---
product_id: 292444
title: "Darby PenneyThe Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic"
price: "€ 29.50"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
category: "Paperback"
url: https://www.desertcart.fi/products/292444-darby-penneythe-lives-they-left-behind-suitcases-from-a-state
store_origin: FI
region: Finland
---

# Darby PenneyThe Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic

**Price:** € 29.50
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Darby PenneyThe Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic
- **How much does it cost?** € 29.50 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.fi](https://www.desertcart.fi/products/292444-darby-penneythe-lives-they-left-behind-suitcases-from-a-state)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Darby PenneyThe Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic

## Features

- Used Book in Good Condition

## Images

![Darby PenneyThe Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91pQ7pMoEmL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A Must Read...
  

*by P***R on Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2008*

"The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic" is a book any sympathetic and understanding person should read who has a genuine interest in people less fortunate than themselves. No person is immune from psychological despair resulting in some form of mental complication resulting in some form of a personality change. This book examines the lives of 10 ordinary people prior to entering the psychiatric arena, and once they have been committed to a psychiatric institution. This is achieved through the contents of their suitcases, supposedly to accompany them in the institution, but rather, being stored in an attic, where the owners will never have the opportunity to receive them.The book is well written and we, the reader, and sympathetic person, can "feel" for these unfortunate people. We feel their psychological terror, and we cry inside of ourselves, the injustices which these people and the countless thousands of other mentally ill people, feel. We see, but can not understand, a psychiatric system who, instead of trying to help these people, decided to lock them up in mental institution zoos, and basically throw away the keys, letting these poor souls sink further, and further into their psychosis and despair, with the thoughts of escape from this system an imposibility."The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic" is an important book which we need to read, understand and prevent from happening ever again.  Thousands of people are still incarcerated in mental institutions today, and although drugs are the method of treatment, our understanding and actions to help people with mental despair has NOT really changed for hundreds of years. We, society, would rather lock up these kinds of people,and forget about them, lose the keys, let them worsen in these institutions, than understand and try to honestly help them. "Out of sight, out of mind" is the attitude society takes today.The unfortunate plight of the mentally ill person, locked away, condemed to a life of misery, is the norm in society. "The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic" tries to show, and achieves, that these people, locked up and forgotten, are not forgotten and they are people, with certain problems, that, had they been given understanding, could've been happier people in life.In conclusion, we can safely say, and assume, that their are countless other "suitcases" in countless other state hospitals, throughout the United States and other countries of the world, today, which tells stories of people, like us, who have fallen on bad times, and ended up in worlds they can not control, in worlds where society, due to its own ignorance, has put them, thrown them, and forgotten them. "The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic" tells these people, of yesterday and today, alive and gone, that they are not forgotten, and their lives do and did mean something for all of humanity to learn from.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Remembering Lives Ruined by Psychiatry
  

*by P***E on Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2011*

Based on historical facts, this book is brilliant and insightful from the perspective of the incarcerated patients who most often died at Willard State Hospital, NY, after decades of wrongful imprisonment and abuse.  The authors give a voice to human beings who were no longer able to "speak for themselves"; whose personal struggles were turned into pathologies instead of challenging life situations that were improperly dealt with by psychiatry.  Simply locking them up was a genuine dis-service to the numerous patients featured in this book.  Most were confined illegally, warehoused in filthy violent environments, often assaulted, drugged, electro-shocked and kept in the dark cold Back Wards of a hospital that offered no sunlight, intelligent stimulation or hope for recovery.  Even after many patients refused to work in accordance with the hospital's free forced labor systems, and repeatedly demanded their own release, reasonable pleas were ignored and civil and human rights were violated time after time.  Many thanks to the authors and photographer of this poignant book for exposing the "truth" so honestly.  The stories show how psychiatry has dehumanized and ruined the lives of far too many individuals who could have otherwise led healthy and happy lives.  ~ Rhonda Thomas, artist.  Flagstaff, AZ, USA

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A vivid glimpse into the lives that should’ve been
  

*by J***E on Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2022*

This is a wonderful book. From start to finish, it pulls you in and makes you feel for those depicted on its pages. The authors begin and end with brief histories and speculations about the founding of state hospitals and the current state of things. But those are only bookends to the lives of ten former Willard patients.I appreciated the stories the authors decided to tell. It was a great cross reference of lives from the 19th and 20th centuries. So many times, while reading, you could see the true state of things which, in a different time, would’ve rendered a state hospital stay irrelevant. Was this person just a manic depressive? Did this patient suffer from what we would today deem, narcissistic personality disorder? Was inmate status directly tied to a language or cultural barrier and nothing else? Dmytre Zarchuk’s story broke my heart (as each one did). Why did he think he was Jesus Christ? Staff didn’t seem to truly wish to get to the bottom of things. For Madeline Cartier, when do you pay attention and rethink the diagnosis? Her demands to be set free seemed eloquent and true in many ways, but doctors just wanted to believe it was all an act of a deranged mind.I gave this book four out of five stars for two reasons:1. There are some discrepancies in dates and ages.2. Though the pictures included are wonderful, they are flat and dull. For a book published in 2008, one would think they could’ve been more dynamic. Glossy pictures would’ve helped. I assume they were taken utilizing color film or a digital camera (or digital transfer means). Why couldn’t they have been done better? Sometimes, especially in the case of suitcase contents, they were difficult to discern.Great book! I was intrigued and interested from beginning to end and wish more books could be written to highlight those whose lives were forever entwined with mental hospitals in America. Each story really painted an unfortunate picture. 427 suitcases were found. I would love a follow up book or more information on all of them. Simply, a wonderful publication.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.fi/products/292444-darby-penneythe-lives-they-left-behind-suitcases-from-a-state](https://www.desertcart.fi/products/292444-darby-penneythe-lives-they-left-behind-suitcases-from-a-state)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Finland*
*Store origin: FI*
*Last updated: 2026-03-02*