Today we’ll talk with Deborah Kasdan about her new book ROLL BACK THE WORLD: A Sister’s Memoir. Threaded throughout this love letter to her older sister are stories of four siblings and their parents. Each one walks a tightrope between self-care and deep concern for Rachel, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of twenty-five. It takes thirty years and numerous admissions to five psychiatric hospitals before a compassionate social worker finally catches a glimpse of the poet inside her and discovers a way to assist her in living on her own. As the second sibling, Deborah Kasdan struggled for decades with painful emotions of grief, shame, and survivor’s guilt before deciding to share her story, and her family’s.
Deborah Kasdan had a thirty-five year career writing about business and technology before retiring and joining Westport Writer’s Workshop to make her personal stories come alive. She has served on the board of directors of an intergenerational housing organization and the National Organization on Mental Illness (NAMI) for Southwest, CT. She is a passionate swimmer and grandmother of four. During the Summer, she and her husband reside near Nauset Marsh of Cape Cod and live the rest of the year in Norwalk, CT.
