The Episode: A True Story of Loss, Madness and Healing

'A must-read: it hits you right in the heart' Katriona O'Sullivan, author of Poor

'Written in beautifully honest prose, and illuminated throughout by something rare and invaluable: the notes kept by those who dealt with her…. A gripping and important book’ Horatio Clare, The Telegraph

'Compelling' Irish Examiner

‘A story of tenacity and bravery … visceral’ Irish Times
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It could happen to anyone.

One fine April day, Mary Ann Kenny’s husband died suddenly while jogging near their family home. In the months that followed, Mary Ann – who had no history of mental illness – began suffering from depression, and then from a terrifying succession of physical and psychological symptoms, including the delusion that her young children had been harmed by her medications.

In this gripping memoir, Mary Ann details her descent into psychosis, her hopitalization, and her inspiring journey back to health and happiness. Drawing on her detailed medical files and on her own recollections, she has created a day-by-day account of what it is like to lose touch with reality while dealing with grief and living in the dreadful knowledge that everything you care about in life is under threat. And The Episode tells the inspiring story of how Mary Ann recovered from her illness, came to terms with her trauma, and spoke truth to the health service about the limitations of medical psychiatry. It reminds us that anyone could end up in Mary Ann’s situation, while also showing that recovery and happiness are possible even after severe mental illness.

Written with the pace of a thriller and the insight of a great psychological novel, The Episode is a brilliant act of personal reclamation and an essential read for anyone who is interested in the workings of the mind.

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‘Powerful’ Brendan O’Connor, RTÉ Radio 1

'A deeply moving, often terrifying account of grief, illness, and recovery, this vivid memoir carries the reader so close to its unfolding events that it quickens the breath.' Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat

'Deeply insightful, clear-sighted and immersive ... it would be harrowing if not so beautifully written. I've never read anything quite like it.' Patrick Freyne, author of OK, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea

'Steers an arresting course between an academic’s rigorous research and pacy, insightful readability … it’s shocking to read' Irish Times

'Delivered in elegant, quietly furious prose, it deserves a wide readership' Sunday Independent

‘A page-turning read … a fantastic writer.’ Irish Times Women's Podcast

‘A brave, elucidatory book’ Ceci Browning, The Times

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