journeys through mental health, including very specifically the deaths by suicide of two of her siblings. Meg Kissinger's background is as a reporter who spent years telling the stories of our failed mental health system in the US and more specifically in Milwaukee county, an area I know well. This book would be a good compliment to Hidden Valley Road (and also Evicted by Matthew Desmond, which also looks at failings in Milwaukee and is mentioned in the book). This was really moving, and appropriately hard to read at times, and also an excellent look at the ways both individuals and the systems fail those experiencing mental health crises.

This memoir was definitely a tough one to get through if you’re sensitive to certain triggers. Please read them.

Meg Kissinger grew up as one of eight children. Meg had a rough upbringing having to witness the people most closest to her display symptoms of mental illness. Not only that, but she personally had to suffer the consequences.

Reading this memoir, I felt like it was hard to connect due to a lot of random family discussions in the beginning. A lot of unnecessary filler conversations. The middle and ending was Kissinger on full-blown journalist mode. Although I love how educated and informed this author is on mental illness, I felt like I was reading a whole other book. I was left with many questions overall.

I do agree with many things discussed, though. This country had the opportunity to prioritize mental health many years ago, and nothing. This memoir is just another reminder how this country keeps failing its people every day.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Celadon Books for inviting me to read this ARC, and the author for being so brave and wanting to make a difference in this world. Your bravery and determination doesn’t go unnoticed.

Find me on Instagram! @ coffeebreakwithrachel

This book was written to discuss the impacts of mental health crises on one family, while exploring what can be changed for all. It reads well, although it can be sad at times.

The best kind of journalist writing — easy to read (despite the intense subject matter) and informative. I wish there had been more about what it was like for the author and her siblings to make the decision to have and raise children given their family history.

I am generally a fan of memoirs, especially those that involve trauma, but I seek the emotional heart of those stories. I understand that Meg Kissinger has a background as a journalist and that she used her investigative skills to tell her family’s story. I appreciate that she was driven by fact finding, while looking to avoid false memories, but this felt like she was reporting on a life, rather than telling the story of HER life, and that’s just not what I want from a book like this.

I grew up with a mentally ill mother and alcoholic (with likely undiagnosed mental illness) father. I can relate to and even feel empathy for the experiences of the Kissinger family. But I want a memoir that makes me feel, even if it hurts to be right in the midst of it all with the writer, and this just wasn’t it.

I am immensely grateful to Celadon Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

As a mental health provider, getting more insight from those who struggle with severe mental illness and their loved ones was moving. The need for mental health advocacy was made clear and the author’s tragic history was impactful. This was a well written memoir which needs to be read by more in our society!

Thank you to Celadon Books and Goodreads for allowing me to read an ARC copy for my unbiased review.

Award winning journalist Meg Kissinger grew up in a family of ten. As you can imagine, a certain level of chaos wasn’t unheard of. Here she shares her heart wrenching story of growing up in 1960’s Chicago, living what appeared to be a fairly charmed life. But secrets were often swept under the rug and they were definitely not acknowledged. Anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder were all there.

When the family is hit with not one, but two suicides, it’s time for the siblings to speak up and share, not matter how painful. We see not only a family ravaged by grief and trauma, but how the mental healthcare system in our country is failing so many still.

While it’s not an easy read (and please reach out to someone if you’re struggling), it gives you a look into how mental illness affects not only the person suffering, but everyone who loves and cares for them. Kissinger is very candid about her family’s experiences, making it one of the most powerful stories I’ve read. There’s still a stigma surrounding mental health, and stories like this will hopefully open dialogues.

Thank you for giving me the chance to read this intense memoir! It was a difficult read for me because my mother suffers from mental illness. The story was relatable and well told, with strong, personal characters you wanted each to win.
The title is perfect and relevant. Thank you again!

Let me start with a trigger warning. This book is most definitely not to be read by just anyone. There is ample discussion of suicide and mental illness, with perhaps more details than necessary. However, this is an incredibly important and poignant piece that weaves one family’s tragic history with the overarching tragedy of the history of the mental health system, or lack thereof, in the US.

As someone who loves Jesus and knows, as Lysa TerKeurst brilliantly writes, that we are living this “life between two gardens,” I know that there is some brokenness that cannot be healed on this side of heaven because of sin. However, I also realize that we are called to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and this book is like watching the film of a football game and coming up with plays to do things differently next time.

If you do read this, please discuss it with someone, as it is a difficult read and there is a lot to process and unpack.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.