An Angel at My Table

Janet Frame grows up in a large family (four daughters and a son) in New Zealand. She is distinguished by her voluminous fiery red hair, heightened sensitivity, and shy, even timid character - a consequence of her unattractive appearance. Janet also has a talent - she writes poetry. Her ability to write poetry manifests itself even in school, and in college she even begins to publish her poems and stories. But depression and nervous breakdowns lead her to a psychiatric hospital. Doctors misdiagnose Janet as schizophrenia, and she is placed in a hospital and treated for 8 years, including with electric shock. But Janet manages to continue her work and even receive a literary award for her first collection of stories. It is thanks to the award she receives that she manages to avoid a lobotomy and leave the psychiatric hospital. Janet is supported by a famous New Zealand writer, and after publishing a new book and receiving a literary grant, she leaves New Zealand for Europe. New experiences and achievements await Janet ahead.