Extended Book Review--The Impossible Knife of Memory--Victoria

Post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a very serious disorder. There are more than 3 million U.S. cases per year. This is why it is important for people to see PTSD as not just another disorder, but something that is real and happening right now. PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that may occur after experiencing life threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, serious accidents, or physical or sexual assault as a child or an adult. For example, in the book The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson, Hayley’s dad, Andy, suffers from PTSD because of his experiences in the military. Although fiction is “fake” and doesn’t provide factual information, it still needs to be included in the curriculum because it gives examples of real life issues in our society such as PTSD. 

For example, although The Impossible Knife of Memory is a fictional story it still provides the reader with a better understanding of PTSD, which is a real life disorder that people suffer from everyday. This touching story provides the reader with heartbreaking, realistic fiction. At one point in the story, Hayley says, “I flashed on the way he had hugged me before I left: sudden and fierce, a true dad hug. A goodbye hug.” Hayley is having a flashback of the way her dad hugged her before he tried to commit suicide. Thankfully, Hayley realized what her dad was about to do before it was too late. This is a prime example of how the author of this book does an amazing job at channeling the reader’s mind and heart. She makes the reader see things through the character’s perspective thus putting oneself in another’s shoes. The author gives the reader a real, unfortunate situation to discover throughout the

book, which makes the reader understand what it is like to actually go through such a terrible experience. This is why it is important for fictional stories to be a part of the curriculum because they open our eyes into another’s perspective. 

Many children have parents who are veterans and have gone through traumatic experiences resulting in PTSD. Not only does this disorder affect the person who has it, but it also affects the people around them, especially their kids. For example in the book The Impossible Knife of Memory , the main character, Hayley, is very affected by her father’s disorder. At one point she even says to her father, “I’ve been standing on the edge with you for years.” When she says this, she is indicating that she has also been experiencing all this pain that her father carries as well. Another quote from the book is when Hayley’s boyfriend, Finn, says “You take care of him more than he takes care of you,” He sees how much Hayley takes care of her dad. She cooks for him, cleans, washes his clothes. At one point she even has to drive to a sketchy bar and pick him up after a woman who works there called her saying he was drunk and got in a fight. Although it seems like her dad is a horrible father, the way he is acting is completely out of his control. It is one of the symptoms of PTSD. People with this disorder do whatever they can to get the painful memories out of their head. Unfortunately, Hayley’s dad does this by drinking. Everything Hayley and her dad are going through in this book can happen in real life, and in fact, it is happening in real life at this very moment. This is why it is important for students to read more fiction because it gives great examples of these real world issues such as PTSD.
Another vital reason why we need to take PTSD more seriously is because it can lead to other disorders or mental illnesses. A few examples are suicidal ideation, substance abuse, depression, personality disorder, anxiety and the list goes on. The online article, “Signs & Symptoms of Suicidal Ideation” quotes, “suicidal ideations are often a symptom or result of undiagnosed or untreated mental

health disorders.” We cannot let these disorders go undiagnosed or untreated. Some people who have this disorder may not feel like it is important enough for them to treat it and get help. Which is why we need to take PTSD more seriously and inform people of all the risks that come with the disorder, so people can get the help they need before it is too late.
Fiction needs to be a part of the curriculum because it gives examples of real life issues in our society such as PTSD. For example, although The Impossible Knife of Memory is a fictional story, it still provides the reader with a better understanding of a real world issue. Not only does
this disorder affect the person who has it, but it also affects their family and friends. PTSD and other disorders need to be taken more seriously. We can do this by informing more people about these disorders. Students already understand the issue through facts, but it is important to show them through heartfelt stories as well, which is mostly found in fiction.