With uncertainty and fear rising, anxiety and depression have surged as well. May is Mental Health Awareness month and there is more reason to take care of ourselves and tuck in with a book that lays bare the troubles of the mind.

The Border of Paradise by Esme Weijun Wang
This multigenerational novel spanning Brooklyn, Taiwan, and Northern California takes a deep dive into mental illness from multiple voices. With a protagonist battling neuroses, the novel raises questions on culture and migration and trauma in a deep, introspective tone.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
If you are looking for an engrossing read with short chapters, you can’t go wrong with this one. This memoir unravels a relationship gone bad and shows how she struggles to make sense of psychological abuse. Machado uses vignettes not only to narrate her experience, but the inventive form also allows her to articulate the trauma.

Ordinary Girls: A Memoir by Jaquira Diaz
Another memoir that looks closely at the immigrant experience. Set in Puerto Rico and Miami, Diaz narrates growing up in a dysfunctional family. With a schizophrenic mother, she navigates neglect and abuse and comes to age as a woman and a writer, ending with love and hope.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez
This stereotype-shattering coming-of-age novel narrates the story of Julia, a rebellious teenager who struggles to fit in with the expectations of her family. She moves through grief, anxiety, and depression as she tries to negotiate her identity. Set in Chicago, the book does not shy away from talking about mental health issues, often overlooked in Latinx communities.

Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
If you are looking for the strength of family in your reading list, this is the novel for you. This tale of two sisters not only portrays mental illness with tenderness and sensitivity but also shows how it affects the people around the mentally ill person.