I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (by Joanne Greenberg)
common sense media says
Schizophrenia classic still engages.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this story can be intense and disturbing as it follows a teenage girl's experiences in a mental hospital in the early 1950s. It describes her fantasy world, throwing the reader into her distorted version of reality. Patients can be violent, abusive, and full of self-loathing. The main character was bullied as a child for being Jewish; there are several harsh examples of anti-Semitism. Note, however, that unlike some recent memoirs, readers will not find graphic descriptions of a horrific childhood here.
Violence:
Deborah tries to commit suicide; a hospital attendant kills himself. The patients act violently, fighting with the staff and throwing beds or tables; one hits Deborah with a plate of food. The patients are tied into a "pack," bound tightly with sheets so they cannot move. Deborah jokes that her "potential for callousness" qualifies her for a career as a "professional assassin." Deborah burns herself with cigarettes, causing wounds that are difficult to treat.
Sex:
Deborah's roommate believes she is the secret first wife of the King of England, who is being held in a House of Prostitution by his enemies. She tells Deborah she is "raped every night" and later calls Deborah a "little whore." She tells Deborah a doctor "violated" her while she was held immobile. There is a reference to patients "masturbating incontinently in public."
Language:
"Bitch," "damn."
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Deborah's therapist smokes, as do many patients and staff members. Deborah uses cigarettes to burn herself multiple times.
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