Rapid Cycle

Josh was always a challenging child. Energetic, enthusiastic, willful, and demanding. Enigmatic one minute, rageful the next. Now that he's entering puberty, his periodic trantrums are increasing in frequency and pitch, and the strain of it all is pulling his family apart. His parents, Rachel and Dylan, are considering separation. His older sister, Judith, rues the day Josh was born. But when Josh is nearly killed in a mountain bike accident, it's Judith who saves him.

With the fresh perspective that only a catastrophe can bring, Josh's parents commit themselves to getting the help they need, both as parents and as a couple. When Josh is diagnosed with early onset bipolar disorder, Judith's sister, Zoë, admits that she has battled the disease her whole adult life. Armed with knowledge, medication, and a deeper understanding of their child's needs, Rachel and Dylan begin to piece their family back together.

Rapid Cycle is a novel-in-progress. It uses a shifting viewpoint to explore the impact of mental illness on each member of the family.