Diary of a Broken Mind

A Mother’s Story, a Son’s Suicide, and the Haunting Lyrics He Left Behind

By: Anne Moss Rogers, Charles Rogers

Narrated by: Lisa Williams

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The funniest, most popular kid in school, Charles Aubrey Rogers suffered from depression and later addiction, then ultimately died by suicide. Diary of a Broken Mind focuses on the relatable story of what led to his suicide at age 20 and answers the why behind his addiction and this cause of death, revealed through a mother's story and years of Charles' published and unpublished song lyrics. The closing sections focus on hope and healing - and how the author found her purpose and forgave herself.

Diary of a Broken Mind is a poignant and powerful story written with telling detail and searing honesty - and hope. It is an inside look at the issues of depression, addiction, and suicide affecting so many families. It is a book that won't easily be forgotten.

Anne and her late son, Charles, bring tragedy, hope, and healing through Diary of a Broken Mind. The unimaginable pain and suffering that countless American families go through as a result of a loved one's addiction and suicide is real. Through the lens of her son's musical lyrics, Anne Moss Rogers explores the questions these families ask themselves - Why? And throughout the process, we all learn how to find purpose - even through some of our darkest moments.

About the authors:

Anne Moss Rogers is a writer, owner of the blog, Emotionally Naked, and professional speaker who captures hearts and fills them with hope. Since 2010, she has been a board member of Beacon Tree Foundation and an advocate for youth mental health. She is also a 2019 YWCA Pat Asch Fellowship for Social Justice winner. Charles Rogers was born April 26, 1995, and died by suicide, as a result of depression and addiction on June 5, 2015. He loved dogs, funky socks, drama, writing, performing rap, and making people laugh. But most of all, he loved and cared about people.

For more: BeachGlassBooks.com.

©2020 Anne Moss Rogers (P)2020 Anne Moss Rogers

Critic reviews

“Anne and her late son, Charles, bring tragedy, hope and healing through the pages of Diary of a Broken Mind. The unimaginable pain and suffering that countless American families go through as a result of a loved one’s addiction and suicide is real. Through the lens of her son’s musical lyrics, Anne Moss Rogers explores the questions these families ask themselve...Why? And throughout the process, we all learn how to find purpose - even through some of our darkest moments.” (Ryan Hampton, author, American Fix: Inside the Opioid Crisis - and How to End It)

Incredibly written

This audio book has me hooked from the first minute. the speaker was very clear and the story got right to the point. Ups and downs in a family are facts of life, but the brutal honesty of Anne Moss was powerful and this story will stay with me for a long time.

Relatable

This book has been incredibly relatable for me. My son, Taylor, took his own life in July of 2020 after a long battle with anxiety, depression and substance abuse. I felt as if the author’s son and my son’s stories were very similar and in turn felt connected with her as a Mother going through this nightmare. Her son, Charles, was an aspiring rapper and I’m sure it was difficult to find a narrator that could narrate the rhymes of a young male. I think she did a good job changing her voice.

Book was good. Narrator was irritating.

I appreciated the book and the story it told, but at times, the narrator was hard to tolerate, and I just can’t understand why this was the narrator chosen for this. She read like a robot, her sentences running together, as if there were no periods. And when she read the rap lyrics, her “low” voice was raspy and grating on my nerves. Don’t mean to be harsh, but it really ruined the listening of this book for me.