Krysten Clarke

'Today I'm going to do it - I'm going to start writing my story!' new mum Cathy declares fiercely, as she begins re-reading her old diaries and revisiting the desperate times following the birth of her son, Joseph. Confused and depressed, shattered by the deceit and betrayal of her husband, she attempts to come to terms with being a parent. The only way she is able to deal with the crazy roller coaster of feelings she experiences is to record them, as a diary. As time passes, she realises that being a new mother is only one of the experiences life will throw at her during Joseph's early years. But Cathy copes, emerges stronger and celebrates the joy of being a mother. This story catalogues one mother's unique experience of post-natal depression. The reader feels the despair and fear as the story unfolds but the hope and celebration of 'more than survival' shines through in an uplifting denouement.