Behind the Wall: The True Story of Mental Illness as Told by Parents provides a shared voice for millions of people who advocate for a child or loved one living with mental illness, fosters understanding for society at-large, and delivers an ultimately hopeful read. The seven true stories in this book, told by nine parents, were selected from interviews conducted by sisters Mary and Elin Widdifield, and interwoven with one sister's own experiences. Told with remarkable candor, these stories offer more insight than any single story or academic analysis. When mental illness enters the national discussion, it typically comes in the wake of a violent tragedy, attracting temporary attention and further misunderstanding. Behind the Wall posits that the true story of mental illness can be told most accurately by the people in the trenches: the parents who watched it all unfold.