Praise for The Chair and the Valley

“In this bracing, brilliant, and fury-inducing memoir…. Lyon has written a survival story like no other. With positively outstanding storytelling, this is a book that cannot be put down.” —Booklist (starred review)

“A heartfelt memoir and an urgent demand for higher standards of juvenile mental health care.” —Kirkus

“Banning Lyon’s story is a testament to the power of found family and the hard-earned resilience that can come over time with love.” —Maria Shriver

“A profoundly inspiring story for anyone seeking to conquer their own obstacles. With remarkable insight and generosity, Banning navigates readers through trauma, triumph, and the intricate steps in-between.” —Nabil Ayers, author of My Life in the Sunshine

“What a beautiful, challenging, difficult, and ultimately empowering book. It’s impossible to read The Chair and the Valley without feeling moved.” —Chris Guillebeau, author of The Happiness of Pursuit and The Art of Non-Conformity

“Banning Lyon’s deep, dark and beautifully written debut memoir offers a brave expose of a corrupt psychiatric hospital chain, a poignant testament to the power of human resilience and a lyrical depiction of how nature – and love — can heal the wounded heart.” —Susan Shapiro, NYT bestselling author of The Forgiveness Tour and American Shield

“The Chair and the Valley is an engaging and aching memoir of family catastrophe, misuse of mental health care, loss, and redemption.” —Stephen Fried, best-selling author of RUSH and Thing of Beauty, co-author of A Common Struggle and Profiles in Mental Health Courage.