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The Shutter of Snow (American Literature (Dalkey Archive))

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Set in a 1920s American mental hospital, this tells the story of a young woman's time there following a bout of insanity after the birth of her child. Written in the 3rd person yet simultaneously as if by Marthe herself, we read of everyday life in the hospital- interchanges with the staff and other patients, activities; and in paragraphs of strange poetic prose we see inside the mind of the woman.
The title refers both to the snow that features throughout as Marthe looks out of the window; and of course to her state of mind. Coleman was inspired to write this book after her own hospitalization in similar circumstances. It's a brilliant attempt at making mental illness 'comprehensible' to the reader.