Title: An Impossible Life: The Inspiring True Story of a Woman’s Struggle from Within
Authors: Rachael Siddoway & Sonja Wasden
Publisher: The Gap Press LLC
ISBN: 978-1733619493
Pages: 328
Genre: Counseling & Psychology eBooks on Bipolar Disorder/Mood Disorders/Depression
Reviewed by: Tony Espinoza
Hollywood Book Reviews
One of the biggest struggles still facing our world today is the fight to bring attention and understanding to those who suffer from mental illness. Mental health is a major component in so many people’s lives, and the portrayal of mental illness in our society has always brought negative connotations to the subject that many people feel the need to hide that aspect of themselves and feel judged by others. As Adam Ant once said, “Mental health needs a great deal of attention. It’s the final taboo and it needs to be faced and dealt with.”
In authors Rachael Siddoway & Sonja Wasden’s An Impossible Life: The Inspiring True Story of a Woman’s Struggle from Within, the authors explore the hardships and struggles of a woman who has dealt with mental health issues throughout her life and finds herself getting help later in her life. From the pressures of motherhood and marriage, to coming to understand her illness and the painful means of finding the right treatment and care she needs, the authors delve into the honest and visceral journey this woman undergoes to find her mental health care.
The book does such a fantastic yet heartbreaking job of properly portraying the realities of mental health struggles, especially after years of dealing with the illness without any proper care of help whatsoever. The impact of this book is made evident immediately, as the authors show the harrowing moment the woman realizes that she is being forced to be hospitalized. What made this story hold more gravitas and weight to it was the fact that author Rachael Siddoway co-wrote this with and about her mother, Sonja Wasden, and the story took on a first-person perspective from Sonja’s view, allowing readers to see the struggles and trials and triumphs she faced first-hand.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy non-fiction tales written in a very creative and personal way, especially books which focus on the struggles with mental health and that break down the taboo nature that has surrounded mental health for so long in an effort to normalize and show that getting help and admitting one’s health is crucial. As someone who has a loved one that struggles with Bipolar Disorder, I was able to relate to the authors story and truly appreciated the authors showing both the good and the bad sides of this lifelong struggle.
Thought-provoking, engaging, and heartfelt in its delivery, authors Rachael Siddoway & Sonja Wasden’s An Impossible Life: The Inspiring True Story of a Woman’s Struggle from Within is a must-read non-fiction book. The strength of the authors experiences and the emotions they put behind each chapter’s events showcase a truthful, and at times heartbreaking journey, and yet the overcoming of that adversity and the attention to detail that goes into highlighting both the illness and the treatment was truly awe-inspiring.