What They Say:
Bestselling novelist Amanda Prowse knew how to resolve a fictional family crisis. But then her son came to her with a real one…
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.
What I Say:
Anyone who knows me or has followed me for a while will know why this book is so very special and important to me. There are 2 reasons for that; one is that I adore Mandy and have read and loved everything she has published to date. the second is that Mental Health (in particular anxiety and depression) is so very relevant and important to me.
So it will come as no surprise that I jumped at the chance to read this book. It was granted very early access via Netgalley and I devoured it in a matter of hours. I then took days to digest what I had read. I was heartbroken, bereft, hopeful, proud and deeply moved. I have always valued Amanda Prowse as both an author and a person (I'm lucky to consider her a friend I've yet to meet) and reading her and Josh's story was extremely difficult. The things they went through, are still going through, is the stuff of nightmares.
In a way, I'm glad my parents didn't live to see me hit MY rock bottom, but also, losing them was part of what led to it. I can't imagine what they would have gone through. I can't imagine what Amanda and Simeon must have felt watching Josh feeling so helpless and lost. Seeing him stuck in his grey world. Josh is so lucky he has their support, although I fully understand that sometimes that is the last thing it feels like, lucky to have support. You just want everyone to stop caring so that you can stop caring too. You want to be able to let go without the guilt of knowing who you'd leave behind. But Josh really was lucky. He was lucky that Simeon has a good connection with him and just KNEW what was needed and when. He's lucky that his family love him so damn much that they'd do anything to keep him here. And he's lucky that he and his amazing Mum had this opportunity to write their book. Actually, no, WE'RE lucky that they had this opportunity. This book will save lives.
I've said it from the day I first heard about it, this book will save lives. It will make people less afraid and less ashamed of being judged. It will give people courage to speak up and seek help. It will give people a voice and hopefully a platform. And that will save lives. It will help end stigma and fear.
My recommendation is that everyone who has experienced mental health issues or who loves someone who has, needs to read this book and share it with everyone they love. It's as simple as that. Make sure everyone you love and are concerned about reads this book.
Life changing, life saving. Amazingly brave. Poignant. 11/10
About the Authors:
Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty five novels and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart topping No.1 titles 'What Have I Done?', 'Perfect Daughter', 'My Husband's Wife', 'The Girl in the Corner' and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.
A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panellist on Channel 5's 'The Jeremy Vine Show' and numerous daytime ITV programmes. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national independent Radio stations including LBC and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award while 'Perfect Daughter' was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016.
Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...
Praise for Amanda Prowse:
'A powerful and emotional work of fiction' - Piers Morgan
'Deeply moving and emotional, Amanda Prowse handles her explosive subjects with delicate skill' - Daily Mail
'Uplifting and positive, but you will still need a box of tissues' - Hello!
'A gut-wrenching and absolutely brilliant read' - The Irish Sun
'You'll fall in love with this...' - Cosmopolitan
'Deeply moving and eye opening. Powerful and emotional drama that packs a real punch.' - Heat
'Magical' - Now magazine
Josh:
A keen environmentalist and animal lover, Josiah (Josh) Hartley lives in a remote farmhouse in the West Country with his two idle and arrogant French Bulldogs, Dottie and Beau. Happiest following the music scene in Bristol, at a festival or watching rugby with his mates, Josh enjoys the outdoor life and often heads to the sea to surf and sit on the beach watching the sun go down.
After a stint at the University of Southampton, another at the University of Bristol and one planned suicide, Josh decided to write about his descent into mental illness and the depression that held him in its grip for the past few years. The Boy Between carries the overriding message that things can and often do get better. It is a book of reflection, raw, honest and full of hope - the proof being that Josh is still here and excited about what comes next. He’s ready to catch any opportunity that life throws his way; quite a thing for someone who only a few years ago was living in a world gone grey, ready to disappear from the face of the earth…
Thanks so much for being on the blog tour today Trish and for your supportx
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