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Seen through the eyes of the patients who lived there, Inside Oregon State Hospital" examines the world of the Northwest's oldest mental hospital, established in 1883. In desperate attempts to cure their patients, physicians injected them with deadly medications, cut holes in their heads, and sterilized them. Years of insufficient funding caused the hospital to decay into a crumbling facility with too few staff, as seen in the 1975 film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Today, after a $360 million makeover, Oregon State Hospital is a modern treatment hospital for the state's civil and forensic mentally ill. In this compelling account of the institution's tragedies and triumphs, author Diane Goeres-Gardner offers an unparalleled look at the very human story of Oregon's historic asylum."

In 1979, nine-year-old Elizabeth "Teddi" Mervis was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Not able to experience even the simplest joys of childhood, she felt frightened, isolated and alone. Her father wanted to change all that, not only for his daughter but also for other children with cancer. With the support of thousands in and outside of Rochester, New York, Camp Good Days created a new world for those touched by cancer, violence or any other affront to a child's dignity. The spirit and legacy of Teddi Mervis live on in the success of the organization she inspired.

Unlike the professional dwarves of her time, Alice Clarke determined to live a normal life like everyone else. Growing up in what is today's Bergen County, Alice faced trial and tribulation with courage and perseverance. When she learned that in order to have children she had to undergo Caesarean sections, considered very risky at the time, she accepted the challenge. Widowed at the start of the Great Depression, she not only took care of her own family but also helped out numerous neighbors and friends. An early feminist, Alice sought to help women of different backgrounds establish careers of their own and developed various local charities. Author Judy Redfield tells the story of a truly remarkable lady.