Overview

• ‘Notes to John’ compiles therapy session notes written by Joan Didion between 1999 and 2002, discovered after her death in 2021 and published on April 22, 2025.
• The book provides a raw, unfiltered look at Didion’s anxieties and guilt over her daughter Quintana’s addiction and mental health struggles, alongside her own hidden illnesses, including a secret battle with breast cancer.
• Critics highlight the ethical dilemma of publishing Didion’s private writings posthumously, noting her known reservations about such releases and the absence of a named editor for the volume.
• The therapy notes include verbatim exchanges with psychiatrist Roger MacKinnon, offering insights into Didion’s self-analysis and the complex mother–daughter interdependence rooted in Quintana’s adoption.
• Early reviews from major outlets like The Telegraph, Vogue, and AP emphasize the book’s emotional depth and its potential discomfort for readers, while questioning whether Didion intended these notes for public view.