The Boy Between by Amanda Prowse and Josh Hartley - non fiction /memoir

A book that for me should be read by as many people as possible to find out

and be more aware of mental health issues and how it can affect the best of

us. I decided to read this as having found out recently that I have had the

black dog by my side for most of my adult life to find out more about

others in the same situation and how they have dealt with it.

I couldn't believe the number of similarities to Josh other than he had

the constant loving care of his mother. This is a warts-n-all story told

by both Amanda and Josh in alternate chapters. Josh was set to have

sparkling A level grades and then a short time before his

exams it was as if his brain went totally blank which was the

beginning of a very dark time. Mental health is now something that is

slowly getting talked about more but we are far from, as Josh says,

having that conversation over the water cooler like we would the

flu- and mental health isn't contagious. He also says that it is so

very hard to describe how we are feeling. To anyone else our darkness

or anxieties don’t make sense. I very much admire Amanda and

Simeon for constantly having the utmost respect for Josh and

his wishes which were shown at all times. When he came home at

his lowest he was allowed to eat “under the duvet” and live in his

very untidy room as to interfere would have distrubed his very

fine equilibrium. This to me shows so much love and care to a

very fragile being. Respecting someone when they are so very low

for me, us beyond words. A book that made me look at myself and

stop. A book that I hope will bring to the masses something that

“isn't talked about''. A book of hope and reality. Of love and

caring and one heck of a journey. Stunning 5*

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Book Description:

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.

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

Author Bio - Josiah

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…

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