The Good Greek Girl (Maria Katsonis, Jane Curry Publishing)

Harvard graduate Maria Katsonis is an accomplished public servant whose successful self-image is disrupted when she falls into depression. In this memoir, we follow her self-medication, suicidal thoughts and a stint in a psych ward. A major theme is the clash between image and reality: Katsonis defines herself as bold, a ‘butch tomboy’ and a high achiever, and from the outside she is perceived as middle-class. She is a Greek girl expected to be straight, married and a mother. As a gay woman with a mental illness, she challenges the norm. The value in this text is the explicit detailing of daily life in the psych ward, in suffering depression, and in the path to recovery. Katsonis is a beyondblue ambassador, and this book aims to demystify depression and its sufferers. Yet it is clear the book is Katsonis’ first full-length effort. The narrative is disjointed and light on actual scenes—there are snippets of remembered conversations and summaries of interactions—and it can lack the presence desired in a memoir. The Good Greek Girl is recommended for readers interested in the clash of traditional and modern values, and comfortable following a narrator who is ‘gripped by the blackness’ of depression.

Lou Heinrich is the books editor at Lip