He Wanted The Moon Summary

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He Wanted the Moon is a first person account of Dr. Perry Baird 's mental illness, written years after his death by his daughter with the help of his journals, letters and notes. The book is split into roughly two parts; the first being Dr. Baird 's reconstructed manuscript and the second a short autobiography about the author and her journey to rediscover her father. Dr. Baird 's writings of his manic-depressive illness in the mid-1940s are honest, compelling, and absolutely horrifying to read. It’s shocking to think of how poorly people with mental illnesses were treated and the stunning amount of ignorance in not only people without mental illnesses but also among the very people caring for mental patients. Dr. Baird was subject to all