The Second: A Memoir of Love and Commitment
By Colleen Burns Durda
What People Are Saying:
“The Second should be the first book to read about mental health.”
-Verified Amazon Review
“A wonderful and insightful book.”
-Verified Amazon Review
“Riveting account of living with bipolar disorder.”
-Barnes & Noble Review
“A gripping real story.”
-Verified Amazon Review
The Second: A Memoir of Love and Commitment
An unanticipated pregnancy upends a suburban Minneapolis mother of three in 1987. Seeking prenatal care and control of her fertility, she engages a new OB/GYN. Boundaries blur, and she finds herself destabilized by an imagined relationship with the gynecologist. Unhinged, she takes a leap of faith one sweltering summer night, and the consequences land her in a psychiatric ward.
With hard earned wisdom and insight, she recalls rebuilding her marriage, raising her children, and struggling with a bipolar diagnosis. Alternately funny and moving, The Second: A Memoir of Love and Commitment depicts mental illness, resilience, and strength in this refreshingly candid account.
My new book, The Second: A Memoir of Love and Commitment is available wherever books are sold. It published June 22, 2021 in print form and is also available in ebook exclusively through Amazon. Make sure to request it at your local library as well.
About the Author
A native Minnesotan, Colleen Burns Durda received her Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communications and public relations from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. She previously attended the University of Minnesota and completed coursework through The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.
Ms. Durda spent seven years as a volunteer peer facilitator for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) helping individuals experiencing symptoms of mania and other challenges inherent to the illness.
She strives to be a mental health advocate by promoting an attitude of acceptance and honesty regarding her personal struggle with bipolar disorder. Lively political discourse, reading, walking the city lakes and trails and cooking for friends are all activities Colleen enjoys. She lives with her husband in suburban Minneapolis. The Second: A Memoir of Love and Commitment is her debut work.