DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

The Boy Between

A Mother and Son’s Journey From a World Gone Grey

Amanda Prowse author Josiah Hartley author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Amazon Publishing

Published:1st Nov '20

Should be back in stock very soon

The Boy Between cover

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.

“Just before Josiah was due to take A levels, he had his first major depressive episode. At the time neither he nor his family had a clue what was happening. He did go on to university as planned. At university his mental health deteriorated further. Josiah Hartley and his mother, the novelist Mandy Prowse, talk about their experiences.” Woman’s Hour

“In this incredibly moving episode we’re joined by Amanda Prowse and Josiah Hartley to talk family and mental health. Including how they were able to find a way out of deep depression together.” Mental

“A brave and insightful book that shimmers with warmth and hope.” The Lady

“A courageous and open book that will offer practical help to everyone touched by depression. Startling and important.” Platinum

“I truly believe this book will help so many individuals struggling with their mental health as well as help their families…A candid, moving and inspirational book, I am blown away.” —Johnny Benjamin, bestselling author of The Stranger on the Bridge

ISBN: 9781542022286

Dimensions: 200mm x 127mm x 19mm

Weight: 249g

286 pages