Persey’s pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period are an emotional minefield salved only by certain pleasures that seem to alleviate her pain. Chocolate is a big part of the “fix” for Persey, but despite her forays into Brownie mix, her favorite fix, the voices she hears that speak to her of her weight gain, her failings as a housewife, and her failings in general seem to override any pleasures she gains.
When the voices clamor too loudly, she begins to seek other distractions, like support groups for moms.
But no matter what she tries, nothing seems to work. The voices point out her failings and seemingly pound her ego until she is almost a total mess. She even begins to mutilate herself. At times she seems suicidal. At one point, with no apparent difficulty, she shares a deep secret from her past with her husband. This part did not ring true for me.
Cardona tells the story in Brownie Fix from Persey’s viewpoint, and there are moments of light-heartedness in between the darkest thoughts. But the flipping from one mood to another suggests a definite mood disorder. Eventually, Persey seeks help through therapy, but there is very little accomplished there, and she comes to this decision as one of many other things she tried. Perhaps the author chose not to focus on that process. The fact that she did not shows me that she either believed that Persey could find her own solutions, which she seemingly did in the end; or it exemplified the author’s choice to focus primarily on Persey’s strengths winning out over her weaknesses.
It was definitely an unusual portrayal of Postpartum Depression, and I would not recommend against it. However, despite the glowing ratings by other reviewers, I could only give this one three stars. Potential readers should check the other reviews and draw their own conclusions.
