French Court: Essays from One Family's Legacy of Mental Illness

"There are two courses of action when someone is mentally ill enough to think that they are Napoleon. The first is to secure appropriate treatment, so with therapy, medication, and time, the person can come to understand they are not, in fact, Napoleon, and can be returned to their own identity and a productive role in society. The second course of action is to set up a French court and indulge the person's fantasy of being Napoleon by changing reality to match the delusion.

My family chose the latter path."

The French Court tells the story of the author's grandmother's struggle with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, how it affected the immediate family, and the legacy of mental illness that resulted from the family's choices.