Examined Lives

by Roberta Reb Allen

About the Book

Gretchen Richard was a vivacious, competent woman who moved to Chicago on her twentieth birthday and began her rise in the hospitality industry. In her off hours, she devoured the nightlife with a string of young swain who wanted to marry her. But in 1950 after she had already become a wife and mother, everything changed for Gretchen when Dr. Walter Freeman pronounced her a paranoid schizophrenic on a Friday and performed a lobotomy the following Monday, robbing her of her drive and sparkle forever.

In a compelling memoir and family history, Roberta Reb Allen shares a fascinating glimpse into her mother, Gretchen’s, journey before, during, and after the lobotomy as she was adjudged insane and institutionalized for periods of time. Utilizing family letters, diaries, scrapbooks, medical records, an unpublished novel, poetry, photographs, and the writings of Walter Freeman, Allen sheds light on the effects the lobotomy had on her mother and herself as well as the societal and familial forces that fostered their mental illnesses, all while giving a long-awaited voice to the female patient whose lobotomy was completely unnecessary.

Examined Lives provides a candid look at mental illness while offering hope for overcoming even the most debilitating psychological conditions with the right kind of support.

Learn More

Anonymous
  • If you want to own the best supercars in Escape Road, you'll have to rack up a lot of cash and use the lucky spin. There are 90 supercars in total, and they all have their own unique abilities and characteristics that will help you escape for longer.

  • Looking to improve your odds in JetX? Using a jetx predictor online can help you understand trends, but don’t expect it to be a foolproof solution. These predictors analyze past rounds to help identify patterns, but since the game is based on RNG, it’s still all about luck and timing. I’ve tried using one, and it definitely gives you some insights, but it’s important to stay grounded and not over-rely on it.

  • It is important to choose the right resources to play in Australia, and special resources provide information about them, if you are also interested, you can read them if you visit Crown Melbourne Online, where you will be provided with all the detailed information about the gaming business. Therefore, you should be aware to ensure your safety and choose only trusted resources

  • I wanted to exchange ETC to ETH to be able to purchase this book on the site. I came across this service and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the process was. The interface was user-friendly and I did not face any difficulties during the exchange. The fee was also quite competitive which was a plus. If anyone is planning to convert https://quickex.io/exchange-etc-eth, I had a great experience and think it's worth checking out.