Sudden Joy

After an extraordinary mystical experience during the birth of her daughter and then the death of her young sister-in-law, Neva Ellen is left wondering about the meaning of life. She slips into a deep depression, but a five-month stay in a state-run hospital for the insane helps her find answers. After leaving, however, she moves from town to town and ends up raising two small children alone. Her wise decision to return to college for three years leads to a career as a teacher and a more settled life. Then, one morning at age forty-nine, she awakes to a new world, a new reality. She feels euphoric, filled with love, a sense of being one with the universe. But six weeks later, alone and not understanding what's happening, she checks herself into a hospital. A week later, she receives a diagnosis of manic depression and a bottle of pills. Several years later, determined to recover, the author goes off her medication, researches her illness and begins seeing a therapist. What follows is a miraculous spiritual awakening.