Left Bank Books, in downtown Belfast, invites the public to a talk and book signing at the shop on Tuesday, Sept. 8 to celebrate that day’s release of Judy Sandler’s debut memoir, What Kind of Mother, "an unflinchingly honest, voice-driven interrogation of her son's descent into severe mental illness," said a Left Bank news release.

Joining Sandler in conversation is Susan Conley, author of Landslide, Elsy Come Home, and The Foremost Good Fortune, among other books.

For Sandler’s son, what appeared to be substance use disorder in high school later became a dual diagnosis as bipolar disorder emerged. He soon grew disillusioned with prescribed pharmaceuticals and participated in a residential treatment program that assisted people in forgoing medication altogether. However, the program ultimately ejected him for the very behaviors that medicine once managed. What Kind of Mother chronicles Sandler’s initial denial of her truth, her painful awakening to mental illness in her family, and her eventual acceptance that she cannot save her son—only he can save himself.

Sandler is the creative nonfiction editor for both The Stonecoast Review and The Awakenings Review. She holds an MLA from Johns Hopkins University and an MFA from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. Her work has appeared in The New York Times’ “Tiny Love Stories,” The Atticus Review, and Pangyrus. She and her husband live in Midcoast Maine and are the parents of three adult children. What Kind of Mother is her first book.

Seating for this event is limited, and reservations are recommended by calling Left Bank Books at 207-338-9009 or sending an email to info@leftbankbookshop.com.

Ample free parking is available in front of the shop and in an adjacent city lot, according to Left Bank.