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Rating: 
Summary: True and concise
Review: 9 Highland Road is a really two separate tales woven together: one a frequently moving and touching life and times of a revolving group of mentally ill people, their families, and the social workers who help them care for themselves at a group home for the mentally ill; the second a sad and discouraging account of the political forces (particularly the NIMBY syndrome) at work in the mental health system. There are some real-life villians in this book -- cowardly politicians who knowingly oppose group homes because of political pressure, and neighbors who oppose the group home out of ignorance or disgust (including one woman who said "the mere fact that I see them when I look out my window is unpleasant") -- but many more modern-day heroes, particularly the underpaid and underappreciated social workers who make countless sacrifices to help people in need. The next time you hear someone complain that we don't have heroes anymore, tell them to read about Linda Slezak, Maureen Coley, or Dom Constantine, among others, "ordinary" people who do extraordinary things and are moved by a spirit of love. This book humanizes people suffering -- and suffering is the right word -- from a variety of mental illnesses, and sheds light on the enormous difficulties that mental patients and their families must face. The stories of these people are sometimes unbearably sad and ocassionally incredibly uplifting, but never boring. As entertainment 9 Highland is a real page-turner, but this is much more than entertainment: it is an important book that will help you understand mental illness, and mentally ill people, much better than you did before .... and hopefully one which will make people treat those suffering from these diseases with much more compassion, respect, and understanding.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: As someone with a personal interest and knowledge of the subject, and love of literature, I have to say that I was disappointed with the book. Seems as if Winerip could not decide whether this was a novel (the parts that were most enjoyable) or a journalist documentation of events. The writing style was erratic in other ways as well, which distracts the reader from the content. I applaud Winerip's dedication and sensitivity to his subject, especially his characters. I was able to identify with them and put myself in their shoes, a credit to the author. But this sense of involvement with the story was interrupted far too often by objective details, which may have been necessary to the story. Thus, I find it unfortunate that Winerip could not find a way to integrate the public and political events more fluidly into the narrative. Disturbing also was the absence of his own character, which was obvious by his references to "a visitor" and when the people in his story spoke although nobody else was mentioned as present. The plot leaps back and forth between time and characters,which immensely took away from the enjoyment of reading it, disrupting the flow of the story and leaving the reader confused and wondering. Books of this nature are very important, I believe, and although it is obvious Winerip made a valiant effort, I was disappointed with the result. I would reccommend this book only if all other examples of this subject matter have been exhausted.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: As someone with a personal interest and knowledge of the subject, and love of literature, I have to say that I was disappointed with the book. Seems as if Winerip could not decide whether this was a novel (the parts that were most enjoyable) or a journalist documentation of events. The writing style was erratic in other ways as well, which distracts the reader from the content. I applaud Winerip's dedication and sensitivity to his subject, especially his characters. I was able to identify with them and put myself in their shoes, a credit to the author. But this sense of involvement with the story was interrupted far too often by objective details, which may have been necessary to the story. Thus, I find it unfortunate that Winerip could not find a way to integrate the public and political events more fluidly into the narrative. Disturbing also was the absence of his own character, which was obvious by his references to "a visitor" and when the people in his story spoke although nobody else was mentioned as present. The plot leaps back and forth between time and characters,which immensely took away from the enjoyment of reading it, disrupting the flow of the story and leaving the reader confused and wondering. Books of this nature are very important, I believe, and although it is obvious Winerip made a valiant effort, I was disappointed with the result. I would reccommend this book only if all other examples of this subject matter have been exhausted.
Rating:
Summary: Tells it like it is!
Review: I have worked with people who suffer with mental illness for the past 11 years on Long Island. The past nine in community residences (one was mentioned in this book). Michael Winerip has done an excellent job of portraying what it is like to live and work in a community residence. Not only is it a daily battle for the residents, the staff do battle/advocate on the residents' behalf constantly with the government, OMH, clinicians, community, and family members. I applaud him for this book. It is full of life and crucial information for the general public and professionals. Anyone that has the slightest tie to the mental health system (which is probably more people than would admit it) I urge to read this book! It has many pages that are filled with valuable information. Don't be discouraged by the size of this book. I read it in 4 1/2 days and I am a full time program supervisor at a community residence in suffolk county, go to school, am on-call 24 hrs. a day and believe it or not I have a social life. For those working in the mental health field, I found this book rejuvinating. At a time when I was feeling "burnt out" it gave me strength and reminded me why I have spent so many years working with this gifted population. My residents have taught me many valuable things, and I believe that Michael expresses this in the book. I haven't read such a fulfilling book in many years!
Rating:
Summary: Tells it like it is!
Review: I have worked with people who suffer with mental illness for the past 11 years on Long Island. The past nine in community residences (one was mentioned in this book). Michael Winerip has done an excellent job of portraying what it is like to live and work in a community residence. Not only is it a daily battle for the residents, the staff do battle/advocate on the residents' behalf constantly with the government, OMH, clinicians, community, and family members. I applaud him for this book. It is full of life and crucial information for the general public and professionals. Anyone that has the slightest tie to the mental health system (which is probably more people than would admit it) I urge to read this book! It has many pages that are filled with valuable information. Don't be discouraged by the size of this book. I read it in 4 1/2 days and I am a full time program supervisor at a community residence in suffolk county, go to school, am on-call 24 hrs. a day and believe it or not I have a social life. For those working in the mental health field, I found this book rejuvinating. At a time when I was feeling "burnt out" it gave me strength and reminded me why I have spent so many years working with this gifted population. My residents have taught me many valuable things, and I believe that Michael expresses this in the book. I haven't read such a fulfilling book in many years!
Rating:
Summary: "9 Highland Road": a book about Life's Real Heros!
Review: The residents of "9 Highland Road", the group home for people with mental illnesses featured in this book, are truly life's real heros, like most people with these terrible afflictions - afflictions that are still so badly misunderstood.
As a schizophrenia sufferer myself, I was repeatedly moved to tears by the plight of these amazing people, and could identify with them, totally.
One young woman, a girl with multipile personalities, suffered horrendously, yet was still able to bounce back and do well, even though she still suffers terribly at night.
Her courage is a great inspiration, along with all the other residents featured in the true stories in this book.
The author, Michael Winerip, is also an inspiration, and I pray that everyone will read this, his first book of many, I hope.
He has done the mentally ill proud and is a wonderful, compassionate, understanding writer.
Thank you, Michael.
Rating:
Summary: Readable and Important
Review: This book tells us what really goes on inside group homes. It also tells us about the parochial neighbors who fight the placement of group homes in their neighborhoods because if irrational fears and ignorance. The author lived in the group home at 9 Highland Road on Long Island, a wealthy community that did not want the house located there and disgraced themselves in the eyes of many readers by raising hell at public meetings. The people living at this home did not destroy the community or devalue neighborhood homes. They also tested the patients of the staff. Winerip does a good job explaining the psychiatric problems experienced by each resident and how staff dealt with the daily travails of that environment. The staff are heroes for doing this work for low pay. The scariest part of the story is Julie, a resident suffering great trauma from childhood horrors and has many personalities to cope with that trauma. One personality takes over the body and when another personality pops out it may not even know where Julie is or how she got there. Apparently, one personality had a social life in New York City doing God knows what. When another personality pops out "she" realizes that the prior personality knows these companions well. But the second personality finds herself trying to converse with people who think they know her, but she doesn't know them. Most of the second half of the book deals with things like this. Scary stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Readable and Important
Review: This book tells us what really goes on inside group homes. It also tells us about the parochial neighbors who fight the placement of group homes in their neighborhoods because if irrational fears and ignorance. The author lived in the group home at 9 Highland Road on Long Island, a wealthy community that did not want the house located there and disgraced themselves in the eyes of many readers by raising hell at public meetings. The people living at this home did not destroy the community or devalue neighborhood homes. They also tested the patients of the staff. Winerip does a good job explaining the psychiatric problems experienced by each resident and how staff dealt with the daily travails of that environment. The staff are heroes for doing this work for low pay. The scariest part of the story is Julie, a resident suffering great trauma from childhood horrors and has many personalities to cope with that trauma. One personality takes over the body and when another personality pops out it may not even know where Julie is or how she got there. Apparently, one personality had a social life in New York City doing God knows what. When another personality pops out "she" realizes that the prior personality knows these companions well. But the second personality finds herself trying to converse with people who think they know her, but she doesn't know them. Most of the second half of the book deals with things like this. Scary stuff.
Rating:
Summary: HUMANE & GENTLE ALTERNATIVE
Review: This is one of the most heartwarming, uplifting books I have ever read about mental illness. Mr. Winerip clearly cares about his housemates and has created a loving alternative to a hospital or standard halfway house. He has literally built a community for the people at 9 Highland Road and has provided a gentle voice of encouragement to the residents. His approach is very humane and it comes as no surprise that the people at 9 Highland Road flourish and blossom towards health. To his credit, Mr. Winerip makes no promises. He appears to take the approach of joy in each day with the people who share his vision.
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