The late Bebe Moore Campbell's 72 Hour Hold is a thought-provoking examination of the inadequacies of mental health services in the United States. Keri's daughter, Trina, suffers from bipolar disorder, and their formerly happy lives have become a tangle of missing persons reports, support group meetings, and "72 hour holds," the maximum amount of time Trina can be held in a hospital against her will. When Trina's behavior becomes uncontrollable and the system won't allow Keri to do what's best for her, she takes matters into her own hands. Despite the book's heavy subject matter, it's highly readable, has great characters, and is, at times, darn funny.However, I just loved this little throwaway narration from Keri near the beginning of the book:
"As he added up numbers in his head, a young white couple behind me chatted animatedly. I heard the words 'screenplay,' 'producer,' and 'green light' and turned to see the requisite bony blond girl and her handsome, scruffy boyfriend... In Los Angeles, Hollywood hopefuls are as ubiquitous as the lattes grandes they slurp. There is no escaping their driving ambition. Irritation swept over me. Just looking at them, I wanted to slap both those faces, to knock away the self-assurance that was etched there."
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