R. Burrow grew up in a small, hilly town in West Virginia. In her teens, she traveled to various parts of Europe with her family, and went to school in the U.K. Before graduating high school, she began to suffer from symptoms of schizophrenia, and would continue to struggle with the illness for the next ten years of her life. During this time, she was able to travel to Buffalo, and attended the State University of New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. After winning the long, hard battle with mental illness, she married a man she loved, and settled in Upstate New York. After years of living a quiet home life, she felt a sudden and strong desire to tell her story; it was then, at age 31, that she began to write about her experiences, in the hope that it would educate and inform others from the rarely-heard point of view of the patient. The material seemed to flow almost effortlessly, and the novel was completed in a year and a half. About the same time "The Tree Outside The Window" was published, the author was blessed with a beautiful son, James, and is in the process of writing a collection of short stories, as well as another long fiction novel, tentatively entitled, In Handcuffs.

R. Burrow
Click this link for information about my book, which is a fictionalized account of my encounters with schizophrenia and the mental health system in the 1980's. It's available in paperback and in e-book format for PC. I'm still working on my second effort, In Handcuffs, getting closer to the final draft, but it will take some time before it's available to read. Check out my web page! There's some great artwork, lots of reviews, and other interesting postings and information, as well as links to items here on AuthorsDen, and other sites as well. Comments, questions, criticism, and complaints are always welcome.

The novel, "The Tree Outside The Window," is based on autobiographical information about the author, and describes a girl's encounters with schizophrenia and the mental health system. It begins with the childhood experiences of Jill Walker, the main character, and follows with the chronological events leading to her initial psychotic breakdown. The story continues through treatment by various psychiatrists, therapists, and city, state, and county institutions, and culminates in the character's conquering her insanity, and achieving autonomy into adulthood. Above all, it's a tale of hope, that the will and spirit can overcome the horrors and devastation of a mind ravaged by mental illness. Many of the incidents and descriptions relating to the doctors and psychiatric hospitals were actual occurrences, revealing the problems, inadequacies, and abuses that are common in the mental health system. The story is fast-paced, insightful, and often amusing, and could be enjoyed by persons of any background, from the age of puberty and up. Mental health workers are encouraged to read the book - it conveys the firsthand experience of schizophrenia, as well as the patient's perspective on life in the mental health establishment. The reader will be enlightened as well as entertained.