The Boy Between
I love Amanda Prowse’s books and have read several of them already. The Boy Between caught my attention for being the personal story of Amanda and her son, Joshiah (Josh) Hartely and their journey with Josh’s depression.
The Boy Between
Josiah was nineteen with the world at his feet when things changed. Without warning, the new university student’s mental health deteriorated to the point that he planned his own death. His mother, bestselling author Amanda Prowse, found herself grappling for ways to help him, with no clear sense of where that could be found. This is the book they wish had been there for them during those dark times.
Josiah’s situation is not unusual: the statistics on student mental health are terrifying. And he was not the only one suffering; his family was also hijacked by his illness, watching him struggle and fearing the day he might succeed in taking his life.
In this book, Josiah and Amanda hope to give a voice to those who suffer, and to show them that help can be found. It is Josiah’s raw, at times bleak, sometimes humorous, but always honest account of what it is like to live with depression. It is Amanda’s heart-rending account of her pain at watching him suffer, speaking from the heart about a mother’s love for her child.
For anyone with depression and anyone who loves someone with depression, Amanda and Josiah have a clear message—you are not alone, and there is hope.
“A candid, moving and inspirational book, I am blown away.”
Jonny Benjamin MBE, award-winning mental health campaigner and author
of The Stranger on the Bridge
My review
This is such a candid and emotional book to read. The book is written in alternative chapters telling Josh’s perspective and then Amanda’s. Depression is really not an easy subject to write about much less go through. But the honesty and the willingness of this mother and son to put it out there is truly courageous.
No family is prepared to have their child go through depression and to realize that a son doesn’t want to live any more is a mother’s worst nightmare. Amanda has shared her all her feelings of despair and helplessness about the situation. In sharing what has worked for her and what hasn’t, she’s helping other parents of depressed children to find some answers to their questions and confusion too.
Josh is such a brave young man, not only for the battle he’s fighting against depression but for sharing the raw emotions that he feels. For those young people trying to battle depression, to have a someone like Josh who can identify with their pain and the daily struggles that they face.
The Boy Between made me so much more mindful of what people with depression and their families go through. There were times I had to put the book down with the sheer weight of the emotions shared. And yet, this is a book of hope – a book that will show the way to others.
It goes without saying that the writing is impeccable. I would encourage every one to read this book, if only to become more aware, understanding and empathetic of those struggling with mental health issues.
Buy The Boy Between:
Amazon.com
Amazon.com/Can ~ Amazon.com/UK ~ Amazon.com/AU
Add to Goodreads
Meet the Author – Amanda Prowse
Amanda Prowse is an award winning international bestselling author best known for her contemporary fiction novels. A radio broadcaster and TV presenter renowned for her empathetic and emotional books, she is known in the UK as the ‘Queen of family drama’. Her books have sold over 8 million copies in dozens of languages around the world.
connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Meet the Author – Josh
Josiah (Josh) Hartley is the son of Amanda Prowse who has co-authored with his mother to tell the story of his journey through life so far. Born in the England, Josh was fortunate enough to attend one of the country’s elite public schools from an early age and was awarded a place at one of the UK’s top Universities where he planned to work towards a medical doctorate. But just at the moment when he should have been having the time of his life, he started feeling nagging tugs of self-doubt which spiralled into a depression during which time he planned his suicide. Luckily, his family intervened and after a roller coaster couple of years, he is alive and well and sharing his story to help other families who find themselves in the same position navigate their way through those difficult times.
Giveaway:
Win 1 of 15 print copies of THE BOY BETWEEN or a KINDLE FIRE (16 winners) (open internationally) (ends Dec 4)
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