Growing up in a family with a 'mad' parent can be traumatic and overwhelming. Out of the Shadows brings together 11 women, including the author, who tell their stories of living with a mentally ill mother. They reveal the impact this has had on their lives and their intimate relationships, and the richness that comes from making sense of their mother's madness and its influences. Their stories are resolutely honest, showing the pain and everyday challenges of these difficult mother-daughter relationships. In sharing their lives, these women encourage us to embrace difference in others and to question conventional medical thinking and our own fears and attitudes about madness. Through this book we can celebrate their triumphs of spirit and their courage in exploring the legacies of their family lives. Even for those who have not grown up with madness, but who struggle with complex relationships within their families, this book will be an inspiration.