Title: An Impossible Wife: Why He Stayed: A True Story of Love, Marriage, and Mental Illness
Author: Rachael Siddoway & Sonja Wasden
Publisher: The Gap Press
ISBN: 978-1733619448
Pages: 211
Genre: Mental Health/Memoirs
Reviewed by: Tony Espinoza

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In the pursuit of mental health awareness, one of the most important things a person struggling with their own mental health can have in their life to help them cope and find the right treatment for their struggles, is someone in their corner to support them. Whether that be a parent, a sibling, a friend, or for some, a partner or spouse, finding that one special person to help you find the right path forward and get the help you need is truly important. They must understand this is part of who you are, and must have the strength and love to be there for you both for the good times and the bad. As Shannon Purser once said, “Mental health affects every aspect of your life. It’s not just this neat little issue you can put into a box.”

In authors Rachael Siddoway’s An Impossible Wife: Why He Stayed: A True Story of Love, Marriage, and Mental Illness, the authors return to the nonfiction series that highlights one woman’s struggle with her diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. In this book, the authors take readers through the emotional and at times stressful journey of Sonja Wasden’s husband, Mitch. From their first meeting and how he fell in love with this beautiful woman, to the struggles faced throughout their marriage as her illness remained untreated and unrecognized, the author explores the trials Mitch had to go through with his wife, and the strength of his character and his love for her that allowed him to fight for their relationship, even during the darkest of moments.

The author did such a great job of keeping a balance between the events of the first book and the emotional struggle that Sonja went through while bringing in a fresh perspective and showing off the hurdles and painful events which affected Mitch as well. What also separated the book right away was how the majority of this book seemed to be told in a linear fashion, as opposed to much of the first book, which would transition back and forth between the early years of Sonja’s life and her struggles later in life after her diagnosis. The change in perspective and the shift in how the story was told did a brilliant job of not only elevating the emotional impact of Mitch’s story, but also touched upon how the kind of events that Mitch and Sonja went through together was a long, drawn-out buildup of emotions and moments which didn’t happen overnight, something most people who don’t have or deal with mental illness don’t understand.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy nonfiction memoirs, especially those that focus on mental health awareness, mental illness, and the impact it has on those who have loved ones who suffer from them. As someone with a loved one who has Bipolar Disorder, I found myself connecting so much with Mitch’s story and the impact those highs and lows have on oneself, while also appreciating how emotionally we connect with our loved ones who can’t control those moments when they arrive.

Thoughtful, emotionally-driven, and expertly crafted, author Rachael Siddoway’s An Impossible Wife: Why He Stayed: A True Story of Love, Marriage, and Mental Illness is a must-read memoir! A story of hardship, struggles, pain, and overcoming adversity, the author really hones in on the love story between these two people and how challenging life can get when love and mental illness clash with one another in any relationship, and the strength it takes to fight for that love.