ABOUT THE BOOK
Through a series of dreams and delusions, Curtis Hansen becomes convinced that he and his wife, Pauline, are part of an intricate game devised for the entertainment of wealthy onlookers. To win, the couple must stay together despite a series of temptations and trials designed to break up their marriage. After playing “The Game” with Curtis for nine arduous years, Pauline makes a shocking discovery. Read the riveting, true account of her decade in the dark and her return to reality after Curtis is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pauline Hansen grew up in a tiny town where she went everywhere barefoot, played in the ditch, and anticipated the arrival of the bookmobile every two weeks. Her love of reading led her to dream of someday becoming an author. In addition to reading and writing, Pauline enjoys traveling, spring cleaning, cooking, organizing, and spending time with her family. After nearly twenty-five years living in the city, she now resides once again in her tiny hometown in southern Utah with her husband, three of their five children, and two cats. Patchwork Reality is her first publication.
REVIEW
Relationships can be very complicated. Add mental illness to the mix and things can become really difficult especially when one doesn't know that mental illness is the underlying problem. In Patchwork Reality, Pauline Hansen tells the story of her experience of living with her husband for ten years before discovering that he had an undiagnosed mental illness: paranoid schizophrenia. Suddenly all sorts of strange behavior had an explanation, but for 10 years she struggled to maintain a good relationship with a husband who maintained that they were part of a 'game' that involved others 'testing' their relationship. I spent a lot of time while reading this book empathizing with Pauline and her family as they struggled to deal with the strange things that her husband kept saying and doing. I admired how honest she is about her own mistakes and the struggles her family has had. I'm sure there are many other families out there who have had similar struggles. I can see this book providing comfort to those who face such difficult times. I appreciate her willingness to share such a difficult story and yet the love she and her husband have for each other helped them survive and continue to deal with the challenges of mental illness. Highly recommended.
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