Bastien is eight years old, and his mother is ill. Sheoften has what his father and grandparents call "episodes." She screams andfights, scratches and spits, and has to be carted away to specialized clinicsfor frequent treatments. Bastien doesn't like it when she goes, because when shecomes home, she isn't the same. She has no feelings, no desires, and not muchinterest in him. According to the doctors, Bastien's mother suffers from"bipolar disorder with schizophrenic tendencies," but he prefers to imagine heras a comic-book heroine, like Jean Grey, who may become Dark Phoenix and explodein a superhuman fury at any moment. Based on thecreator's own childhood experiences, The Parakeet is the story of a boy whoseonly refuge from life's harsh realities lies in his imagination. In his eyes, wesee the confusion and heartache he feels as he watches his mother's illnessworsen and the treatments fail. Through his eyes, we see how mental illness canboth tear families apart and reaffirm the bonds of love. Poignant yet playful, The Parakeet follows Bastien's struggle to accept the mother he has whilewishing for the mother he needs.
