Wednesday 2 May 2012

All that Matters

Finished April 30
All that Matters by Jan Goldstein

This novel focuses on 23-year-old Jennifer Stempler, a young woman who is severely depressed to the point of attempting suicide. After her father's departure at a young age, she and her mother struggled. When her mother died in a traffic accident her senior year, she struggled with the loss. Now that her serious boyfriend has dumped her, she can't see anything worth living for.
But her grandmother won't give up on her, and fights to take her home to New York and help her find her health again. Along the way, Jennifer fights her grandmother's optimism. It isn't until she hears her grandmother's story for the first time that she finally finds something to hold onto.
A story about depression and hope, about the resilience of life in the face of tragedy and disappointment.
I loved the story in the book, but did have some reservations for the seemingly easy dismissal of the physiological component of depression through the rejection of medication.

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