Moodshine

When Liz Colvin’s bright, funny, “hippie-hearted” daughter Maggie began to unravel in her Austin apartment, it resembled a bad dream—a dead neighbor’s dog, sleepless nights, a growl “like a thousand ghouls,” and a mother suddenly fighting for her child’s life with nothing but love and a metaphorical butter knife. Moodshine: A Caregiver’s Journey is Liz’s unflinching, deeply human memoir of learning—again and again—how to care for a loved one with serious mental illness without losing herself. From a traumatic birth and an early ADHD diagnosis, through psychosis, bipolar disorder, addiction, hospitalizations, and relapses, Liz pulls back the curtain on what caregiving actually looks like behind closed doors: sleepless nights, police at the door, dream-crushing phone calls from Disney World and college, and even hauling her daughter’s belongings out of a Dumpster after a psychotic episode. Interwoven in the heartbreak is a story of fierce joy. On her journey, Liz introduces readers to the village that helped keep Maggie alive—a tough grandmother wielding safety pins and scripture, a therapist who is herself living with schizophrenia, a gruff Nigerian stepfather, faithful friends, and a stubborn little rescue dachshund named Lolly. She shares the tools that helped them survive and the solace found in faith, humor, and the determination to keep showing up when walking away would be easier. For caregivers drowning in guilt, fear, and isolation, Moodshine is a lifeline. It offers practical resources, hard-won wisdom, and one powerful reminder after another that you are not alone, you are not failing, and healing is possible—even if “normal” never looks the way you imagined.