The “Slender Thread” of the title is sometimes all that a troubled person has to hold onto life. Ackerman wrote this book based on her experience volunteering on a crisis hotline (often referred to as suicide prevention service). This is valuable, challenging, sometimes harrowing work, yet I had conflicted feelings while reading the book. I found it interesting to read about the training, the conversation strategies, and the transference of emotions onto the counselor. Yet, I felt conflicted about the detailed accounts of the problems of some of the clients. It’s conceivable that someone who had used this service would pick up the book and recognize him- or herself, although no real names are used.
This feeling became acute when Ackerman records her visit to a meeting she knew one of the hotline’s clients would be attending. This was deeply transgressive, and I read with feelings similar to those you get watching a horror movie and shouting at the screen, “don’t open that door.” From what Ackerman had reported of the instruction counselors receive, it’s clear that she knew what she was doing was a no-go. Yet, there is no reflection of this in the chapter itself, and it apparently had no consequences for her continued service at the center. On the contrary, at the end of the book, we learn that she joined the board of directors.
This was a family book club selection, and it was a good choice, for when we discussed it, we found we had a variety of responses to the book. Some related to issues such as those I’ve mentioned, others pertained to Ackerman’s writing style. She is a poet, and even her prose is filled with highly detailed observation in luxuriant language. She also seems incapable of writing one page without a metaphor, often more. I enjoyed the style, but not all of us did.
In addition to being a poet, she is also a naturalist. In parallel to her work at the center, she was researching a story on squirrels. Many chapters juxtapose her observations of their antics and the issues she deals with on the telephone line. That’s something we differed on as well. However, I felt I understood what she was doing, and in the last chapter, she confirmed it: She saw parallels in their behavior and what her clients dealt with. Ackerman is in no doubt that animals, too, can suffer depression.
So while I have reservations about the ethics of this book, I found it interesting and well-written, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her. ( )

I need to read this one again. I want to review it. ( )

I loved this book. What a challenge working a crisis hotline! I love getting an inside look at a job I've never experienced. Diane Ackerman's writing is so clear and wonderful. She really has a gift with language, ( )

Another beautifully written book by one of my favorite authors. In this book, Ms Ackerman describes the challenges and rewards of being a volunteer counselor at a suicide prevention hotline. Her stories are compelling, and made more so by her musings about the nature of the brain, and stories of nature, that may help our understanding of mental health and illness. Fascinating. ( )

A beautiful book. Diane Ackerman writes so well on almost any subject. ( )