An unconventionally beautiful escaped mental patient with a backpack full of unsent letters and a death wish discovers something worth living for in Amanda Grieme’s Dear Prudence.

An eccentric psycho-med guinea pig masked behind a guise of beauty and eloquence, Ana is plagued by confusion due to her bipolar/schizo-affective disorder. With her secrets recorded in unsent letters stored in her coveted backpack, she feels that the only way to let her loved ones live life to the fullest is to take herself out of the equation.

But as she makes her escape from a Rhode Island State Hospital and begins her journey toward the crystal blue waters of the Florida Keys and her romantic demise, Ana is unaware that there are other forces at work.  An angelic guide, assigned by the universal weaver to Ana, hovers just an inch above her reality, helping or hindering her as she goes, depending on what is needed.

Is Ana’s life just a knot in Mother Fate’s tapestry or is it something more?  Find out in this eloquent account of one woman’s path through mental illness and self-doubt to discover her significance in this world.
 

 

About the Author

Amanda Grieme lives in Washington, New Jersey and teaches Literature and Creative Writing at Warren Hills Regional High School.  Like her protagonist, Amanda has struggled with Bipolar Disorder.  She says, “I feel it is imperative that I share the message of hope to those who falter.  Fiction writing is my instrument to help.”  Amanda Kunzman illustrated Dear Prudence with special artistic contributions by Mishelle Wilson and Jean Melancon, all students at W.H.R.H.S.