I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, by Joanne Greenberg, is a fictional semi-autobiographical novel about a sixteen-year-old girl and her three-year battle with schizophrenia. Holt Rinehardt & Winston in New York, New York published this work of fiction. .
This novel presents the issue of mental illness from multiple viewpoints. A past of discomfort and sorrow, loneliness and pain darkened an innocent girl with so much potential. She lay broken under the weight of her own secret longing, while no one seemed to care. Then, through a thick cover of suffering, Deborah Blau noticed an unfamiliar, yet inviting light sprouting from within herself. Through the open door of this needed world Deborah dared, drowning in her own relief. The Kingdom of Yr, Deborah's imaginary world, was created in the darkest corners of her mind that it became real to her. As time passed and Deborah became more desperate for belonging, Yr's pleasure was all she lived for. At the age of five, Deborah underwent surgery to remove a tumor in her ovaries, a disturbing experience that involved a great physical pain and shame. She then went to Yr, hoping for comfort. Deborah first created Yr as a beautiful comforting sanctuary, but over time the gods of Yr became harsh dictators who ruled Deborah's every word and action. As for her parents, Ester and Jacob, purposefully tried to ignore their family's situation, and Deborah did not really care much about her mental downfall. This situation didn't make Deborah's recovery seem anywhere soon. Deborah's parents finally acknowledge that their daughter is ill when she failed a suicide attempt. At that turning point, her parents presented her into a mental hospital in hopes that she will get treatment. Meanwhile, Dr. Fried is willing to help Deborah despite her busy schedule. Even though that Deborah would have to work alone to cure herself.
