Stacey Johnston

Depression and suicide does not discriminate. It does not matter if you are rich or poor or if you have a wonderful and loving family who support you. Thoughts of suicide can affect anyone. Alec knows this all too well. He is a successful doctor with a loving wife and children, but that still does not stop him from trying to take his own life. You see, Alec has always been different. Even as a young boy, Alec was quiet and reserved, but there was a darkness inside of him. A voice in his head that left him feeling less than a man. Alec felt as if he wasn’t good enough for anyone. Even with medication, it was hard to keep those kinds of thought at bay. Can Alec finally realize that he is deserving of the love given to him from his wife and family?

After The Rain is an emotional and heartbreaking story of one man’s journey through depression and anxiety and the aftereffects of an attempted suicide. I found myself really sympathizing with Alec and in a way understanding some of the symptoms he was going through. Everyone gets depressed at some point in their life, but for Alec it was more than that. His depression was a disease. A disease that with the right medication can lessen the thoughts of not belonging or feeling as if you have nothing to live for.

Alec has a wonderful family, a wife that adores him and is always there for him through the bad times and the good times. His children love him and only want what is best for him, even though at times they may not understand how much depression has an impact on his life. As the story progresses we can see a change in Alec and while he may not be perfect he slowly learns how to manage his disease.

This is such a heartfelt story and Stacey Johnston takes such care in telling the story of Alec and she does it in such a way with a lot of compassion and understanding. After The Rain is truly remarkable and really shows what depression can do to a person and how it can affect one’s family. I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book as it really is a fantastic read.… (más)