Drew Paige was twelve when her father began slapping her. By the time she was fifteen, his unpredictable moods and lecherous glances had stripped away her childhood and sent her down a path of lifelong mental illness. Thirty years later, Paige has crafted her memoir, THE DARKNESS WITHIN, with the intent of addressing the social stigma that plagues those that struggle with mental illness. Paige’s story is written in a frank yet reflective style. With the power of hindsight, Paige is able to look back at her childhood and see the truth of how her father cast a lifelong shadow over her mental health. There’s a sharp honesty to the way she writes; the words and phrases she uses to describe her father’s abusive behavior and her resulting feelings are shockingly earnest. Paige lays her past traumas out in a clear, straightforward manner, and that unflinching level of candor gives her writing a sincerity and vulnerability that resonates.
THE DARKNESS WITHIN isn’t all centered around Paige’s trauma, though. This memoir also documents how Paige’s disorder has affected her as a wife, mother, and mental health professional. It chronicles her attempts to get treatment, her struggles with postpartum depression, and her eventual diagnosis with bipolar II. Paige also shares stories from her time working at a local residential mental health facility. Her professional knowledge is apparent throughout, but it’s her compassion and empathy for the people she meets while working in social services that makes her story stand out. Throughout, Paige’s message remains one of hope. Despite the ups and downs of her life (and her mental health), she is adamant that it’s possible to overcome trauma and encourages readers to do the mental work necessary to heal their hearts and minds. Through her memoir, Paige has set aside the mask that’s hidden her mental illness from friends and family and made it her goal to help others heal from their traumas.
THE DARKNESS WITHIN combines the earnest vulnerability of a memoir with author Drew Paige’s knowledgeable, research-driven understanding of abuse, mental health, and the process of recovering from trauma. Its unwavering honesty and compassion makes this a must read for any reader whose life has been touched by mental illness.
~Stephani Hren for IndieReader