Kimberly Holmes writes with authenticity and explicit honesty in It's My Life and I'll Cry If I Want The Diary of a Bipolar Woman . Rarely do we find a writer willing to offer such clear-eyed accounts of drug addiction, violence, and abuse as well as love and redemption. Holmes paints an unforgettable picture of life under the influence of drugs, behind bars, and underneath the weight of mental illness. Her tale is sometimes frightening and sometimes comforting. Holmes found light in her darkest hours and discovered joy in her most dire circumstances. Amid Holmes' brutally frank chronicling of her daily realities, her readers may recognize themselves and follow her path toward healing and renewal.