72 Hour Hold

This book offers a close to accurate account of what it's like to have a mental illness! Though the book is fiction, I thought they it was a helpful resource and insightful read as well! I highly recommend this book for sure!

The January/February 2007 edition of The Crisis has a fitting tribute to Bebe Moore Campbell, whose novels make her without a doubt one of the best American writers ever.Her characters are real; a family member, neighbor, co-worker or person who lives a couple blocks over. These are people with concerns, opinions and solutions to tangible problems. When reading a Moore Campbell novel, you see yourself somewhere in her prose.And in 72 Hour Hold, it is a mother's love that will ultimately rescue her child.Keri Whitmore owns an upscale Los Angeles resale clothing shop and is building a new personal life for herself & her daughter, Trina, who has the world in front of her due to her outstanding high school grades. But Trina begins to show outward signs of some sort of illness and she is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.The reader is then sent on the rocky highway of the mental health and medical insurance systems, along with the stigmas attached to a family when someone is diagnosed with mental illness, that challenges Keri Whitmore on many levels. There is the ex-husband who refuses to acknowledge that his daughter has a mental illness, a boyfriend who is confronting the fact that his son is gay and the seemingly endless hurdles in balancing the needs of the business with the growing medical needs of her daughter.The closing scene brings all the human elements together and proves again that nothing can overwhelm a mother's true devotion to her child. The extraordinary writing genius of Moore Campbell will live forever not only through her words, but - importantly - because readers can relate to the actions of the characters on a very personal level.

So glad I purchased this book. Arrived in pristine condition. This was a great read. Fiction novel but the author wrote from real life experiences. The world of mental illness is often swept under a rug and rarely talked about even though so many suffer from this disease. It was truely eye opening to see what a struggle the illness is not only on the patient but even more so for the caregiver and family of those who suffer. It exposes the many holes and flaws in our mental health care system and the sheer desperation of those who need assistance for there loved ones in crisis. Heartbreaking yet educational.

I just did not like the ending. I was expecting to learn more and it just stopped. But it was good.

It was a very good book, my daughter had to read it for school, the topic/plot was very informative and inspiring. Only thing I can say negatively is that there were some very graphic sexual conversations, so it’s fine as long as it’s not a child reading it

Personal Letter To The FamilyTo you, the family & friends of Bebe Moore Campbell, I would like to give my heartfelt condolences on the lost of one of the best Black Female writers in our community. She has set the bar high, not just in her writing, but in her love for community & devotion to family. 72-hour hold is the only novel I know that addresses the issue of bi-polar disorder in a young black woman. Without family support, many facing these issues would probably not be around, especially in the African American community. Through her dedication, BeBe has helped erase the stigma around the illness by forming the Inglewood chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. She knows all to well that this illness effects the family just as much (if not more) as the individual. May those she inspired continue the legacy Bebe has left.Peace & Blessings

This book is an eye-opener for the struggles of mental disorders and mental health as a whole. It was well written and I really could not put the book down. I did not expect to learn as much as I did! I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about what it's like to have a loved one who is battling mental health imbalances and the different ways certain situations can be approached.

Both informative and relays well the personal struggles of the author and how her struggles resonate with those of us that have also encountered the turmoil of surviving when dealing with people who suffer from mental illness.