For readers of When Breath Becomes Air and The Opposite of Loneliness—in this gorgeous, uplifting, and unforgettable memoir of hope, mental illness, and the unbreakable bonds of family, Leddy brings to vivid, powerful life an inspiring story of two young girls battling a monster far larger than themselves.
Praise
"The Perfect Other reminds us all of the power of our only cradle-to-grave relationships—our siblings—as well as the powerlessness we feel when our brothers or sisters are not well. The book is a triumph—a testament to the healing power of telling the stories of those we love."
—Meg Jay, PhD, author of The Defining Decade and Supernormal: The Secret World of the Family Hero
"The Perfect Other is a stunning mosaic—an impassioned and poetic examination into the impossible ‘why?’ of mental illness. The book, like its subject, is achingly alive: a harrowing but life-affirming odyssey of what it takes to care for someone who is slipping away. Ultimately this is a paean to sisterhood and the excruciating joy of loving someone 'other.'"
—Susannah Cahalan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire and The Great Pretender
"Too often, people living with mental illness and their loved ones suffer in silence. Sharing heartfelt memories and scientific research, Kyleigh Leddy breaks that silence to shine a light on the stigma surrounding mental health and schizophrenia. This deeply personal memoir will give readers greater empathy and understanding in supporting those who are oftentimes misunderstood."
—Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of Lean In and Option B
About Kyleigh
Kyleigh Leddy, 25, is a graduate of Boston College and is currently pursuing an MSW at Columbia University in advanced clinical practice and public policy. In 2019, she won the New York Times Modern Love college essay contest for a piece she wrote about grieving her sister, Kait. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Parents, The Cut, People Magazine, as well as other publications. She is based in New York City, and The Perfect Other is her first book.
The Book
All Kait Leddy had ever wanted was a little sister. When Kyleigh was born, they were inseparable; Kait would protect her, include her, cuddle and comfort her, and, to Kyleigh, her big sister was her whole world.
As they grew, however, and as Kait entered adolescence, her personality began to change. She was lashing out emotionally and physically, and losing touch with reality in certain ways. The family struggled to keep this side of Kait private—at school and in her social life, she was still the gorgeous, effervescent life of the party with a modeling career ahead of her and big dreams. But slowly, things began to shatter, and Kyleigh could only watch in horror as her perfect sibling’s world collapsed around her. Kait was institutionalized with what would eventually be diagnosed as schizophrenia, leaving Kyleigh and their mother to handle the burden, shame, and guilt alone.
Then, in January 2014, Kait disappeared. Though they never found her body, security footage showed her making her way onto a big bridge over a river, where it is presumed that she jumped. Kyleigh is left wondering: What could she have done differently? How could this shining light be gone? And how will she find peace without her sister to guide her way there?