She almost didn’t make it.

Fifteen-year-old Sage was close to death, and now she’s been confined to a rehab facility deep in the Connecticut woods, as far from her old life as she could have imagined. But the problems she faces have come with her—and now her mother, Julia, must decide what to do next. As Sage begins treatment for bipolar disorder, Julia continues an exhausting internal debate about how they reached such a low point. The increasing unreliability of Sage’s father, Mike, hasn’t helped either. Sage can tell his focus is elsewhere.

A profound tale of what it means to live with mental illness, Painting Sage illustrates the whole person behind the struggle. Sage’s challenges will continue—and she must learn how to build a life she loves in spite of them.