Sane Enough to Know She’s Crazy takes a hard look at mental illness. The subject matter complicated my ability to read, and I had to take a lot of breaks, but it was worth it to finish reading all the way through. Ruth Thomas Hansen has written a novel that tells a story of reaching your breaking point and rising from the ashes.

- TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide, Rape, Graphic Violence
- Title: Sane Enough to Know She’s Crazy
- Author: Ruth Thoman Hansen
- Publisher: Independently Published
- Genre: Family Life Fiction
- Pages: 376
- Format: Kindle Edition
- Rating: 4/5
Synopsis from Amazon.com:
Carrie loses her mother to suicide and becomes an unofficial member of the Lingle family. Growing up among the drama of a perfect “sister,” a hot-headed “brother,” and their controlling mother presents new challenges, leading her to face adulthood, and her own fragile sanity, without them.
My Review of Sane Enough to Know She’s Crazy:
The tension that the novel builds in this novel is palpable. However, I had the feeling that the story was too slow and dragging, but then I turned the page, and the tension jumped back out at me. By the time I got to the last five chapters, I couldn’t put the book down. Though, utterly wrapped up in the characters and their antics, I couldn’t see through the tears a lot of the time.
Even though the book dragged a bit through the middle, and I thought the book had no ending, the whole storyline punched me in the gut. I truly felt physically ill, and I couldn’t stop crying.
Luckily, the ending is, not necessarily happy, but pleasant. I became delighted for Carrie and Adam and their family as the years passed. With mental illness, there is seldom a happy ending, but the pleasure of knowing that you can beat the demons inside is as satisfied as you can get.
I am happy to award Sane Enough to Know She’s Crazy 4 out of 5 stars. The novel is heartbreaking, but I can’t recommend it enough. The story is terrific, and I think anyone who reads it will feel the same. Pick it up today and give it a read.
Ooh sounds interesting, and heart-breaking! Great review – definitely caught my interest now! ?
It really is a wonderful book. I loved it so much.
I don’t usually read books that people describe as heartbreaking, but it does sound like a good if difficult read.
It is heartbreaking but so much more too. I loved it.