This month, our Book Club discussed Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League by Jonathan Odell. The book has two main themes, racism in the Deep South and mental health. 

Trigger Warnings: Racism, Graphic Violence, Deaths, Anxiety, Alcohol Use, and Depression 

Kay King, Community Educator at NAMI Minnesota, facilitated this Book Club discussion and provided discussion questions to guide the conversation.

One question prompted the group to discuss how many people still believe that people living with mental illnesses should just “snap out of it” and “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” The causes of mental illnesses are not simple ones. Kay and the group discussed that we don’t know what causes a mental illness. We know environment, genetics, biology, brain chemistry, life experiences, and trauma can be factors. The present theory is that some of us are born with a predisposition and something puts it into motion (a second hit). That trigger could be something like trauma, poverty, deaths in the family, war, losses, other illnesses, the birth of a child, a lack of sunlight, major long- and short-term life stresses, etc. The group discussed what some of the triggers may have been for Hazel in the book.

Another question highlighted how Hazel’s husband, Floyd, could have been more supportive of her recovery from depression and alcohol-use disorder. In the book, Floyd is often saying something about thinking positively. After Hazel loses her son Davie, she becomes very depressed and turns to alcohol. Floyd thinks that Hazel can cure herself from her depression and alcohol-use disorder by positive thinking.

The group continued to discuss Floyd's response to Hazel's illness. Hazel is hospitalized in a place called Whitfield for her co-occurring disorder. Toward the end of the book, Floyd says to Hazel, “Do you want me to send you back to Whitfield? You know I could have you committed again.” The group discussed how Floyd could have been more supportive toward Hazel and some of the other things that he could have said to her. One of the things that Floyd could have said was, “I am worried about you. How can I help?” instead of threatening to send her back to Whitfield.

Miss Hazel in the Rosa Parks League is a very complex book, and the group enjoyed discussing it.

Join us on Thursday, August 19th for another rousing discussion. It will be on the book, Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. We hope to see you there!

https://www.namiramseycounty.org/bookclub.html 

Five of us got together to discuss the book The Weight of our Sky by Hanna Alkaf. It describes a teen with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) who is trying to find her way back to her mother during the race riots in Malaysia in 1969. She believes she harbors a djinn inside her which compels her to complete an elaborate ritual of counting and tapping or else be threatened with horrific images of her mother’s death.
 
**Content warnings: Racism, graphic violence, on-page death, OCD and anxiety triggers.**
 
We started with a discussion about the geography of southeast Asia and the political and racial climate in Malaysia during the 1960s. The book is set in Kuala Lumpur, a very densely populated city in Malaysia which shares a border with Indonesia. The racial conflict stemmed from differences between the Malay and Chinese people and resulted in the devastating killings of hundreds of people.  
 
We also discussed our own understanding of OCD: a mental illness characterized by obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behaviors. OCD often occurs in conjunction with, or exacerbations by other mental illnesses like depression or anxiety. In this month’s book, the main character’s compulsive behaviors are tightly linked with her spiritual and cultural beliefs evidenced by their connection with her djinn. A djinn is a supernatural being in Islamic mythology and theology.
 
Each participant shared their thoughts about how cultural and spiritual beliefs can affect an individual’s understanding of mental illness and their ability to seek mental health services. We agreed that spiritual beliefs, while important, may stigmatize mental illness or wrongly attribute symptoms to spiritual occurrences or wrongdoings. This may also influence how those around people with a lived experience of mental illness view their symptoms, further adding to the stigma.  
 
Join us on July 15 for another rousing discussion. It will be on the book, Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League by Jonathan Odell. Click here for the discussion questions. We hope to see you there!

https://www.namiramseycounty.org/bookclub.html

This month we returned to reading children’s books on mental health and our group of fifteen people adored this month’s subject matter for a couple reasons.

First, there is absolutely zero preparation required in order to participate in this type of a meeting, and so people all come to the meeting well prepared! The second reason is a direct result from having a children’s book read out loud to us-–we hear the reader, we see the pictures, and we get to take a pause from our daily responsibilities to react and respond with others who are also reading these books.

From the two books we read together on May 20th, there was a rousing discussion on therapy dogs, service dogs, psychiatric service dogs, emotional support animals, recovery, big feelings, and learning to live a life of stability through reliance on the support of a canine companion.
 
Charlie the Therapy Dog, written by local author Sandy Clark MS, LPC, LADC, NCACII, SAP (DOT Qualified) was the first book we listened to together, heard Charlie’s perspective on his work, and saw pictures of his life on-the-job! Charlie even introduced us to a psychiatric service dog who was formerly utilized by one of this month’s book club attendees!

Our other book, The Boy with Big, Big Feelings, written by Britney Winn Lee, was read to us with compassion and zeal by this month’s moderator, Emily Zhao! The May participants were delighted by the artistic portrayal of emotions. Many could relate with the boy and were pleased that the story resolved well in community support as friendships were established, which dispelled the sense of being different from others, which has a tendency to generate isolation.

An exciting round of conversation followed the readings with points made about support dogs aiding service members and veterans, congressional bills, lowering the risk of suicide, sustaining people’s health, and housing. The distinction between a therapy dog and a service dog was stated for us as well.

Join us on Thursday, June 17th for our next Book Club meeting when we look at life in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1969 and how a young teen copes with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. 

https://www.namiramseycounty.org/bookclub.html 

On Thursday, July 15 from 7-8 p.m., the NAMI Ramsey Book Club will be discussing the book Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League by Jonathan Odell. The discussion will be led by Kay King, Community Educator at NAMI Minnesota. 

Here are some discussion questions to consider prior to the meeting. You can download them here. Learn more and register at our Book Club page.

1. What is the author’s academic/occupational background? How might that have influenced one of the themes of this book: mental illness?
2. A common misconception about mental illness is that people who live with a mental illness can “snap out of it” or “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps" (to get better).  Without mental health education, the public sometimes views a person living with mental illness as lazy, oppositional or weak. Perhaps, they think that the person didn’t pray enough or that they can stop their depression, anxiety symptoms or drinking through positive thinking or happy thoughts.  These viewpoints are still held today by some. Those beliefs were also held in the era in which the book is set. 
   1. Floyd (Hazel’s husband) was the poster child for the power of positive thinking. What role did his philosophy play in Hazel and Floyd courtship/early marriage? Contrast that with its effect later in their marriage after the death of their son?
   2. This passage is from the end of Chapter 27. Floyd mused “If only Hazel got it. When you can control your thoughts, you control your emotions. No need for hospitals and pills and such. But no, some people refused to put out the mental courage it took.”
3. We don’t know what causes mental illness. We know environment, genetics, biology, brain chemistry, life experiences and trauma can be factors. The present theory is that some of us are born with a predisposition and something puts it into motion (a second hit). That trigger could be something like trauma, poverty, deaths in the family, war, losses, other illnesses, birth of a child, lack of sunlight, major long and short-term life stresses, etc.
   1. Hazel was diagnosed with a mental illness and hospitalized. What life experiences did Hazel experience leading up to her acute symptoms and then hospitalization?
   2. What is a co-occurring disorder?
4. Mental illnesses have an early onset. Fifty percent of people who will experience signs and symptoms of a mental illness in their life time, will experience them by age 14. That figure rises to 75% by age 24. Anxiety disorders are the most common of the mental illnesses. The average age of onset for anxiety disorders is 11.
   1. There are multiple references to Hazel’s anxiety. Can you share some of the passages?
5. What is it like to be a family member of a person who lives with a mental illness?  How did his mother’s illnesses affect Johnny?  How did Hazel’s illnesses affect Floyd (her husband)?
6. Hope plays a large part in a person’s recovery from mental illness. At the end of Chapter 32, Miss Pearl talks to Hazel about “dignity.” That conversation causes Hazel to say, “It was dignity! Not silliness. Not stupidity. Not worthless and ugly and helpless and hopeless and crazy and bad, bad, bad.” How did Miss Pearl’s encouragement and reframing change things for Hazel?  
7. There are cultural differences in how people from different backgrounds view mental illness. The Hmong culture views mental illness differently than the Somali culture. The Black culture views mental illness differently than white Americans descended from western European culture.
   1. After Johnny expressed anxiety about going to school, Vida wondered, “How could a boy get lost in his own house?"  Vida also remarked, “What kind of mother would let that happen (Johnny lost as a babe in the woods). Vida answered herself “a white one.” What is Vida’s view of mental illness?  
8. Having purpose (paid job, volunteer work, raising children, going to school) is an evidenced based practice for helping people managing a mental illness, recover.
   1. Hazel learned to drive early in their marriage and returned to driving during her recovery after hospitalization. What role did driving play for her and later how did it become part of a bigger purpose? 
9. Sometimes when people are experiencing the acute signs and symptoms of a mental illness they lack insight. During that period they might not be able to step back and perceive that they need medical help. Those that love them are frustrated that they can’t “make them get help.”  Our laws protect individual rights.
10. At the end of chapter 39 Floyd says, “Do you want me to send you back to Whitfield (the mental health hospital)? You know I could have you committed again.” What other communication/support strategies could be used instead?  
11. On average, it takes 10 years for a person experiencing mental illness signs and symptoms to get professional help. The primary reason for this delay in seeking help is stigma and discrimination.
    1. What are some examples/passages that demonstrate stigma and discrimination?
12. Here are thought starters for future classroom or book club discussions.  They are not directly related to mental illness but isn’t this book rich in items to discuss?
    1. Sheriff Billy Dean, Hazel and Hazel’s son Johnny, although quite different characters, share some characteristics in common.  Compare and contrast. Example: the items in the desk drawer and the trinkets buried under the porch.
    2. What are some of your favorite dialogue lines from the book?

Two of Kay’s favorite passages are what Billy Dean said about Delia, “The woman could have fought the whole Civil War and never reloaded twice.” 
A second favorite line is what Vida says to Hazel when Hazel suggests a friendship between the two of them, “That makes me your maid, not your friend. You get to pick me as a friend and I ain’t got no say about it.”

1. If you were to choose either Vida or Hazel as a mother, which would you choose?
2. What do you imagine will become of young Johnny (Hazel’s son)?