The Boy Between

A Mother and Son's Journey from a World Gone Grey

By: Josiah Hartley, Amanda Prowse

Narrated by: Amanda Prowse, Josiah Hartley

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

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 19 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.

©2020 Josiah Hartley and Lionhead Media Ltd. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Much needed, hopeful story

I have depression, and I could relate to so many details of this story. Feeling numb. Getting involved in risky behaviors in order to feel something. Wanting to sleep all the time. Depression really does rob a person of joy. The honest, heartfelt sharing of this mother and son’s experience (even better because they read the book themselves for Audible) reveals the weight and darkness of the experience, while still giving hope that there’s a way out. Thank you for sharing your story. Thank you for promoting awareness and early detection and treatment and fighting for those who have lost the will to fight. Thank you. (Now I’m crying too!)

Amazing insight

Great book with the honest and real life details about a family and their journey through mental health parenting. Being a mother of a son with depression this book gave me hope, peace, and connection to the silent group of us that navigates This dark/silent battle. Thank you for sharing and Josh, congratulations on pushing through and victoriously living life, one day at a time!

Must read

Every one should listen to this to gain a better understanding on depression. I thought I understood it til I listened to this.

Raw. gripping, informative

Josh and his mom, Amanda Prowse, team up to tell the story of Josh's depression both from his point of view and from hers. In alternating chapters they trace the history of Josh's illness. There is so much information here it might bear a second listen. This probably contains the best description of clinical depression that I've ever run into. Highly recommend. Excellent book. Very helpful if you, or anyone you know suffers from clinical depression or has ever thought about, attempted or succeeded at suiciding.