There is one day in Joan Childs' life that she wishes she could do over: the day her daughter, Pam, a brilliant psychotherapist, plunged from a 15-story building to her death. In this vivid memoir, Childs (herself a psychotherapist) explains how her daughter's life was taken by the most unforgiving of executioners: bipolar disorder. It was the delusions, not her daughter, who made the final decision to end her life.

Why Did She Jump? provides an intimate, uncompromising look into one mother's search for peace, understanding, and clarity amid the chaos surrounding her daughter's tragic death, and a masterful recounting of the events leading up to the fateful day, lifting the veil of shame and secrecy to forge a path toward understanding bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.

Ironically, even though Pam and Joan were both noted and skilled psychotherapists, Pam still could not be saved. In heartrending prose, Joan recounts vivid memories of Pam's life - the extreme highs and lows; the many red flags; how her daughter toggled both worlds as a brilliant therapist who healed unreachable patients while at the same time she herself unraveled; and how she fooled everyone into thinking she was stable.

With searing honesty and great insight, Childs offers a rallying cry of support for anyone going through a similar struggle.