A mid-century doctor’s raw, unvarnished account of his own descent into madness, and his daughter’s attempt to piece his life back together and make sense of her own is an unforgettable testament to the reaches of the mind and the redeeming power of a determined heart.
“He Wanted the Moon is one of the most disturbing and profoundly moving books I’ve read in years, and one of the great father-daughter books of our time”—Pat Conroy, author of The Prince of Tides and Death of Santini
“Mimi Baird’s short book about her father’s long struggle with mental illness is a tale within a tale… Mimi has performed a quiet miracle, giving life back to a man everyone wanted to forget.”—Thomas Powers, Pulitzer-Prize winner and author of The Killing of Crazy Horse
“Astonishing in its illuminations…This striking and poignant family story evokes compassion for everyone affected by this cruel malady.”—Booklist