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Zetty
The powerful story of a mother lost to a rare form of schizophrenia, and a daughter’s quest to find her. It's 1963 when Marjorie McGee suddenly disappears from her Southern California beach home, leaving nine-year-old Zetty motherless and confused. In alternating points of view, the story follows the lives of both mother and daughter as Marjorie's illness progresses, and Zetty's hope for her return diminishes. But at age seventeen, Zetty wants answers. She finds herself in a circle of unconventional women—opinionated, endearing, courageous and keen-eyed women—who offer Zetty their heart and backbone. As unexpected friendships form, Zetty begins an emotional, psychological, and spiritual journey in search of her mother—never imagining the joy and tragedy yet to come, the undeniable power of early childhood bonds, and the secret that will change their lives forever.
414 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2017
6 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Debra Whiting Alexander
10 books41 followersDebra Whiting Alexander | Award winning author | Stories that uplift
The desire to write—
When I was nine-years-old, I read the poem, “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died” by Emily Dickinson. That little poem stirred something in me—a desire to capture on paper compelling moments of life in a simple way. From then on I started writing.
I longed to write fiction but non-fiction was a natural place to start my writing career. As a mental health therapist, clinical supervisor and former educator, I’ve specialized in post trauma treatment my entire career.
At age 31, a publisher in New York offered me a contract to write two series of workbooks for children and teens healing from trauma. My nonfiction writing took off from there.
I published more than fifteen books to help children, teens and families recover from traumatic life events. I also served as a consultant to the award winning video series: "Saving Our Schools from Hate and Violence" (HeartLand Media, San Francisco, CA).
One of my most meaningful projects, "The Emotional Recovery Resource Kit" was created at the request of my New York publishers in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Written to help educators and parents assist children, it was a great privilege and honor for me to write.
Over the next few years, my desire to venture into fiction only grew stronger. The story of Zetty began to consume my thoughts, paper tablets, and even the backsides of gas receipts. I became more determined to make the leap into fiction and went to work learning the craft.
Written during stolen moments between work and motherhood, I finally gave birth to my award-winning novel, "Zetty" in 2017, and "A River for Gemma," an uplifting story about three spirited women followed in 2021. It's a sparkling tale of wild courage and unexpected miracles.
The landscapes of life—
Raised on the warm sandy beaches of San Diego, it was my good fortune to grow up within the safety and support of a loving family—something I never take for granted.
When not at the beach, a pool, or on a family road trip, I was likely consuming a steady diet of old westerns and musicals. I still have a weakness for both.
My debut novel, Zetty, takes place in Windansea—a small, beautiful beach community not far from where we lived. Like the main character in the story, I grew up with a love for the ocean, cowgirls, neighborhood dance shows, pianos, golden retrievers, and art. Friendship and motherhood have always been central themes in my life and will always be central in my characters’ lives as well.
After graduate school, I moved to upstate New York with my husband, a native New Yorker, and lived there for nearly four years. We returned to San Diego where I completed a Ph.D. in Psychology and became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Oregon. I miss the San Diego coast, but now our home backs up to lush green fields, horses, stunning sunsets, and hazelnut orchards. Southern California was the inspiration for my first novel, but it’s in the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest that I’ve found my vision for the next one.
I recently semi-retired to allow more time to do what I love: write fiction and care for my granddaughter. Married for 35 years, my husband and I live with our two loveable labs in Oregon.
© 2021 Debra Whiting Alexander
The desire to write—
When I was nine-years-old, I read the poem, “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died” by Emily Dickinson. That little poem stirred something in me—a desire to capture on paper compelling moments of life in a simple way. From then on I started writing.
I longed to write fiction but non-fiction was a natural place to start my writing career. As a mental health therapist, clinical supervisor and former educator, I’ve specialized in post trauma treatment my entire career.
At age 31, a publisher in New York offered me a contract to write two series of workbooks for children and teens healing from trauma. My nonfiction writing took off from there.
I published more than fifteen books to help children, teens and families recover from traumatic life events. I also served as a consultant to the award winning video series: "Saving Our Schools from Hate and Violence" (HeartLand Media, San Francisco, CA).
One of my most meaningful projects, "The Emotional Recovery Resource Kit" was created at the request of my New York publishers in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Written to help educators and parents assist children, it was a great privilege and honor for me to write.
Over the next few years, my desire to venture into fiction only grew stronger. The story of Zetty began to consume my thoughts, paper tablets, and even the backsides of gas receipts. I became more determined to make the leap into fiction and went to work learning the craft.
Written during stolen moments between work and motherhood, I finally gave birth to my award-winning novel, "Zetty" in 2017, and "A River for Gemma," an uplifting story about three spirited women followed in 2021. It's a sparkling tale of wild courage and unexpected miracles.
The landscapes of life—
Raised on the warm sandy beaches of San Diego, it was my good fortune to grow up within the safety and support of a loving family—something I never take for granted.
When not at the beach, a pool, or on a family road trip, I was likely consuming a steady diet of old westerns and musicals. I still have a weakness for both.
My debut novel, Zetty, takes place in Windansea—a small, beautiful beach community not far from where we lived. Like the main character in the story, I grew up with a love for the ocean, cowgirls, neighborhood dance shows, pianos, golden retrievers, and art. Friendship and motherhood have always been central themes in my life and will always be central in my characters’ lives as well.
After graduate school, I moved to upstate New York with my husband, a native New Yorker, and lived there for nearly four years. We returned to San Diego where I completed a Ph.D. in Psychology and became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Oregon. I miss the San Diego coast, but now our home backs up to lush green fields, horses, stunning sunsets, and hazelnut orchards. Southern California was the inspiration for my first novel, but it’s in the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest that I’ve found my vision for the next one.
I recently semi-retired to allow more time to do what I love: write fiction and care for my granddaughter. Married for 35 years, my husband and I live with our two loveable labs in Oregon.
© 2021 Debra Whiting Alexander
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 17, 2019
THE SHATTERING IMPACT OF MENTAL ILLNESS ON FAMILIES
Debra Whiting Alexander’s ZETTY is an important and exquisitely written novel about the impact of mental illness on a family. Every school library should have a copy, as should every family affected by the illness. This poetically drawn recounting tells the story of schizophrenia from two viewpoints: the mother who suffers from it and the daughter traumatized when her mother suddenly disappears from their home.
It is 1963 when the story begins, a time when mental illness was not openly discussed, and Zetty is just nine when her mother vanishes. She is heartbroken, scared and confused and the author’s narrative is so sensitively done that we feel Zetty’s loss deep into our bones. Her mother has, in fact, been institutionalized for her illness, but Zetty’s family protects her from this knowledge.
In alternating points of view, the story continues, through the life of the mother as her illness progresses and through Zetty's growing up years as she yearns to find her, then finds her hope waning. By seventeen, however, Zetty is committed to learning the truth. She begins an emotional, psychological and spiritual journey in search of her mother--never imagining the joy and grief to come. Highly recommended!
Note: ZETTY was rightfully named WINNER - Women's Fiction - 12th Annual NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS. This not-soon-forgotten triumph was influenced by the author’s own grandmother, who died in a psychiatric hospital at the age of 41.
Thanks to the author for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Debra Whiting Alexander’s ZETTY is an important and exquisitely written novel about the impact of mental illness on a family. Every school library should have a copy, as should every family affected by the illness. This poetically drawn recounting tells the story of schizophrenia from two viewpoints: the mother who suffers from it and the daughter traumatized when her mother suddenly disappears from their home.
It is 1963 when the story begins, a time when mental illness was not openly discussed, and Zetty is just nine when her mother vanishes. She is heartbroken, scared and confused and the author’s narrative is so sensitively done that we feel Zetty’s loss deep into our bones. Her mother has, in fact, been institutionalized for her illness, but Zetty’s family protects her from this knowledge.
In alternating points of view, the story continues, through the life of the mother as her illness progresses and through Zetty's growing up years as she yearns to find her, then finds her hope waning. By seventeen, however, Zetty is committed to learning the truth. She begins an emotional, psychological and spiritual journey in search of her mother--never imagining the joy and grief to come. Highly recommended!
Note: ZETTY was rightfully named WINNER - Women's Fiction - 12th Annual NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS. This not-soon-forgotten triumph was influenced by the author’s own grandmother, who died in a psychiatric hospital at the age of 41.
Thanks to the author for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 13, 2019
One of the best books I've read in quite some time. The prose is beautiful, the plot compelling, the characters genuine and authentic. Although it deals with what could be a dry and/or heavy subject - mental illness, the writing kept me engaged from start to finish in a hard-to-put-down kind of way. There is deep loss and pain in this book, yet it ends in hope and optimism. Not a pollyanna, everything's-fine-now way, but in a real, genuine, acknowledging the hurt and pain, but also the growth and maturity, and making choices about how to live now and into the future, despite (and perhaps because of) the past. Highly recommended.
January 15, 2021
Zetty is heart breaking, emotional, hopeful, tragic and necessary all at the same time. We are following the formative years of young Zetty whose mother was taken away with a mental illness and never spoken of again. As a teenager, Zetty has all kinds of questions about where her mother is, why she left and what this means for her.
There are a lot of things that happen to Zetty (no spoilers here) that pile on to make her life seem endlessly tragic. The biggest tragedy and message that I want to take away from this book is about the stigma around mental illness and talking about your feelings and emotions, so that you can learn from them and grow. There are so many great examples of this through Zetty's father and how he can't grow and move on, Sue Willy who shows incredible maturity, Dennis who has to go through the worst to grow. In today's world we are trying to start these conversations, but we still have so far to go. It was interesting to see it set in the 1970’s, because there would have obviously been even more stigma around some of these issues back then. I did wonder how true to that 70’s era it was in the way that Doctor Sparling helped Zetty. I imagine a female doctor back then would have been extremely rare for Zetty to find, especially one that was world famous.
Since motherhood and the symbolic and real idea of being a mother was so woven into everything that happened in the book, it was nice to see such a wide range of strong female characters. Most of the women in the book felt real with a range of depth. Scarlett was the “ideal” mom, but then had a husband who treated her kind of poorly instead of being a perfect one note character that she could have been portrayed as.
The prose felt really lovingly written, especially when we got a glimpse of the story from Margie's perspective. It was respectful and didn't feel like we were taking advantage of or mocking mentally ill issues or feelings.
I got this book from Netgalley and Backlit PR and I’m so glad I did. I hope more people discover it. I can picture this as a beautiful film or something getting it more attention.
There are a lot of things that happen to Zetty (no spoilers here) that pile on to make her life seem endlessly tragic. The biggest tragedy and message that I want to take away from this book is about the stigma around mental illness and talking about your feelings and emotions, so that you can learn from them and grow. There are so many great examples of this through Zetty's father and how he can't grow and move on, Sue Willy who shows incredible maturity, Dennis who has to go through the worst to grow. In today's world we are trying to start these conversations, but we still have so far to go. It was interesting to see it set in the 1970’s, because there would have obviously been even more stigma around some of these issues back then. I did wonder how true to that 70’s era it was in the way that Doctor Sparling helped Zetty. I imagine a female doctor back then would have been extremely rare for Zetty to find, especially one that was world famous.
Since motherhood and the symbolic and real idea of being a mother was so woven into everything that happened in the book, it was nice to see such a wide range of strong female characters. Most of the women in the book felt real with a range of depth. Scarlett was the “ideal” mom, but then had a husband who treated her kind of poorly instead of being a perfect one note character that she could have been portrayed as.
The prose felt really lovingly written, especially when we got a glimpse of the story from Margie's perspective. It was respectful and didn't feel like we were taking advantage of or mocking mentally ill issues or feelings.
I got this book from Netgalley and Backlit PR and I’m so glad I did. I hope more people discover it. I can picture this as a beautiful film or something getting it more attention.
December 13, 2018
An exceptional novel which delves deeply into mental illness through the story of a young girl whose mother is institutionalized with a rare form of schizophrenia. Through a series of traumatic losses, Zetty continues her quest to find the mother she lost at age 9. The author is a mental health practitioner and is able to allow us to hear Zetty's story in her own voice and from her own perspective.
June 14, 2022
I completely understand why Zetty, a debut novel written by Debra Whiting Alexander, has received numerous awards, the latest being the Eric Hoffer Award. Delving into the mental illness of schizophrenia with such compassion and understanding needs to be applauded. Readers will not be disappointed as Zetty is a true work of literary art. Capturing the sagaciousness of society in a bygone era has got to be incredibly difficult. However; Debra seamlessly transports the reader into the 1960’s to where the “atmosphere” of that time period is fully grasped. My heart aches for both Zetty and her mother Marjorie, yet Debra wrote their stories with such tenderness that I was able to embrace their individuality with unconditional love, often pausing to soak the meaning of the moment I was experiencing. Zetty, by Debra Whiting Alexander, is an exceptional novel I highly recommend as Debra explores a difficult, yet most important, topic in today’s society, and she does it flawlessly.
I received a copy of this book in return for my fair and unbiased review.
I received a copy of this book in return for my fair and unbiased review.
December 11, 2018
Nine-year-old Zetty’s mother Marjorie goes out to the kitchen for more Thanksgiving potatoes, and never comes back. Found dancing in the street, she’s remanded to a psychiatric hospital, no visits from her daughter allowed. Zetty is left to navigate a motherless adolescence with a father who is loving but reeling from his own loss and fumbling through single parenthood. Challenged by what and how much to say, he opts to say nothing. In time, Zetty comes to feel she’s lost both parents.
What set this story apart and above for me was the exquisitely sensitive portrayal of Marjorie’s perspective and insight to her battle with her illness as she succumbs to its regressive effect on her memory and functioning. She remembers a husband she loved, but her greatest fear is that her child won’t know how fiercely she loves her. Marjorie knows what she’s losing as it slips away. It’s unthinkable heart-twisting stuff, the motherhood version of Flowers for Algernon.
There can be no sugar-coated ending for a story like this, but neither does it end in the pits of despair. Zetty is resilient and resourceful, sometimes reluctantly, sometimes by accident. She won’t make lemonade out of her lemons, but rather will find beauty and value that they exist just as they are.
What set this story apart and above for me was the exquisitely sensitive portrayal of Marjorie’s perspective and insight to her battle with her illness as she succumbs to its regressive effect on her memory and functioning. She remembers a husband she loved, but her greatest fear is that her child won’t know how fiercely she loves her. Marjorie knows what she’s losing as it slips away. It’s unthinkable heart-twisting stuff, the motherhood version of Flowers for Algernon.
There can be no sugar-coated ending for a story like this, but neither does it end in the pits of despair. Zetty is resilient and resourceful, sometimes reluctantly, sometimes by accident. She won’t make lemonade out of her lemons, but rather will find beauty and value that they exist just as they are.
October 14, 2019
WOW...this was a powerful story. I had to wait about a week before I could truly process this book and how I would review it. The story is about a woman (Marjorie) who goes out for some groceries for Thanksgiving and doesn't return. She leaves her 9 year old daughter, Zetty, and says she will be back. That does not happen when Marjorie is found dancing in the middle of the street and is subsequently admitted to a psychiatric hospital and diagnosed with a rare form of schizophrenia. No visits are allowed at all for Zetty to see her Mother again.
Zetty's father is now basically a single Dad. He is trying to cope with that, along with feeling lost without is wife and confused about everything that has happened. Zetty feels like an orphan but, she tries to look at the positive points in everything that happens in her life after this. The book details mental illness is a very understandable and true to life way. The author is a mental health professional and that shows through in the details of this book. I highly recommend this book for everyone.
Zetty's father is now basically a single Dad. He is trying to cope with that, along with feeling lost without is wife and confused about everything that has happened. Zetty feels like an orphan but, she tries to look at the positive points in everything that happens in her life after this. The book details mental illness is a very understandable and true to life way. The author is a mental health professional and that shows through in the details of this book. I highly recommend this book for everyone.
September 30, 2019
Positively the most powerful, emotional, heartfelt read in a long time!
I could not put this book down! Zetty “loses” her mother to a mental illness....secrets, deception and her fathers inability to cope keep her wondering about how her mom felt about her. She navigates life alone, losing her beloved pet that has been her only foundation...and positive tie to her childhood, then loses her best friend who was all she had left....fears her own mental stability. Through therapy and an inner strength, she perseveres....”finding” her mom again and realizing the mother/daughter bond was never broken, the love always having been there. This sheds a beautiful light on love, mental illness and the dynamics it plays on those involved. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED
I could not put this book down! Zetty “loses” her mother to a mental illness....secrets, deception and her fathers inability to cope keep her wondering about how her mom felt about her. She navigates life alone, losing her beloved pet that has been her only foundation...and positive tie to her childhood, then loses her best friend who was all she had left....fears her own mental stability. Through therapy and an inner strength, she perseveres....”finding” her mom again and realizing the mother/daughter bond was never broken, the love always having been there. This sheds a beautiful light on love, mental illness and the dynamics it plays on those involved. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED
October 3, 2019
This novel by Debra Whiting Alexander is inspiring and a pleasure to read. One of the best books you will read this year. The book addresses the issue of mental illness, and how it was viewed in the 1960s and 1970s. Nine year old Zetty’s life changes when her mother is removed from their home, and no one will give her an explanation. Although she asks her father questions about her mother, he isn’t willing to answer them. He believes it is for Zetty’s own good she not have the answers she seeks. Follow Zetty as she grows up without her mother. I can’t say enough good about this book, and highly recommend everyone read it. I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed here are my own.
October 31, 2018
What a beautiful story written with such grace! During the 60s and 70s, mental illness was still the dark secret of families. Zetty's mother disappears and her father won't talk about it. What happened to her mother and finding her becomes the journey that brings Zetty to the strong and beautiful woman that she is meant to be. This is a beautiful story that speaks truth in the emotions and fears of such dark secrets. Debra Whiting Alexander is a needed voice in bringing light and healing in the mental health arena! Anyone who has list a parent or grandparent to mental illness and institutions need to read this!
March 24, 2018
An amazing story about mental illness and how it affects the whole family, not just the patient. This is so good you forget it is fiction. I routed for Marjorie and pained for her illness, and my heat poured out for Zetty, her daughter who lost her Mom way to early in her life. Every page pushed me deeper into the story and I could not stop reading. I had to find out if Zetty accomplished her goal.
I highly recommend this book.
I highly recommend this book.
March 13, 2023
Zetty by Debra Whiting Alexander
Ms. Whiting-Alexander captured me, heart and soul, while reading her Multi Award-Winning debut novel, Zetty!
This most compelling story became a journey unlike any other I've experienced as I felt the emotional pull that anyone would expect to feel when a book this profound, this genuine, pulses through you~ becomes a part of you, with every turn of the page.
A unique coming-of-age story set in Southern California, Zetty brings great joy, yet in the blink of an eye begins to spin into the painful and tragic which lead to the very events which make this novel a most meaningful experience.
By pushing my emotions to a place most vulnerable and at times thread-bare, the author masterfully accomplished what I believe she set out to do. Not only had she shown great care and empathy in approaching the delicate subject of Schizophrenia, but also inserted within its pages a sprinkling of humor and the spirited which set the tone as most believable and real throughout. The author allowed me to truly feel the ache of every challenge, every disappointment, and with her creativity to combine the light and dark of life itself, I was also gifted the experience of the joy one can feel in overcoming adversity through love, courage, and determination.
Zetty is written as beautiful yet sensitive, poetic and hypnotic, a most authentic narrative of hope and resilience. It is truly an exceptional story that took me to a time and place as if it existed in my own world. Brava!
I thank the author for bringing this story to life~ one I have, and will continue to, recommend highly!
5+ Stars
#Zetty
#DebraWhitingAlexander
#LuminarePress
Ms. Whiting-Alexander captured me, heart and soul, while reading her Multi Award-Winning debut novel, Zetty!
This most compelling story became a journey unlike any other I've experienced as I felt the emotional pull that anyone would expect to feel when a book this profound, this genuine, pulses through you~ becomes a part of you, with every turn of the page.
A unique coming-of-age story set in Southern California, Zetty brings great joy, yet in the blink of an eye begins to spin into the painful and tragic which lead to the very events which make this novel a most meaningful experience.
By pushing my emotions to a place most vulnerable and at times thread-bare, the author masterfully accomplished what I believe she set out to do. Not only had she shown great care and empathy in approaching the delicate subject of Schizophrenia, but also inserted within its pages a sprinkling of humor and the spirited which set the tone as most believable and real throughout. The author allowed me to truly feel the ache of every challenge, every disappointment, and with her creativity to combine the light and dark of life itself, I was also gifted the experience of the joy one can feel in overcoming adversity through love, courage, and determination.
Zetty is written as beautiful yet sensitive, poetic and hypnotic, a most authentic narrative of hope and resilience. It is truly an exceptional story that took me to a time and place as if it existed in my own world. Brava!
I thank the author for bringing this story to life~ one I have, and will continue to, recommend highly!
5+ Stars
#Zetty
#DebraWhitingAlexander
#LuminarePress
April 5, 2018
A moving, well written read!!!
This story felt close to my heart. If you've ever lost a beloved pet, or experienced mental illness in your family this tale of Zetty will capture your attention, and affection. I fell in love with the relationships portrayed in this book. Beautiful expression of living through the difficulties of life. Thanks to Alexander for creating a thought provoking piece of literature.
This story felt close to my heart. If you've ever lost a beloved pet, or experienced mental illness in your family this tale of Zetty will capture your attention, and affection. I fell in love with the relationships portrayed in this book. Beautiful expression of living through the difficulties of life. Thanks to Alexander for creating a thought provoking piece of literature.
October 31, 2018
Amazing read!
One of my favorite books in a long while. Debra's ability to engage her readers is only surpassed by her talent in story telling. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Zetty, and laughed and cried along with her on her journey. Congratulations to you Debra on a very successful first work of fiction, and I look forward to reading your next book!
One of my favorite books in a long while. Debra's ability to engage her readers is only surpassed by her talent in story telling. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Zetty, and laughed and cried along with her on her journey. Congratulations to you Debra on a very successful first work of fiction, and I look forward to reading your next book!
March 21, 2020
Get the tissues out, this one hurts! I love books that make you feel what the characters feel, and Debra Whiting Alexander definitely succeeds in digging her way into the reader's heart with Zetty. And while the mother-daughter relationship was so poignant, it was Zetty's relationship with her dog and the ensuing tragedy that turned me into a puddle on the floor.
June 27, 2020
When a family member gets closed in a psychiatric hospital never to get out again, it's not only tragic for the one who is ill, but also for the rest of the family. As a nine-year-old Zetty can't understand what happened to her mother. Her father wants to protect her but makes things worse. How much honesty does a child need?
July 26, 2018
What an incredible work of art, Debra Whiting Alexander! Zetty proves how resilient children are, despite the very difficult things that they are challenged with. There are several storylines occurring simultaneously which kept me turning pages fat too late! I absolutely loved this book.
June 3, 2020
Netgalley♥️ Marjorie listens to the radio to clear the voices. She tries to hide the voices from Zetty. Truffy,the dog, seemed to notice when Marjorie started to act funny. Father didn't notice anything wrong. I like books about mental health but couldn't get invested.
June 23, 2018
Gorgeous writing and approachable story-telling. So sorry, though: I couldn’t get past the pet scene. I had to stop there. It’s me, not you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2020
What an amazing story! If I couldn’t put it down. Alexander’s voice & imagery captivated me. This is a must read!
October 26, 2019
Once you open this book, Zetty will pull you headlong into her story of heartbreak, courage, love and survival. When Zetty was nine, her mother, Marjorie, disappears from her life due to mental illness. Ms. Alexander skillfully weaves heart touching moments of Marjorie's story into the narrative, while shedding light on the hidden nature of mental illness in the 1960-70s. It is Zetty's friendships, peer and adult, who provide support, encouragement, comfort and a "kick in the pants" as she searches for her mother and comes of age. I laughed, I cried, and at the end, I had to sit and hold the book which had evoked so many emotions. Zetty stays with you long after you put the book down. This book deserves to be on the best seller list!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews