Something To Live For by Laura Canty
This book review is part of our new book review club. Have you read a great book lately? Does it have a connection to women’s mental health or wellbeing? If so, we’d be thrilled if you would write a review of it for the site. As a ‘thank you’ we’ll send a copy of the book to someone you nominate or another person in our community (given away via stories). We’re pretty excited because we think this is a great way to nurture connectivity as well as promote some wonderful books!
Something To Live For by Laura Canty is simply the most brilliant book I have read on postnatal depression in, well, maybe forever. Canty writes beautifully in this honest, sometimes funny, often heart-breaking, always relatable memoir of her experience with postnatal depression and, most importantly, her fight for recovery.
The memoir take us through Laura’s journey from a much-wanted pregnancy to the totally unexpected arrival of the storm cloud that is postnatal depression. We follow her from the time she starts to become unwell and sit with her as the dark storm takes over. Canty talks candidly about the downward spiral she experienced, the barriers she faced and the obstacles that she was able to overcome. Patched together from letters, notes, calendar entries, appointments, memories from herself as well as family and friends who supported her, Laura tells her story. The honesty Canty provides the reader within this book is nothing short of refreshing. No magic answers, no special potion and no overnight miracle are expected or given. However, with her determination and dedication to recovery coupled with professional and personal support, she shows us how she found her way back.
What shines through in this book is her bravery in the battle she fought with postnatal depression, and the hope for recovery that she gives the reader. Canty highlights the importance of being listened to by professionals, the incredible work of the NHS perinatal mental health teams and the importance of Mother and Baby Units. She gives the reader hope of recovery without sugar coating how difficult and raw that journey may be.
Whether you have experienced postnatal depression first-hand or are supporting a loved one through it, get a cuppa and the tissues – this book is a must read!
If you would like to read this book you can order it here. By choosing to purchase Something To Live For by Laura Canty through this link we will make a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. This money enables us to continue to create valuable and free mental health resources for you as well as the other women who need them.
Don’t forget – if you’d like to review a book just drop us a message via the contact form. If you found this review helpful, you can thank Kate (@_klb09_) in the comment section! We’re really grateful to Kate for sharing this thoughtful review.
What an amazing book. I’m half way through and want to train to become a perinatal nurse!!