Tell Me I'm Here Book Review

Mental health has often been a topic neglected by Australia's health department, but recent years have brought a renewed interest in the area. Tell Me I'm Here, written by Anne Deveson, will no doubt continue to be an influential piece in the future.

The book follows the sad true story of Anne Deveson as she learns that her son, Jonathon, has schizophrenia - a disease that little was known about during the 1970's and 80's - the time in which the book takes place. Deveson leads us on an intimately personal journey through the years she suffered, as a seemingly untreatable mental illness destroyed her son's life. The story is ordered chronologically, and is extremely detailed with heavy focus on the undeniable torment that the Deveson family went through while trying various treatments out on Jonathon. Tell Me I'm Here won the Human Rights award in 1991, and based upon the decision by Harper Collins and the author, it has been re-released as an addition to the growing understanding of mental health in society.

Foreshadowing Jonathon's demise at the very beginning of the book allows Deveson to explore deeper into her story and reveal the crucial flaws in Australia's health system, which it appears is what she set out to do while recounting her tale. Discussed in the book are a range of therapies, their positives and negatives and the lack of help in which they give to patients. Deveson also lashes out at hospitals and the police, opting to involve every person or group who she feels did not help her son. These are important parts of the book, as they detail the critical flaws in Australia's health system, and certainly are aimed at both the public and government officials who hold the power to correct the problems.

The recent interest in mental health means Tell Me I'm Here has arrived at the perfect time. The book is the sort of non-fictional recount that may finally evoke a change in the current funding levels and provide enough help and support for those suffering such illnesses. Certainly as a reader not fully aware of the effects that mental illness, in particular schizophrenia, can cause, the book enlightens and informs us to a point in which we seriously question where Australia is at dealing with mental health issues.

Deveson writes a wonderful flowing prose that continues from start to finish. She has evidenced an extraordinary memory and it shows in her writing. Although detailed the book is enriching and becomes an experience. What comes across as shocking is the way in which we learn how the hospitals deal with schizophrenic patients. Unless there are certain specifications when dealing with a patient, the hospital will not be able to continue treating an ill person. What's worse is that even if the hospital knows a patient is very ill they cannot keep that person under treatment if the patient does not want to be there. In the case of schizophrenia, where indecision from the sufferer is common, this leads to serious issues.

Another strong point of the novel is the way in which Deveson can write a non-fictional piece of writing that is capable of being read like a work of fiction. It is this natural style of hers that is so brilliant and really allows the reader to continue the story at a frenetic pace, especially in areas of the book where the topic is enthralling. She carries this style into the way she describes her family life during the toughest years. The insights that she shares are all very sad, and as the reader one cannot help but feel great sympathy not only for Anne but also for her children, and in particular Jonathon. His journey, although repetitive, is fascinating and never dull. There is something about the way Deveson writes about her son that makes you feel agitated and annoyed as he constantly refuses treatment and help in general. Of course this is all Anne's frustration, and it is amazing to see how easily that can passed on to other people, even twenty years on from the initial incident.

The main problem with the book is that it feels too long, and often strays from the central issue at hand. This is normally a minimal reason, yet it feels maximised in Tell Me I'm Here, and so the book suffers from uneven pacing. However, the discussion on the different treatments Anne tries for her son are well described and the frustration at their lack of success are well portrayed. As well as this the interlude where Deveson writes about her travels to the United States, attending seminars promoting awareness of schizophrenia in society, is all well documented and further emphasises the seriousness of the problem on a worldwide scale.

Anne Deveson has written a non-fictional recount of the struggle she and her family went through when their son, Jonathan, was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The writing is stellar and informative, perhaps suffering a little with pacing. At a time of renewed interest in mental health, one feels the book could not have come at a better time. Australia will certainly need to make changes to the way their health department is run, and there is no doubt that Tell Me I'm Here will be involved in that change in the near future.