“This book is many things: a nuanced clinical depiction of bipolar disorder; an Erin Brockovich-style memoir of taking on the tax bureaucracy; and – above all – a love story… Lembi is dogged and feisty in pursuit of fairness for people with disabilities.”
David Goldbloom – Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, author of We Can Do Better: Urgent Innovations to Improve Mental Health Access and Care

Lembi Buchanan’s captivating memoir An Accidental Advocate shows how ‘Love is not enough,’ certainly not enough to defeat the ravages of a severe mental illness, such as mania and depression.”
John E. Gray, Psychologist, author of Canadian Mental Health Law and Policy, 2nd Edition

“An Accidental Advocate is a starkly honest and intimate memoir of the effects of bipolar disorder on marriage, family and friends… also a politically outspoken essay on fighting for fair tax treatment for Canadians living with mental health impairments and episodic disabilities. Lembi skillfully weaves together these threads of advocacy in the personal and public domains and demonstrates an abiding faith in unconditional love and in a democratic politics of tenacious hope in resolving historic injustices.”
Michael J. Prince – Lansdowne Professor of Social Policy, University of Victoria, author of Struggling for Social Citizenship: Disabled Canadians, Income Security, and Prime Ministerial Eras  

“An Accidental Advocate is not only a tell-all book of an exasperating campaign to take on the Canadian government but also a genuine love story like no other. Lembi Buchanan discovered early on that all is not fair in love and war. This is a must read for everyone because mental illness has no boundaries and shows no discretion. Anyone can be affected at anytime.”
Marion Gibson – Program Manager, Mental Health Recovery Partners, author of Unfaithful Mind

“Lembi Buchanan single-handedly took on the Canada Revenue Agency and won big time. Thousands of people living with disabilities are indebted to her. A fearless and tireless advocate, she succeeded where others have failed. This is a remarkable story by an even more remarkable woman demonstrating courage, strength and fortitude against a formidable foe.”
Kimberley Hanson – CEO, HealthPartners

““An Accidental Advocate will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Your heart will break for families like the Buchanan’s who are dealing with mental illness. You will remain in awe of the strength of a love that has spanned decades and somehow withstood incredible trials. You will cry out in frustration at a government agency that spent way too much time and money fighting to keep a vulnerable population from accessing tax relief.”
Barb Wagstaff – Diabetes Advocacy

“This is a poignant and honest portrayal of the difficulties that people with mental illness, including schizophrenia, have when trying to access the DTC and how CRA has taken advantage of the most vulnerable Canadians in our society, and continues to do so. Families struggling to get help for their loved ones living with a mental illness will find a comrade-in-arms…  who has become ‘the conscience of the mental health community.’” 
Christopher Laine Summerville – CEO, Schizophrenia Society of Canada

“How do you live with a husband whose functioning is affected by bipolar disorder? Lembi Buchanan was faced with this situation and found a way – by loving him for who he is, by being ready to step in when problems arise and by working for better understanding and support for him and those in similar situations.”
Margaret Parlor – President, National ME/FM Action Network

“Lembi Buchanan’s memoir brilliantly captures the unpredictable exhilarating highs and the disruptive lows that are the reality for people, like her husband Jim, who live with bipolar disorder. I know this well, as my father was diagnosed with manic depression when I was a young boy. For four decades, he and our family struggled with this debilitating disease long before the more modern medications like lithium were readily available.”
Max Beck – retired (former President & CEO at Easter Seals Canada)

With thanks for the following personal reviews…

“You will discover that it is not easy to love someone living with bipolar disorder and yet, Lembi’s love for her husband never faulters. Her memoir is a must read for anyone who wishes to understand a complex illness such as bipolar disorder and its impact on loved ones.”
Arlaine Bertrand 

“Lembi tells a remarkable story of love, heartbreak and resilience… When she sees an injustice, she takes action. She is a masterful advocate whose actions and openness provide both a searing indictment of the inner workings of our Canadian tax system and have contributed to reducing the stigma that comes with a mental health diagnosis. This book can provide a thoughtful guide for those in the disability community facing these barriers.” 
Mary Lou Roder

“Thank you Lembi, for this honestly poignant and painfully true account of the challenges so many families face, when dealing with mental illness, and how they are affected by the bad decisions our Canadian government and insurance companies make to save money.”
Brenda Hildebrand