NEW ORLEANS – The Garden District Book Shop will host author Tripp Friedler on Sept. 24 to celebrate the release of his memoir “The Tunnel.”
“The Tunnel” is a father’s memoir about a family’s odyssey through the world of serious mental illness. It is a story about the battles Friedler’s son Henry fought with his parents, with various authority figures – including schools, teachers and the police – and most importantly, the battles Henry fought with his own mind. Henry’s story takes place for the most part in the distinctive air of Uptown New Orleans. He came from a well-educated and prosperous Southern family, the only son between two sisters.
The memoir chronicles the way society views, treats and even criminalizes the mentally ill. It is a love story of a husband and wife as well as a fractured love story of a father and son. But at its heart, “The Tunnel” is a story of the resilience of a family, a man and a marriage. It is a story of taking that gasp of air at the end of a tunnel – a breath that says you are alive, you made it through your own tunnel of darkness, and you will find happiness on the other side.
The evening will begin at 6 p.m. Friedler will sit down with Nick Richard, the executive director of NAMI, to discuss his work. Afterwards, they will be available to mingle with guests and Frielder will sign copies of his book. Friedler is donating 100 percent of his royalties from “The Tunnel” to mental health charities.
Entry to the event is free and open to the public but the shop encourages interested parties to RSVP to ensure entry and reserve a copy of the book on Eventbrite as space is limited. Additional copies will be available to purchase.
###