BOOK REVIEW

Reviewed by DAVID FOX

In “The Boy Between: A Mother and Son’s Journey from a World Gone Grey,” co-authors Amanda Prowse and her son Josiah Hartley tackle the topic of suicidal depression among young men in the United Kingdom. At the book’s conclusion, Hartley points out that suicide is the leading cause of death among young people aged 20-34 in the UK.

Writing this book was not an abstract project launched by these two; it was deeply personal. Following a troubled childhood, Hartley discovered he possessed stellar academic skills that would allow him to pursue studies at the highest levels – a dream come true. Then, out of the blue, it happened. His “brain switched off,” he writes. One minute, he’s able to think cogently; the next, all is gone. His world goes topsy-turvy. His descent into severe depression begins.

The brilliant news for the reader is that this was written several years after Hartley emerged from this ordeal. So, even though the episodes we witness are gut-wrenching, at least we know that he emerges well enough to write about what almost rendered him a statistic.

Myths are crushed. For those who believe depression is recognizable by sadness, Hartley jolts us to his reality in the book’s prologue: “The decision to end my life was one that came easily.”

He describes his emotional condition, which crystallized his mental state, as what led to what he thought would be his final reckoning: “I wasn’t sad. I was numb.”

The writing duo embraces a narrative where the chapters move from the mother’s viewpoint to her son’s. It’s a clean way of moving along a story about suicidal depression. It allows both authors to easily share their story without tripping up the other. Also, it underscores the radically different perspective from the one experiencing the trauma to the caregiver.

For example, Prowse posits this theory: “Happiness is the goal. If you have that, then everything else kind of falls into place and nothing else really matters.”

Her son’s focus could not be more different. As he contemplated suicide, he just wanted life to stop. “I wanted my time on earth to STOP. I wanted everything to STOP,” he writes.

Confronted by these dueling objectives it becomes easier for the reader to grasp the perplexities surrounding this complex dilemma. On the one hand, you’ve got the very real suffering of the young man juxtaposed against his mother’s seemingly simplistic view of the situation. Yet, this scenario can be extrapolated out onto the tens of thousands of families dealing with similarly non-aligned goals.

Is there a simple answer to help resolve these universal conundrums?

Honestly, no.

The only real option available to the patient and caregiver is to follow Josh’s advice: “I want to say to them, to you, hang in there. Please, hang in there.”

Written by Amanda Prowse and Josiah Hartley, “The Boy Between” was published November 1, 2020, by Little A/Amazon Publishing; 276 pages. ★★★★

NCM