The Boy Between is an extraordinary book. Let’s make that clear from the start. You can feel the emotion seeping from the pages. As soon as I read the premise of the book, I knew I wanted to read it and I am so thrilled to be sharing it with you today, publication day – and the first stop on the Love Books Tour.

 

Synopsis

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.

Author bio – Josiah Hartley

Josiah (Josh) Hartley lives in an isolated farmhouse in the West Country, but close enough to Bristol to enjoy its music scene. He is an animal lover and servant to two French Bulldogs. Equally happy at a music festival or watching rugby with his mates, he likes the outdoor life and with Devon only a short drive away 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 and another at the University of Bristol and one unsuccessful suicide attempt, Josh decided to write about his descent into mental illness and the depression that has 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’s a book of reflection, raw, honest and full of hope: the proof being that Josh is still here and now excited about what comes next. He is ready to catch any opportunities that life throws his way, quite a thing for someone who only three years ago was living in a world gone grey, ready to disappear from the face of the earth…

Author bio – Amanda Prowse

Amanda Prowse likens her own life story to those she writes about in her books. After self-publishing her debut novel, Poppy Day, in 2011, she has gone on to author twenty-five novels and six novellas. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and she regularly tops bestseller charts all over the world. Remaining true to her ethos, Amanda writes stories of ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage and love tested in ways they never imagined. The most prolific female contemporary fiction writer in the UK, with a legion of loyal readers, she goes from strength to strength. Being crowned ‘queen of domestic drama’ by the Daily Mail was one of her finest moments. Amanda is a regular contributor on TV and radio but her first love is, and will always be, writing. This is her first work of non-fiction.

You can find her online at www.amandaprowse.com, on Twitter or Instagram @MrsAmandaProwse, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amandaprowsenogreaterlove.

My review

This is such a powerful read. There are no holds barred, we see hearts ripped open and love flooding out. This is hard hitting and full of emotion. If I hadn’t been informed, I would never have known that this is Amanda Prowse’s first offering of non-fiction. It’s so well crafted and really documents the trials and tribulations and sheer heartbreak of coping with a family member’s journey through severe depression.

It isn’t pretty and it hasn’t been dressed up in any way to disguise the pain and anguish of a mother trying to keep her child alive.

It isn’t all bad news though – there is hope and there is a way forward, that is the clear message of this book.

For anyone who has ever struggled with their mental health; for anyone who feels like life is geting too much; for anyone staring down the barrel of a second lockdown and wondering how they will cope; for any parents of children with depression, desparately trying to find a way to support their children emotionally – this book is for you.

Even if you fit into none of those categories – maybe this book is for you too. I would recommend it to anyone.

There is hope. And there is light after the darkness.

 

Get your copy here (affiliate link)