Lullabies for the Insomniacs: A Memoir in Verse

Gr 8 Up–Foutz shares her experience with bipolar disorder, reminding others they are not alone in their mental health journey. For Ella, living with bipolar disorder is a battle, often resulting in the added hurdle of insomnia. The more her insomnia occurs, the worse she feels. Despite it all, she doesn’t allow her struggles to completely control her life and pushes through the hard times, finding ways to manage both her bipolar disorder and insomnia. Beautifully written in verse, this memoir shares what bipolar disorder and insomnia are and the reality of living with them. Written in-verse, the story’s format softens the weight of a difficult subject, making it easier to process while still capturing the depth and emotion of the experience. Readers will be able to pause and reflect after reading each poem as needed. Foutz beautifully describes her experience in a way that many will easily relate to. She doesn’t shy away from tough topics but presents them in a delicate manner. While the poems share the overall journey of the author’s mental health experience, many of them are also beautiful as stand-alone works. Further resources are included in the back of the book.