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Fig
Love and sacrifice intertwine in this brilliant and provocative debut of rare beauty about a girl dealing with her mother’s schizophrenia and her own mental illness.
Fig’s world lies somewhere between reality and fantasy.
But as she watches Mama slowly come undone, it becomes hard to tell what is real and what is not, what is fun and what is frightening. To save Mama, Fig begins a fierce battle to bring her back. She knows that her daily sacrifices, like not touching metal one day or avoiding water the next, are the only way to cure Mama.
The problem is that in the process of a daily sacrifice, Fig begins to lose herself as well, increasingly isolating herself from her classmates and engaging in self-destructive behavior that only further sets her apart.
Spanning the course of Fig’s childhood from age six to nineteen, this deeply provocative novel is more than a portrait of a mother, a daughter, and the struggle that comes with all-consuming love. It is an acutely honest and often painful portrayal of life with mental illness and the lengths to which a young woman must go to handle the ordeals—real or imaginary—thrown her way.
Fig’s world lies somewhere between reality and fantasy.
But as she watches Mama slowly come undone, it becomes hard to tell what is real and what is not, what is fun and what is frightening. To save Mama, Fig begins a fierce battle to bring her back. She knows that her daily sacrifices, like not touching metal one day or avoiding water the next, are the only way to cure Mama.
The problem is that in the process of a daily sacrifice, Fig begins to lose herself as well, increasingly isolating herself from her classmates and engaging in self-destructive behavior that only further sets her apart.
Spanning the course of Fig’s childhood from age six to nineteen, this deeply provocative novel is more than a portrait of a mother, a daughter, and the struggle that comes with all-consuming love. It is an acutely honest and often painful portrayal of life with mental illness and the lengths to which a young woman must go to handle the ordeals—real or imaginary—thrown her way.
346 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2015
32 people are currently reading
2825 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Elizabeth Schantz
4 books108 followersSarah Elizabeth Schantz is a fiction writer living on the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado in an old farmhouse surrounded by open sky, century-old cottonwoods and coyotes.
Her first novel, FIG, debuted from Simon & Schuster in 2015 (the trade paperback came out in 2016). The book was noted as a Best Read of 2015 by NPR and won the Colorado Book Award in 2016. Schantz is represented by Heather Schroder at Compass Talent. Schantz's website is: www.SarahElizabethSchantz.org. If you are interested in taking one of her creative writing workshops or working with her one-on-one, you can visit www.WritesofPassage.org.
FIG is the story of a girl who grows up under the shadow of her schizophrenic mother in rural Kansas. This coming-of-age story tracks Fig, the protagonist, from age six to age nineteen--the age she fears she might inherit her mother's disease; Fig employs magical thinking as a means to avoid this fate, but in turn develops OCD. In the end, she must learn to separate her identity from the identity of her beloved mother.
Schantz is available for readings and other events. She has a BA in Writing & Literature and a MFA in Writing & Poetics from Naropa University. She collects Lotus slippers, Blue Willow, Edwardian-style nightgowns, fairy tales, Owl figures, and antique marbles. She loves to take a bath so laden with Epsom salts it becomes the sea, and every time the moon is full, she takes a long stroll in the silver light.
Her first novel, FIG, debuted from Simon & Schuster in 2015 (the trade paperback came out in 2016). The book was noted as a Best Read of 2015 by NPR and won the Colorado Book Award in 2016. Schantz is represented by Heather Schroder at Compass Talent. Schantz's website is: www.SarahElizabethSchantz.org. If you are interested in taking one of her creative writing workshops or working with her one-on-one, you can visit www.WritesofPassage.org.
FIG is the story of a girl who grows up under the shadow of her schizophrenic mother in rural Kansas. This coming-of-age story tracks Fig, the protagonist, from age six to age nineteen--the age she fears she might inherit her mother's disease; Fig employs magical thinking as a means to avoid this fate, but in turn develops OCD. In the end, she must learn to separate her identity from the identity of her beloved mother.
Schantz is available for readings and other events. She has a BA in Writing & Literature and a MFA in Writing & Poetics from Naropa University. She collects Lotus slippers, Blue Willow, Edwardian-style nightgowns, fairy tales, Owl figures, and antique marbles. She loves to take a bath so laden with Epsom salts it becomes the sea, and every time the moon is full, she takes a long stroll in the silver light.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
August 29, 2016
This is like the politician voting for herself, but that's democracy I suppose. This book is a part of my heart.
June 23, 2015
4.5
Devastating.
Devastating.
July 15, 2015
So...this was really well written but I don't think I would necessarily recommend it to anyone because I just didn't enjoy the time I spent in this world. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, no bittersweet resolution, no message-political or otherwise, just sadness. I found myself wanting to bail on several occasions but felt I had invested too much already.
It's a story of a mother's schizophrenia as seen through her daughter's eyes and all the ways she (Fig) bargains with the universe for her mother to be well again. Everyday there's a new ordeal from the Calendar of Ordeals, dictating what Fig must refrain from each day. Some days are easy but some have to be repeated over and over until someone figures out that Fig is OCD.
Honestly, by this point I feel like I had OCD--should I finish, should I bail. I carried a back-up book just in case my head exploded.
The novel takes place during the Reagan era which is when there was a major closure of mental institutions across the country but this gets mentioned over the course of one chapter and nothing more. I'm not sure why this bothered me but it did.
I hate the "it's not you, it's me" review but that's the best I can do. If only someone had gotten even a little HEA*
But keep in mind that your results may vary.
*Happily ever after
It's a story of a mother's schizophrenia as seen through her daughter's eyes and all the ways she (Fig) bargains with the universe for her mother to be well again. Everyday there's a new ordeal from the Calendar of Ordeals, dictating what Fig must refrain from each day. Some days are easy but some have to be repeated over and over until someone figures out that Fig is OCD.
Honestly, by this point I feel like I had OCD--should I finish, should I bail. I carried a back-up book just in case my head exploded.
The novel takes place during the Reagan era which is when there was a major closure of mental institutions across the country but this gets mentioned over the course of one chapter and nothing more. I'm not sure why this bothered me but it did.
I hate the "it's not you, it's me" review but that's the best I can do. If only someone had gotten even a little HEA*
But keep in mind that your results may vary.
*Happily ever after
January 14, 2018
An undoubtedly beautifully written story, full of impressive imagery and hard hitting truths. At its best, the complex mother-daughter relationship and the depth of the writing reminded me of White Oleander by Janet Fitch, a book I read last year and really liked. However, I thought the second half of Fig really dragged and just wasn't as well written as the first one, so by the end I wasn't particularly invested in the characters' lives anymore.
October 21, 2014
Bittersweet has never been as beautiful, heartbreaking, and provoking as it is in Sarah Elizabeth Schantz’s coming-of-age tale, Fig.
When Fig realizes Mama is sick, the deep love she bears for her mother becomes her burden as well. She takes on the fierce battle to help Mama reclaim her mind from a disease as constricting as barbed wire, schizophrenia. An insurmountable task for a six-year-old. Over the course of the novel, Fig makes daily sacrifices, ones she fully believes will make Mama whole again, but instead ends up losing herself in the process.
Schantz’s writing style can best be described as evocative, lovely and heartbreaking. She achieves clarity in communicating the raw emotion of her characters in a way that feels unrushed, yet there are no wasted breaths in Fig. Each word, sentence and paragraph reveals the unplumbed depths of the novel’s layers in a way that makes you want to gather the young Fig into your arms and say, “There, there. It’s going to be O.K.,” even though you can see no way out of the despair her family is trapped in.
While the book centers around characters with mental disease, I felt Schantz avoided making an overt, unearned commentary on mental illness, aside from that the people it affects are so much more than their condition. Schizophrenia and OCD manifest in Fig and her mother in good and in bad ways, and both are people that are worthy of compassion. Often, those who struggle with these types of conditions are ignored or broomed into the corners of society – Schantz shows us that these people are our mothers, our daughters, our fathers and sons. We should not relegate them to the edges.
The novel also explores the nuanced relationship between daughter and mother, girl and woman, self and other. It’s a rare debut from an author that bares the soul not only of the characters, but of the reader as well.
If you want to read and remember one book this year, make sure it’s Fig.
When Fig realizes Mama is sick, the deep love she bears for her mother becomes her burden as well. She takes on the fierce battle to help Mama reclaim her mind from a disease as constricting as barbed wire, schizophrenia. An insurmountable task for a six-year-old. Over the course of the novel, Fig makes daily sacrifices, ones she fully believes will make Mama whole again, but instead ends up losing herself in the process.
Schantz’s writing style can best be described as evocative, lovely and heartbreaking. She achieves clarity in communicating the raw emotion of her characters in a way that feels unrushed, yet there are no wasted breaths in Fig. Each word, sentence and paragraph reveals the unplumbed depths of the novel’s layers in a way that makes you want to gather the young Fig into your arms and say, “There, there. It’s going to be O.K.,” even though you can see no way out of the despair her family is trapped in.
While the book centers around characters with mental disease, I felt Schantz avoided making an overt, unearned commentary on mental illness, aside from that the people it affects are so much more than their condition. Schizophrenia and OCD manifest in Fig and her mother in good and in bad ways, and both are people that are worthy of compassion. Often, those who struggle with these types of conditions are ignored or broomed into the corners of society – Schantz shows us that these people are our mothers, our daughters, our fathers and sons. We should not relegate them to the edges.
The novel also explores the nuanced relationship between daughter and mother, girl and woman, self and other. It’s a rare debut from an author that bares the soul not only of the characters, but of the reader as well.
If you want to read and remember one book this year, make sure it’s Fig.
April 20, 2015
I wanted to read Fig because of the issues of mental illness. I deal with bipolar and anxiety issues, and these kinds of reads really appeals to me.
The biggest issue I had with Fig is that it is not a typical YA read, and that is what I was hoping for. It starts out from the pov of a six year old and that voice and world view is just not what I am used to. Of course she grows older and she is telling by looking back, but if I could change something it would be consistent age.
Fig did show a young girl having to try to take care of her mom when it should be the other way around, and more people need to realize what some children have to go through living in that sort of background. It is so hard on her, and changes things about personality and world view. Then, she is also dealing with her own mental health, and with the genetic issue, it is no surprise.
It is an emotional read, and important topic. The unique magical realism/fantasy feel certainly gives it a unique premise.
Bottom Line: Intriguing, and beautiful writing. Had an issue with the shifting age of protagonist and being labeled YA.
The biggest issue I had with Fig is that it is not a typical YA read, and that is what I was hoping for. It starts out from the pov of a six year old and that voice and world view is just not what I am used to. Of course she grows older and she is telling by looking back, but if I could change something it would be consistent age.
Fig did show a young girl having to try to take care of her mom when it should be the other way around, and more people need to realize what some children have to go through living in that sort of background. It is so hard on her, and changes things about personality and world view. Then, she is also dealing with her own mental health, and with the genetic issue, it is no surprise.
It is an emotional read, and important topic. The unique magical realism/fantasy feel certainly gives it a unique premise.
Bottom Line: Intriguing, and beautiful writing. Had an issue with the shifting age of protagonist and being labeled YA.
March 6, 2018
Fig is a painfully honest, and lyrical portrayal of mental illness. Sarah Elizabeth Schantz is a gifted writer, but unfortunately it was difficult for me to really get into the book as there was next to no plot what-so-ever. Until the very end of the book we see almost no change in character development, and it felt like I was just slogging through to reach the finish line.
November 17, 2015
This does fit the YA category it's put in, but it really is a book that crosses over into adult readership. The story starts with Fig at six years old and carries through until she's seventeen, but the focus is so unlike most YA books. This is very much literary, very much a character-focused story, deeply emotional, and presented in such a way that would appeal to many adult readers who don't generally read YA.
Fig's mother is schizophrenic, and while she has ups and downs, the trend throughout the novel is down. As Fig, who is highly intelligent and has OCD, grows up she adopts different ways of coping with watching her mother deteriorate. She cannot turn to her father, as he is so focused on her mother and the farm they own. Her grandmother is somewhat harsh with her, although many of her acts show just how much she loves Fig. Her Uncle Billy is her rock in many ways, but for a long time she doesn't see that. She has no real friends, and she feels out of place just about everywhere. The only time she feels release from the pressures of her life and at ease with herself is when she is making herself bleed.
No, this is not a story about cutting--although Fig does try cutting once in the book. I want to be clear on what she does do, because if you are like me you may appreciate the warning (which I did not get from the book description or reviews and wish I had). Fig's self-mutilation comes in the form of scab-picking, and the detail at which it is described was at times too much for me. The other negative for me was the last chapter. The very ending just didn't fit quite right for me.
The writing, however, is beautiful and haunting. Fig is a deep character and the author submerges you in her mind. The other characters are fully-developed as well, and the setting rich and realistic. I definitely recommend the book for the writing, but be prepared for a rather intense experience and a book that reads like a memoir--it is Fig's life, not a plot to be played out.
PS--if you like to read author acknowledgments before reading/finishing the story as I sometimes do--this time don't. There are spoilers.
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My YA fantasy series:
book 1
book 2
Fig's mother is schizophrenic, and while she has ups and downs, the trend throughout the novel is down. As Fig, who is highly intelligent and has OCD, grows up she adopts different ways of coping with watching her mother deteriorate. She cannot turn to her father, as he is so focused on her mother and the farm they own. Her grandmother is somewhat harsh with her, although many of her acts show just how much she loves Fig. Her Uncle Billy is her rock in many ways, but for a long time she doesn't see that. She has no real friends, and she feels out of place just about everywhere. The only time she feels release from the pressures of her life and at ease with herself is when she is making herself bleed.
No, this is not a story about cutting--although Fig does try cutting once in the book. I want to be clear on what she does do, because if you are like me you may appreciate the warning (which I did not get from the book description or reviews and wish I had). Fig's self-mutilation comes in the form of scab-picking, and the detail at which it is described was at times too much for me. The other negative for me was the last chapter. The very ending just didn't fit quite right for me.
The writing, however, is beautiful and haunting. Fig is a deep character and the author submerges you in her mind. The other characters are fully-developed as well, and the setting rich and realistic. I definitely recommend the book for the writing, but be prepared for a rather intense experience and a book that reads like a memoir--it is Fig's life, not a plot to be played out.
PS--if you like to read author acknowledgments before reading/finishing the story as I sometimes do--this time don't. There are spoilers.
My Website
Find me on Facebook
My YA fantasy series:
book 1
book 2
July 30, 2015
This book earned a permanent space on my bookshelf and my gift-to-give list.
A divine synchronicity is at play when an accomplished artist writes a novel. Every sense is engaged when reading. The mind waltzes with perfect storytelling.
In the story of Fig, we absorb Schantz's fine alchemy and are able to see (to see) the Coming-of-Age theme in a magical, yet haunting light. Through Fig and the events that encompass her life, we witness a tale that is equally noble, harrowing, and even undeniably personal.
When I read a book, I fold the corners of the pages that contain words that make my heart leap, the pages I wish to revisit for their sheer beauty and wisdom. In Fig, every paragraph is stunning. My folds turned the corners into paper sculptures, imprinting Fig's poetic insight into my memory.
I treaded into Fig's world slowly, gently, but finished in a fine fury, clinging, wanting to preserve a piece of Fig in my heart forever.
A modest sampling of beloved excerpts:
"I listen until I can't help but hear all the rustlings in the parts of the world gone black. The deep whispers below the cricket song." (page 10)
"According to this book, lavendar means distrust, which doesn't seem fair to the nature of this flower." (page 142)
"But then someone turns the TV off. The screen goes black - goes black in an inward way, where the last thing left is a white dot in the center of the screen. And when the white dot burns out, it makes a soft electrical pop that makes me think, God has gone to sleep." (page 199)
"...by the time I turn twelve I can breathe again. Like skin growing over a wound, the hurt is hidden. Maybe even healed. And the snow falls. The world is a clean slate..." (page 210)
"Like schizophrenia, there is no definitive cure; like a garden, I will have to tend to this habit, forever weeding out the urges." (page 323)
A divine synchronicity is at play when an accomplished artist writes a novel. Every sense is engaged when reading. The mind waltzes with perfect storytelling.
In the story of Fig, we absorb Schantz's fine alchemy and are able to see (to see) the Coming-of-Age theme in a magical, yet haunting light. Through Fig and the events that encompass her life, we witness a tale that is equally noble, harrowing, and even undeniably personal.
When I read a book, I fold the corners of the pages that contain words that make my heart leap, the pages I wish to revisit for their sheer beauty and wisdom. In Fig, every paragraph is stunning. My folds turned the corners into paper sculptures, imprinting Fig's poetic insight into my memory.
I treaded into Fig's world slowly, gently, but finished in a fine fury, clinging, wanting to preserve a piece of Fig in my heart forever.
A modest sampling of beloved excerpts:
"I listen until I can't help but hear all the rustlings in the parts of the world gone black. The deep whispers below the cricket song." (page 10)
"According to this book, lavendar means distrust, which doesn't seem fair to the nature of this flower." (page 142)
"But then someone turns the TV off. The screen goes black - goes black in an inward way, where the last thing left is a white dot in the center of the screen. And when the white dot burns out, it makes a soft electrical pop that makes me think, God has gone to sleep." (page 199)
"...by the time I turn twelve I can breathe again. Like skin growing over a wound, the hurt is hidden. Maybe even healed. And the snow falls. The world is a clean slate..." (page 210)
"Like schizophrenia, there is no definitive cure; like a garden, I will have to tend to this habit, forever weeding out the urges." (page 323)
July 31, 2015
First, some full disclosure. I may be a little biased as Ms. Schantz is my friend and was my creative writing teacher. She is not only very talented, but very gifted at getting her students to see their potential. Now that I've made that known let me tell you what I think of Fig.
Fig is complicated. Not in a way that is bad, but rather very good. The way she thinks, acts and perceives the world completely draws the reader in. At times, you will want to cry for her (maybe that's just because I'm a daddy) and other times you will want to cheer for her as she begins to discover who she is. All of this happens in the midst of trying to understand the huge changes happening around her and to her. I cannot imagine the time and energy that went into developing this character, but I know it had to have been a lengthy process.
For me, it was fun to see a lot of the mechanics and tools taught in class put into action in print. Ms. Schantz is more than capable of delivering the goods and I hope her future works are recognized for what they are - works of love.
If you are looking for flash and big adventure, look elsewhere. This is a novel about the human soul and all the things we are capable of being and also doing to one another. In other words, if you let her, Fig will allow you to learn something about yourself and how you relate to the world.
5 stars and a hearty, BRAVO!
Fig is complicated. Not in a way that is bad, but rather very good. The way she thinks, acts and perceives the world completely draws the reader in. At times, you will want to cry for her (maybe that's just because I'm a daddy) and other times you will want to cheer for her as she begins to discover who she is. All of this happens in the midst of trying to understand the huge changes happening around her and to her. I cannot imagine the time and energy that went into developing this character, but I know it had to have been a lengthy process.
For me, it was fun to see a lot of the mechanics and tools taught in class put into action in print. Ms. Schantz is more than capable of delivering the goods and I hope her future works are recognized for what they are - works of love.
If you are looking for flash and big adventure, look elsewhere. This is a novel about the human soul and all the things we are capable of being and also doing to one another. In other words, if you let her, Fig will allow you to learn something about yourself and how you relate to the world.
5 stars and a hearty, BRAVO!
July 11, 2014
Fig is haunting, beautiful, and redemptive. When Fig's mother develops schizophrenia, six year old Fig takes on her mother's illness as her own burden, and decides to sacrifice herself in her mother's place. Her sacrifices consume her. Her childhood becomes a dark and secret world of magic, ritual, and negotiation.
Sarah Elizabeth Schantz's writing rings as sharp and clear as a bell. Though this book was often hard to read because of how real Fig's self harm and OCD were, I never wanted to stop. I was entirely immersed in Fig's world and mind. This book manages a wonderful balance between feeling timeless and magical, and hinging on the important events of the time. This is not a fantasy novel, but it carries the same feeling as Neil Gaiman's modern fairy tales – it pulled me into a world like our own, but where the line between what is real and what is unreal is blurred, and anything could happen.
Fig is a book that will shatter you, and then slowly stitch you back together.
Sarah Elizabeth Schantz's writing rings as sharp and clear as a bell. Though this book was often hard to read because of how real Fig's self harm and OCD were, I never wanted to stop. I was entirely immersed in Fig's world and mind. This book manages a wonderful balance between feeling timeless and magical, and hinging on the important events of the time. This is not a fantasy novel, but it carries the same feeling as Neil Gaiman's modern fairy tales – it pulled me into a world like our own, but where the line between what is real and what is unreal is blurred, and anything could happen.
Fig is a book that will shatter you, and then slowly stitch you back together.
March 4, 2016
Set in small-town Kansas, this wonderful, gritty, scary, beautiful story follows a young girl through adolescence as she deals with her mother’s schizophrenia. Fiona -- known as “Fig” -- is just six when the story begins and her mother begins to descend into the clutches of mental illness.
Her befuddled father copes the best he can, her classmates make fun of her, and her seemingly coldhearted grandmother passive-aggressively “helps,” but Fig finds unexpected support from her Uncle Billy. Most of the story, though, takes place within Fig's thoughts, as she moves from childhood to young adulthood and her understanding of and attitudes toward her mother mature as well.
The story realistically -- and unsparingly -- portrays the struggles of mental illness, not just for the person who is ill but for the whole family. It's heavy going at times, but shows how the bonds of family can remain strong even as a situation changes.
Her befuddled father copes the best he can, her classmates make fun of her, and her seemingly coldhearted grandmother passive-aggressively “helps,” but Fig finds unexpected support from her Uncle Billy. Most of the story, though, takes place within Fig's thoughts, as she moves from childhood to young adulthood and her understanding of and attitudes toward her mother mature as well.
The story realistically -- and unsparingly -- portrays the struggles of mental illness, not just for the person who is ill but for the whole family. It's heavy going at times, but shows how the bonds of family can remain strong even as a situation changes.
July 30, 2014
For me, the mark of a good book is that its characters continue to dwell in my mind days after I am finished reading it. This is how it is with Fig. She is so clear in my head, so known to me after spending time in her story, listening to her earnest voice.
Fig’s only wish is that she can somehow undo her mother’s schizophrenia. Steeped in magical thinking, young Fig devotes her life to this mission of redeeming her mother through rituals of ordeal and sacrifice. It is the compelling story of a daughter struggling to save her mother without losing herself.
Schantz’s debut is rich and substantial. Its beauty lies in its clarity of voice—subtle but striking in its honesty. Like Fig herself, the novel is intricate, surprising, and often heart-breaking. And it will linger in your thoughts long after you set it down.
Fig’s only wish is that she can somehow undo her mother’s schizophrenia. Steeped in magical thinking, young Fig devotes her life to this mission of redeeming her mother through rituals of ordeal and sacrifice. It is the compelling story of a daughter struggling to save her mother without losing herself.
Schantz’s debut is rich and substantial. Its beauty lies in its clarity of voice—subtle but striking in its honesty. Like Fig herself, the novel is intricate, surprising, and often heart-breaking. And it will linger in your thoughts long after you set it down.
May 29, 2015
Fig, by Sarah Schantz, is an incredible story about an ordinary and magic little girl. I give the novel the highest possible rating for three reasons: one, it is real writing that doesn't rely on cliche to fluff it out, two, it is emotional and highly articulate yet from the mind of a growing child, three, it deals with mental illness in an unabashed and humble way that doesn't presume, that doesn't negate. Schantz reveals a mythos of childhood haunted by the illness of a caretaker, deeply personal to its protagonist and yet an experience vastly shared by other children, everywhere. This book is for everyone. Get a hard copy.
August 21, 2015
I read this in one sitting today in the watchtower of the sunflower house. I highly recommend that the next time you have a few hours, that you find a quiet spot, and become immersed in the strange magic that is Sarah Elizabeth Schantz poetic prose. I cannot wait to share this book with my child. It is the type of book, that if I found as a kid in the Dighton Library basement, would have left me filled with a sense of wonder. As an "adult" this sensation permeates and augments my understanding of what a story can be.
June 3, 2015
Is it too early in the year to award my favorite of 2015 prize?
January 31, 2016
Wow! Incredible story of a young girl whose mother experiences schizophrenia. I highly recommend (as you can see by my rating!)
September 18, 2017
Fig, the title character in the story, is a girl living with a schizophrenic mother. Told from the time she is six years old until she is a teenager, we experience the ups and downs of mental illness told through Fig’s perspective.
I found this story to be extremely sad, but very eye-opening. I appreciate how Fig describes the differences in her mom when she is taking medication for her schizophrenia and the effects the medication has on her, such as weight gain, as well as those times when she is off her medication. More so than anyone in the story, Fig is the most affected by her mother’s mental illness and starts to suffer from mental health issues as well. This is a well-written story that I would highly recommend.
Find Fig at the Westminster Public Library!
I found this story to be extremely sad, but very eye-opening. I appreciate how Fig describes the differences in her mom when she is taking medication for her schizophrenia and the effects the medication has on her, such as weight gain, as well as those times when she is off her medication. More so than anyone in the story, Fig is the most affected by her mother’s mental illness and starts to suffer from mental health issues as well. This is a well-written story that I would highly recommend.
Find Fig at the Westminster Public Library!
April 7, 2017
The book Fig is about a young girl whose mother has schizophrenia and has to raise and deal with her mother, her classmates who tease, and her own personal struggles and fears. All while her father tries to lead on a normal life.
I appreciated the authors research into the disease. And the way she made sure I knew how the mother feels even if it was through a different characters eyes. However I didn't like the authors mistake in the beginning. She is describing a Jersey cow as black and white, when Holsteins are actually the black and white and very tall breed of dairy cows, while Jersey cows are small and tan. They're also famous for their big brown eyes.
Despite the small mistake I still enjoyed the book and how it was informative and really made me understand this awful illness and how it impacts everyone who is in contact with the person who suffers from it.
I think that anyone that understands what living in a small town is like, and anyone that enjoys a dramatic read would really enjoy this book.
I appreciated the authors research into the disease. And the way she made sure I knew how the mother feels even if it was through a different characters eyes. However I didn't like the authors mistake in the beginning. She is describing a Jersey cow as black and white, when Holsteins are actually the black and white and very tall breed of dairy cows, while Jersey cows are small and tan. They're also famous for their big brown eyes.
Despite the small mistake I still enjoyed the book and how it was informative and really made me understand this awful illness and how it impacts everyone who is in contact with the person who suffers from it.
I think that anyone that understands what living in a small town is like, and anyone that enjoys a dramatic read would really enjoy this book.
March 18, 2015
What happens to a girl whose mother becomes consumed by schizophrenia? How will her world fragment? How will she know what is real, and what is delusion? How will she become her own person, as every child must? These are the haunting questions Sarah Elizabeth Schantz asks in her debut novel Fig. As the protagonist, Fig, defines and becomes defined by her mother’s battle with schizophrenia, she reflects, "I'm not afraid of growing old, but I am afraid of growing up" (268). Why wouldn’t she be? Wise, eccentric Fig understands her mother’s fears are not just mere delusion: violent tornados, feral dogs, drug-induced empty stares, shattered hopes and pain are real. In Fig, Schantz has crafted a narrative so raw and intimate that it is difficult to remember it is fiction, and not memoir. That is the brilliance of this book: fiction gives way to truth; Fig’s experience of her particular world resonates with any reader engaged in the struggle of living as a human being.
The brilliance of Schantz’s novel lies in its literary depth as much as in Fig’s raw, eloquent perspective. Fig’s mother’s delusions imbue a baby doll, a school-assigned flour bag, a set of nesting dolls, and a Mother Mary statue with disturbing maternal symbolism. Schantz crafts passages of words like an assemblage artist, piecing together fragments to create a shocking result. When Fig, as a pre-pubescent teenager, experiments with touching the farm’s electric fence, she reflects, "If I just take it -- that is, absorb the power -- I can make it my own. And each time I touch the fence, I fall. Each time, I fall more safely than the time before" (227). Often, Fig’s seemingly simple recollections surprise the reader with their metaphorical significance. About the way she’s become obsessed with picking at her scabs, Fig remembers: "I've seen my grandmother rub the ground where my grandfather is buried. When she touched the grave, it reminded me of how I now touch the skin where once I was hurt" (260). Schantz brings her readers deep into one girl’s imagination, but she also immerses us in a philosophical meditation on epistemology. Just as importantly, she brings us into an investigation of the relationships between child and mother, between self-soothing and self-harm, between human and natural worlds, between reality and delusion, and between death and life.
Fig is categorized as young-adult fiction, and teenagers will certainly identify with Fig’s feelings of isolation in the world and with her struggle to come of age. However, it is adult readers who will most fully appreciate and understand this complex novel. Adult readers will not only identify with the setting of the 1980s, but will possess the lens required to fully understand what Fig’s experience as a child has come to mean for her identity as a young woman. Finally, an experienced reader will reach the end of Fig’s narrative and understand what Schantz requires her readers to remember, to interpret, and to hold.
I remain haunted by this book. For the time I read Fig’s story, I stood in the Kansas wind, beside this girl, watching her struggle to grow up in a fractured world. I worry about her, still. And that is how I know Schantz has succeeded in this novel: what she has invented has blurred into what is real. Somewhere, Fig gazes out to the horizon, waiting, still becoming.
-- Sarah Brooks, author of The Beginning of Us
The brilliance of Schantz’s novel lies in its literary depth as much as in Fig’s raw, eloquent perspective. Fig’s mother’s delusions imbue a baby doll, a school-assigned flour bag, a set of nesting dolls, and a Mother Mary statue with disturbing maternal symbolism. Schantz crafts passages of words like an assemblage artist, piecing together fragments to create a shocking result. When Fig, as a pre-pubescent teenager, experiments with touching the farm’s electric fence, she reflects, "If I just take it -- that is, absorb the power -- I can make it my own. And each time I touch the fence, I fall. Each time, I fall more safely than the time before" (227). Often, Fig’s seemingly simple recollections surprise the reader with their metaphorical significance. About the way she’s become obsessed with picking at her scabs, Fig remembers: "I've seen my grandmother rub the ground where my grandfather is buried. When she touched the grave, it reminded me of how I now touch the skin where once I was hurt" (260). Schantz brings her readers deep into one girl’s imagination, but she also immerses us in a philosophical meditation on epistemology. Just as importantly, she brings us into an investigation of the relationships between child and mother, between self-soothing and self-harm, between human and natural worlds, between reality and delusion, and between death and life.
Fig is categorized as young-adult fiction, and teenagers will certainly identify with Fig’s feelings of isolation in the world and with her struggle to come of age. However, it is adult readers who will most fully appreciate and understand this complex novel. Adult readers will not only identify with the setting of the 1980s, but will possess the lens required to fully understand what Fig’s experience as a child has come to mean for her identity as a young woman. Finally, an experienced reader will reach the end of Fig’s narrative and understand what Schantz requires her readers to remember, to interpret, and to hold.
I remain haunted by this book. For the time I read Fig’s story, I stood in the Kansas wind, beside this girl, watching her struggle to grow up in a fractured world. I worry about her, still. And that is how I know Schantz has succeeded in this novel: what she has invented has blurred into what is real. Somewhere, Fig gazes out to the horizon, waiting, still becoming.
-- Sarah Brooks, author of The Beginning of Us
March 12, 2017
I loved this book, maybe not at first. I was intrigued at first, but after I finished it and realized it was Sarah Elizabeth Schantz' s first novel. Total wow. I loved the interrelationships, the softeness of love no matter who the wounded were, and they all were. Schantz's really brought huge awareness to the mental conditions revealed. It was a heart worming read, and I will keep an eye out for future books by this wonderful writer. well written.
July 6, 2015
I had to look at this book from a YA perspective...so that's where I'm coming from....Was this book well written? Absolutely. Was it about an interesting topic? Of course. Was it really a YA book? Not so much.
I have to admit that this book had exceptional writing. I was actually blown away by how the writing flowed so easily as I read it. The problem though, was that if a middle schooler or even a high schooler read this book, they would be lost after a couple of pages. The characters are the right age for a YA, but the writing was more literary and suitable for an adult. It was very lyrical and I have to give the author some credit for that.
The book starts off with Fig at the age of six and is told from her POV. I don't know a lot of YA readers who want to read about something from someone that young, but she does get older as the book goes on. The issues that Fig has to deal with because of her mom and her mental illness is pretty deep. There are deep books out there for YA, any of Ellen Hopkins' books, but I thought this one was a little too deep for a YA. I know there are kids out there who have to take care of their parents with mental illnesses, but this book, again, was a little too deep for several YA readers. There were parts that I found disturbing because Fig likes to hurt herself by picking at old scabs that then cause infections. The detail of these parts were very realistic and very gross.
In the end, I gave it a three tree review because the writing was really good but it wasn't really a YA book. This read more like an Adult Memoir. If it had been labeled and sold as an Adult book it would've been better and maybe even sell better. I would recommend this book who like leterary type books and memoirs, but I won't have this one on my classroom bookself.
I have to admit that this book had exceptional writing. I was actually blown away by how the writing flowed so easily as I read it. The problem though, was that if a middle schooler or even a high schooler read this book, they would be lost after a couple of pages. The characters are the right age for a YA, but the writing was more literary and suitable for an adult. It was very lyrical and I have to give the author some credit for that.
The book starts off with Fig at the age of six and is told from her POV. I don't know a lot of YA readers who want to read about something from someone that young, but she does get older as the book goes on. The issues that Fig has to deal with because of her mom and her mental illness is pretty deep. There are deep books out there for YA, any of Ellen Hopkins' books, but I thought this one was a little too deep for a YA. I know there are kids out there who have to take care of their parents with mental illnesses, but this book, again, was a little too deep for several YA readers. There were parts that I found disturbing because Fig likes to hurt herself by picking at old scabs that then cause infections. The detail of these parts were very realistic and very gross.
In the end, I gave it a three tree review because the writing was really good but it wasn't really a YA book. This read more like an Adult Memoir. If it had been labeled and sold as an Adult book it would've been better and maybe even sell better. I would recommend this book who like leterary type books and memoirs, but I won't have this one on my classroom bookself.
May 16, 2015
Fig
By
Sarah Elizabeth Schantz
My " in a nutshell" summary...
Fig/Fiona lives with her mom and dad on a farm that her dad wants to be organic. Fig seems happy and her life seems idyllic until one night her mom loses it...it turns out that Fig's mom is emotionally disturbed and needs hospitals and tons of meds. Fig pretty much spends most of her life trying to keep her mom sane. She makes promises to herself...she makes sacrifices...but nothing she does really works.
My thoughts after reading this book...
When I first read about Fig and her mom their relationship seemed wonderful. Her mom loved vintage clothes, they had stories and picnics and lots of make believe but that just hid how mentally ill Fig's mom really was. Fig has issues, too, and this was hard for me to read but she constantly picks and pulls at her skin...giving herself incredibly horrible and serious infections...it was awful!
What I appreciated about this book...
I appreciated the intensity of this book. Fig's father and uncle and grandmother seemed to work so hard to get treatment for Fig's mom. The emotional pull on family when a key family member is going through mental illness was vividly highlighted. Fig's school issues and friend issues...her issues with Barbie dolls...her issues with meat...all because of her mom.
What I did not love about this book...
I don't think I enjoyed reading this book. It was harsh. It was difficult. I had a really bad feeling about all of the characters.
Final thoughts...
This was a tough book form me to read. Difficult characters as well as difficult and challenging situations made me not love it the way I wanted to. It wasn't a happy reading experience for me!
By
Sarah Elizabeth Schantz
My " in a nutshell" summary...
Fig/Fiona lives with her mom and dad on a farm that her dad wants to be organic. Fig seems happy and her life seems idyllic until one night her mom loses it...it turns out that Fig's mom is emotionally disturbed and needs hospitals and tons of meds. Fig pretty much spends most of her life trying to keep her mom sane. She makes promises to herself...she makes sacrifices...but nothing she does really works.
My thoughts after reading this book...
When I first read about Fig and her mom their relationship seemed wonderful. Her mom loved vintage clothes, they had stories and picnics and lots of make believe but that just hid how mentally ill Fig's mom really was. Fig has issues, too, and this was hard for me to read but she constantly picks and pulls at her skin...giving herself incredibly horrible and serious infections...it was awful!
What I appreciated about this book...
I appreciated the intensity of this book. Fig's father and uncle and grandmother seemed to work so hard to get treatment for Fig's mom. The emotional pull on family when a key family member is going through mental illness was vividly highlighted. Fig's school issues and friend issues...her issues with Barbie dolls...her issues with meat...all because of her mom.
What I did not love about this book...
I don't think I enjoyed reading this book. It was harsh. It was difficult. I had a really bad feeling about all of the characters.
Final thoughts...
This was a tough book form me to read. Difficult characters as well as difficult and challenging situations made me not love it the way I wanted to. It wasn't a happy reading experience for me!
May 8, 2015
And the unpopular opinion train rides again...
I wasn't all that impressed when it came to Fig and I can't quite point my finger as to why. It was just one of those books that I found merely okay, and completely forgettable. I didn't see any flaws when it came to Fig, but I just couldn't quite connect to it. And that's my issue with fiction books that deal with mental illness. Despite the fact that Fig isn't the one with schizophrenia, she seems out of touch with reality. While I understand why she's portrayed this way, due to this I never quite connected with her.
Another issue that I had was that Fig seemed to be marketed in a way that suggests that it was going to have a touch of magical realism embedded in it. However, that didn't happen. According to the author's note in the back of the book, she sees this as a retelling of The Little Red Riding Hood. Well, I didn't quite get that. Also, this book is highly depressing. Again, I understand why it would be considering is dealing with mental illness. However, the depressing element to it never lets up. It stays depressing throughout. I don't necessarily have a problem with depressing books, it's just that at this particular moment in my life, if I read a depressing book, I want some of it to feel uplifting towards the end. And I didn't get that with Fig.
Overall, I found Fig to be just okay. While I did find the writing beautiful, I was never captivated with the book the way I like to be. I also never connected with any of the characters and wasn't really invested in what would happen to them.
I wasn't all that impressed when it came to Fig and I can't quite point my finger as to why. It was just one of those books that I found merely okay, and completely forgettable. I didn't see any flaws when it came to Fig, but I just couldn't quite connect to it. And that's my issue with fiction books that deal with mental illness. Despite the fact that Fig isn't the one with schizophrenia, she seems out of touch with reality. While I understand why she's portrayed this way, due to this I never quite connected with her.
Another issue that I had was that Fig seemed to be marketed in a way that suggests that it was going to have a touch of magical realism embedded in it. However, that didn't happen. According to the author's note in the back of the book, she sees this as a retelling of The Little Red Riding Hood. Well, I didn't quite get that. Also, this book is highly depressing. Again, I understand why it would be considering is dealing with mental illness. However, the depressing element to it never lets up. It stays depressing throughout. I don't necessarily have a problem with depressing books, it's just that at this particular moment in my life, if I read a depressing book, I want some of it to feel uplifting towards the end. And I didn't get that with Fig.
Overall, I found Fig to be just okay. While I did find the writing beautiful, I was never captivated with the book the way I like to be. I also never connected with any of the characters and wasn't really invested in what would happen to them.
September 2, 2015
It seems very sudden to Fig that her mother has gotten sick. She then learns that her mother has struggled with schizophrenia before. As fig grows up she must deal with all of the woes of becoming a teenager, and her sick mother. Fig begins to think that if she works hard enough, if she can only sacrifice enough, her mother will get better. Together they both seem to go down an irreversible downward spiral. Will her mom ever get better, and will there ever be a time that Fig does not claim responsibility for that which she has no control over?
I wanted to enjoy this book, a lot. I am working on a book challenge this year, and this filled the category of a book you read purely because of the cover. This one is so visually appealing to me. So, it reinforced the cliche, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Once I got into it, I had even more hope, as I am particularly interested by the topic of mental illnesses. However, it just didn’t go anywhere. It seems like one of those books that you would love more for the writing, but it just wasn’t my style. I felt like Fig never grew up at all. It seemed like the I was viewing the entire story through the eyes of a six year old, despite the fact that many years passed in the telling. I wasn’t much of a fan of any of the characters, they just didn’t seem to have much character themselves. They were never explored to their full potential. It was just overall a bit flat in my opinion.
I wanted to enjoy this book, a lot. I am working on a book challenge this year, and this filled the category of a book you read purely because of the cover. This one is so visually appealing to me. So, it reinforced the cliche, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Once I got into it, I had even more hope, as I am particularly interested by the topic of mental illnesses. However, it just didn’t go anywhere. It seems like one of those books that you would love more for the writing, but it just wasn’t my style. I felt like Fig never grew up at all. It seemed like the I was viewing the entire story through the eyes of a six year old, despite the fact that many years passed in the telling. I wasn’t much of a fan of any of the characters, they just didn’t seem to have much character themselves. They were never explored to their full potential. It was just overall a bit flat in my opinion.
May 13, 2016
Oh poor Fig. What a rough hand she has been dealt - a mother with Schizophrenia, her own mental troubles, lack of friends, lack of adult support. This was a difficult book. But it was beautifully written. I agree with other reviewers who are puzzled at the YA placement - I think it's more of an adult book which could serve an advanced YA audience as well. The imagery, gruesome at times, was often beautiful and lyrical. Themes of the feral dogs and nature around the family's property lent a magic to the text, as the reader ages with Fig up to age 19.
Something I felt was unresolved was the mounting dread of turning 19 (the age her mother first showed signs of Schizophrenia.) There isn't much mention as she reaches her later teens of the fear that was so gripping in younger age. Does she have it? I'm not sure.
This was worth a read, but not if you're looking for warm fuzzies. What I imagine is a pretty accurate portrait of a parent with mental illness.
Something I felt was unresolved was the mounting dread of turning 19 (the age her mother first showed signs of Schizophrenia.) There isn't much mention as she reaches her later teens of the fear that was so gripping in younger age. Does she have it? I'm not sure.
This was worth a read, but not if you're looking for warm fuzzies. What I imagine is a pretty accurate portrait of a parent with mental illness.
March 19, 2015
A very moving story of a child dealing with a parent's mental illness, Fig is an intense read. Rarely does the reader get a break from her internal monologue, but this does not detract from the movement of the novel.
At six years old, Fig learns that her mother has schizophrenia. And like a child obsessed with words, she asks her father to spell it for her, sound it out for her, and repeat it several times until she is able to pronounce it correctly. Soon Fig finds out that pronunciation doesn't mean a thing to the disease; and she sets out to cure her mother by the means only a child can understand: a Calendar of Ordeals--by punishing herself she can make her mother better.
Covering fifteen years of her life, Fig is presented in a quasi-journal format where the voice doesn't grow or change, but simply recounts her childhood.
At six years old, Fig learns that her mother has schizophrenia. And like a child obsessed with words, she asks her father to spell it for her, sound it out for her, and repeat it several times until she is able to pronounce it correctly. Soon Fig finds out that pronunciation doesn't mean a thing to the disease; and she sets out to cure her mother by the means only a child can understand: a Calendar of Ordeals--by punishing herself she can make her mother better.
Covering fifteen years of her life, Fig is presented in a quasi-journal format where the voice doesn't grow or change, but simply recounts her childhood.
May 30, 2015
One of the most raw books I've read in ages. It was a little surreal reading this and finding so many parallels between myself and Fig, mostly because we would be the same age were she real, and not because of true similarities. I remember being thoroughly stunned by the Challenger explosion, too, although seeing her mother's reaction is such a different experience altogether. Sure, I played that game where you had to hold your breath while riding past a cemetery, and a whole bunch of other odd rules, but Fig' s attempts to take control of her mother's condition were so much more. She is a remarkably sympathetic, well-developed character. I found myself truly hoping for the best for her, and disgusted with her classmates' callous treatment of her. On the whole, this book reads as truth, and it's a really powerful look at how mental illness affects everyone around the person diagnosed.
April 21, 2015
Beautiful and honest look into a child living with a mentally unstable parent even as she struggles with her own grip on reality. Spanning from the time Fiona (nicknamed Fig) is six years old until she is nineteen, the reader is brought into the real world of living with a schizophrenic person and its lasting effects on those who love them. The story's narrative is engaging, poetic, and painful as Fig navigates the world which seems to be fragmented from the moment of her birth. Look forward to more books from this author.
March 6, 2016
Sarah Schantz's Fig is a tour de force. Having grown up with schizophrenia myself, I felt for the girl who just wanted to make everything okay, who wanted to take care of her parent, a reversal of roles that is beautiful and horribly damaging, since no child should be put in that position. I believe this book is for adults, and I wonder a little about the YA category, although I believe many teenagers could see themselves in the angst and struggle of Fig. I think this book is daring, courageous, and beautifully written. Highly recommended.
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