"Never tell anyone what goes on in this house."

For young John Elliott Pitts, his mother's words would forever echo like the hills and valleys amongst which he was raised. And for years, nobody would know about the goings on of his home life-his father's alcoholism and beatings, his mother's resilience and resulting explosive temper, months spent as an outsider in his grandmother's house, and an escalating mental illness.

From the shores of Okinawa, to the halls of a dozen colleges and universities, to the final straw that led him to change his name, Jonathan Ian Elliott often struggled to find his way in the face of bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and severe depression which nearly took his life on two occasions. Feeling broken, but not one to give up a fight, he sought healing and learned to pick up the pieces. Crimson Roses and Purple Irises is a story of perseverance and overcoming inner darkness to blossom beyond one's roots.