Wednesday, March 2, 2022

The Boy Between: A Mother and Son's Journey from a World Gone Grey ~ A Book Review

The Boy Between is a title that leaves you wondering what will happen between the pages.  I think that's what got me wanting to read this book.  Being the mom of two "boys" I was curious to see  what this author had to say about all that time "Between"!

The Boy Between book cover


As it turns out this book had me right from the start.  One of my favorite "women's lit" authors co-wrote this with her son.  Amanda Prowse is better known for her lovely stories of women who find their strength through the ways they are tested.  She has written many (over 25) books and is probably one of the most prolific writers in the UK.  But I must say, she is loved around the world for her great stories.

The Boy Between, is not FICTION, it is real and downright heartbreaking and thought provoking.  Josiah (Josh) Hartley and Amanda Prowse are mom and son, co-authors of this book.  Chapter by chapter you read about what is happening in Josh's life from the perspective of  Mom (and dad) and then from Josh's perspective.  

THIS IS NOT AN EASY STORY TO READ!  But it is one that I wish every parent or caregiver SHOULD and Would READ!

If you have ever had someone in the family or close friend suffer from Depression, this book is an eye opener for you!  We all think we know what depression is and unless you have suffered from this debilitating mental state, you cannot begin to know! Josh writes honestly and very openly about his life and how this mental condition makes life not just difficult, but almost impossible to deal with.

Through many trials and tribulations during his life, his parents are forever hopeful that the fog of depression will lift and give Josh some peace and solace to face another day.  They are his support network even when they didn't realize that that was what Josh needed.  What Josh was living through, they were living through it as well.  This story has two very different sides to it and seeing both of them helps us to understand better!  It is the life of Josh and the life of his parents as well.  They are not two separate and distinct lives, they are forever intertwined and wrapped around each other.

distress image


If there is one thing that everyone should take away from reading this book, it's the notion that DEPRESSION is the elephant in many people's lives and that ignoring it will not make it disappear.  It needs to be talked about and understood  in each and every circumstance.  The biggest problem being that every circumstance will be different and one solution will not necessarily fit all!   

The world today is a very hard place for our young people to grow up in.  They are bombarded with ideals of perfection from social media and opinions from the world at large.  The pressure for these young minds to deal with is sometimes more than they can bear.  That is when their spirit and/or their minds can become broken.  Awareness must be the key!

As parents and caregivers, we need to understand that each child is different with many varied strengths and weaknesses.  That it is alright for them not to follow the majority and that forging their own path in life is not a sign that they are "less", rather they are different.  If there was ever a time when we should be celebrating everyone's individuality it is NOW!  Before there are more statistics of young people not being able to cope with today's world and it's expectations of our young people.

brain injury awaremess month


This book in my opinion is one that should be read by everyone and right now it is available for free with a KindleUnlimited membership or with an Audible trial.  

Put this book on your MUST READ list, you won't be sorry!





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


10 comments:

  1. Olivia, I agree wholeheartedly that the world needs a much better understanding of clinical depression and its devastating effects on people of all ages.

    There is an enormous difference between depressive disorder and “feeling blue,” an engulfing sense of hopelessness and despair that is out of proportion to the objective reality of the person’s situation and the conviction that that situation can never get any better. It is so important for others to understanding that someone in a clinical depression cannot come out of it simply by “pulling up their socks” and trying harder to re-engage with the world.

    Thank you for reviewing and recommending this book and raising awareness about this devastating disorder.

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  2. Thank you Margaret for your kind words. Depression is a disease of the mind, we need to understand that it is not just feeling blue as you put it. Many people (but especially the young) are struggling just to live another day. That is a sad statistic the world over. We do need much more research and help for these people who are suffering so much. <3

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  3. Depression is very difficult for everyone to understand. I suspect it is even difficult for the person who is experiencing it to recognize it as clinical depression. I think it is hard to grasp because the same word is used for such a wide variety of emotions as well as physical causes. There is too much lumped in together under the word "depression" and everyone has their own experience definition of what depression is. Personally, I was shocked to hear that Bi-polar is considered a level of depression. We get it when someone is diagnosed with a heart condition. We all know you can't just hop up and change a heart condition. However, we don't have the same sympathy or understanding for depression. We seem to think people should just be able to snap out of it. I know this is a book I want to read. I have a family member who I would really like to understand better. While I have great compassion for her, I have very little "real" understanding.

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  4. You would find this book very enlightening. I also have a good friend who has clinical depression and never quite understood what he was trying to tell me. This book helped me to understand much better and gives me a clearer appreciation for the suffering they are facing. I found this book really helpful and I'm so glad it was written. It needs to get to a larger audience though as most people that are afflicted are still not understood.

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  5. Olivia, such an excellent review. So sorry that this is a true story, but like you said, it's more than too common these days, to suffer from depression or other mental issues. The world can be overwhelming and this book sounds like a place to find an empathy for those suffering, and help to understand what it's all about for those who don't. Having never suffered from depression I have to say it's not something I personally know about, however I have friends who do. This book would be an excellent read for them as well. Thanks for the introduction.

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  6. Barbara, like you I have been blessed with a reasonably carefree life and depression (severe forms) have not affected me personally. I do have a good friend that suffers this and he has tried several times to make me understand. The way Amanda Prowse and her son have written this book makes it much more easy to understand and yes, empathize. There needs to be so much more help for these people to help them on their way to health!

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  7. Depression is something many people don't understand. This book would be one that everyone should read to understand when it happens to anyone you know; family or friend or even yourself. Very good review, Olivia.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Pat for your kind words. I agree that everyone should read this and take it to heart. Depression is more than anxiety and can affect people in so many different ways. This book has helped me to understand a very good friend of mine who suffers this malady. He tried many times to explain and I never quite got it. This book somehow made it more understandable to me. I really do hope that many people will read it.

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  8. Olivia, I know clinical depression very well. We lived through a family member with depression. It is so true that depression is not understood by so many. This sounds like a very interesting book

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  9. Sam it is the first book that has made me understand how the person suffering feels. I have a good friend that suffers from deep depression and he's tried many a time to explain what it's like. I have never understood until I read this book. It really needs to be seen by many friends, family and caregivers so that they have a small inkling about what is going on. Thanks for sharing this with everyone.

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