Book Review: She

She (used to refer to a woman, or girl) is a book of poetry by Natasha MacFarlane.  I discovered Natasha quite recently when she was featured on Housewife Hustle‘s Follow Friday.

The book is a story of She and her struggle with mental illness demons, told in poetic form.  It covers a number of common themes that occur in mental illness, including the relentless attack of inner demons while a mask shows a very different picture to the outside world.  It also touches on going through the daily routine all while faking it, hating the reflection in the mirror, and self-loathing.

Some lines I particularly liked:

“As she wiped her tears from her cheek,
​The ink appeared on her paper,
​For when she cried, her heart spoke, ​
And her tears became her book.”

“Fear the women who stand in front of the gates of hell and smile”

While She has faced a very long journey with her mental illness, She finds the strength to keep challenging the demons, even though at times they seem too strong for her.  I liked how that strength was intermingled with the difficult parts of the story.

I really liked the closing note from the author:

“Whatever your battles are, fight them with all your might. You are stronger than whatever haunts you.”

You can find Natasha on her blog Thoughts with N .

She is available on Amazon.  10% of proceeds are donated to the Manitoba Mood Disorders Association.

You can find my other book reviews here.

My book Making Sense of Psychiatric Diagnosis breaks down the different categories of DSM-5 diagnoses, explaining the diagnostic criteria and providing first-hand stories of the various illnesses.  It’s available on the MH@H Store, as well as Amazon and other online retailers.

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