Women, Trauma, and Journeys towards Desistance: Navigating the Labyrinth provides an examination of women's desistance from crime from a gender-responsive, trauma-informed perspective. The book is based on the reflections of fifty-six women over a three-year period as they transition from custody to the community. With the women, the author examines how experiences of trauma, victimisation, and intersectional oppression constrain access to traditional desistance supporting processes, including supportive relationships, identity construction, the exercise of agency, and engagement with treatment and interventions, reframing these processes from trauma-informed perspective. The book joins together the women's insights and experiences with principles of gender-responsive, trauma-informed principles in a framework through which criminal justice practitioners can support women in their efforts to leave crime behind. The framework for practice is a fusion of concepts from desistance theory, principles of gender-responsivity, and trauma-informed practice designed to help women understand the root causes of the problems they face in the present whilst building on their resilience and strengths to achieve their goals for their futures. This book is ideal reading for scholars and students of criminology and criminal justice, particularly rehabilitation, gender and crime, and feminist criminology. It will also be of interest to academics and practitioners of forensic psychology and social work, as well as probation officers, social workers and prison officers.

There is renewed interest in lifestyle medicine - the focus on food, physical activity, stress management, high-quality connections, restorative sleep, and avoidance of toxic substances - in the prevention, treatment, and sometimes reversal of chronic disease, but very little information exists on its application for improving specific women's health issues across the lifespan. Consequently, there is a growing need among health professionals who care for women for a textbook that addresses evidence-based lifestyle solutions to manage the health challenges they face every day in their offices. This book begins with a review of the fundamentals of Lifestyle Medicine through the lens of a woman's lifespan. It provides information about lifestyle interventions to improve gynecologic and sexual health and to manage and sometimes reverse gynecologic diseases. It clarifies the importance of lifestyle and behaviors before and during pregnancy to address infertility, reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, and to lower non-communicable diseases in children along with emerging epigenetic evidence. The use of Lifestyle Medicine to prevent and manage breast and gynecologic cancers, enhance health as part of cancer survivorship, and decrease the risk or reduce many of the symptoms and diseases experienced during menopause including vasomotor symptoms and osteoporosis are also discussed. Additionally, the text covers cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, dementia and mental health from the perspective of gender specific differences. This book provides practical resources on implementing the components of lifestyle medicine. Some of the topics covered include models of care for women and families, reimbursement, health coaching and behavioral change, community engagement and health equity for under-resourced settings. The electronic version of the book presents supplemental material featuring in-depth reading, as well as online and digital resources for implementing Lifestyle Medicine. The book is an evidence-based source of information on women's health issues for health professionals already practicing lifestyle medicine, as well as an entry level textbook for those new to the field of lifestyle medicine. The collective expertise of each of the editors along with content provided by leaders within the American College of Lifestyle Medicine fills a much-needed void within the specialty of Lifestyle Medicine and is for providers of women's health globally. Features: Provides a basic overview of Lifestyle Medicine (nutrient-rich diet, exercise, stress resilience, sleep, and high-quality connections) in the care of women across the lifespan. Provides lifestyle-focused treatment recommendations for specific women health issues. Includes strategies for implementing Lifestyle Medicine with vulnerable populations and in communities. Summarizes key points at the close of each chapter and includes supplemental material with in-depth reading. Features additional resources for implementing lifestyle medicine into practice. "This women's health book is evidence based and comprehensive. There is nothing like it. Women need up to date information about physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress resilience, social connection and substance use. In addition, there is a desire to better understand the power of these pillars throughout a woman's life including pregnancy, menopause and the golden years. This book fills that need." Elizabeth Pegg Frates, MD, DipABLM, FACLM, President Elect of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine "Healthy aging begins at pre-conception. Evidence overwhelmingly shows that it's we women who-through our lifestyle behavior choices-can take far greater control of our own health destinies, as well as the health destinies of our children and generations to come. We cannot underestimate the power of what we eat, how we move, and what we think in regard to our optimal health or lack thereof. This book is a must-read for all medical professionals!" Susan Benigas, Executive Director of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Lifestyle Medicine is the science of taking core principles and customizing how they're applied to each individual and each situation to achieve positive health behavior change. This book sets the evidence based foundation for how that process happens, and why it needs to happen, with the most important segment of health consumers - women. It is the next for all who are passionate about changing how health care is delivered." Wayne S. Dysinger, MD, MPH, Physician, Founder and Chair, Lifestyle Medical "Lifestyle factors have a powerful role in chronic disease prevention, underscoring the profound control we have over our health. Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan applies lifestyle medicine to women's health, empowering women and their clinicians with the tools to transform their lives, and fostering a legacy of health for future generations." JoAnn E. Manson, MD, MPH, DrPH, Professor of Medicine and the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health, Harvard Medical School Chief, Division of Preventive Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital, Professor, Harvard Chan School of Public Health

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder worldwide, affecting at least 1 in 10 women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). It is the number one cause of infertility. Alarmingly, 3 in 4 of those with PCOS remain undiagnosed because of the complex nature of the condition. This practical guide will show you how to successfully manage your condition using proven lifestyle approaches alongside western medicine. With over 35 years' of clinical experience, Dr Nitu Bajekal, AKA 'the 'Plant-Based Gynae,' breaks through misinformation, providing clarity and support to help you tackle your symptoms - from irregular periods to acne and anxiety. The book features an easy-to-follow 21-day plan for hormonal health along with plant-based recipes and illuminating case histories.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Men are responsible for all unwanted pregnancies. Why? Ovulation is involuntary. Ejaculation is not. It is also true that... - Men are 50 times more fertile than women - Birth control is hard to access, use, and comes with numerous side effects - Vasectomies are less risky than tubal litigations Yet, it's women who are expected to do the work of pregnancy prevention. Why must women be responsible for men's bodies, as well as their own? Rather than endlessly exploring how and why we control women's bodies in the highly polarised anti-abortion and pro-choice 'debate', Ejaculate Responsibly makes a witty and unflinching case for why men must be held accountable for their reproductive choices. There are zero consequences for men who ejaculate irresponsibly. It's time to shift the responsibility - and burden - of pregnancy prevention onto men. 'A gorgeous manifesto' Oprah Daily 'A tactical, full-throated cry for men to step up' Vogue

This evidence-based guide educates and informs health professionals about promoting sexual wellbeing in the context of challenges from physical and mental health. Sexuality is an important aspect of quality of life for many people but can be affected by a wide variety of health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, mental illness, menopause, diseases of ageing, neurological diseases and spinal cord injuries, combat injuries, and cancer. Building readers' confidence in initiating and encouraging open communication on this often-neglected topic, Sexuality and Illness includes case studies that illustrate how to talk about sexuality and support patients with concerns about it. Making recommendations for practice and further reading, it takes into account gender, sexual, race and ethnic diversity. This accessible text demystifies a topic that is sometimes difficult to discuss. It is essential reading for healthcare practitioners interested in providing comprehensive and person-centred care.

Significant scientific advances have been made in understanding psychological aspects of women's health, and knowledge gained will be of relevance not only to women's health but to the promotion of health and illness prevention and treatment for all individuals. The current cutting-edge research detailed in this volume is intended to stimulate new thinking and research in women's health from biopsychosocial perspectives. Drawing on research from internationally respected experts, topics covered include ageing, stress, heart disease, cancer, drugs, weight regulation and body image, pain, menstruation, sexuality and infertility, and AIDS.

In her newest book, Mary Shomon takes readers on a quest to understand the profound influence the thyroid has on a woman's hormonal health in the perimenopause and menopause years, and discusses how undiagnosed thyroid problems may be the real culprit behind what many assume are peri/menopausal symptoms. Many women assume they're suffering from perimenopause or menopause and embark on a wild goose chase of hormone replacement, go soy crazy, start smearing themselves with yam and progesterone creams, or end up taking all sorts of herbs, from black cohosh to chasteberry. But, when the real culprit is a thyroid problem, these approaches simply don't work. And by age 60, it's estimated that as many as half of women have an underactive thyroid. A drop in reproductive hormones frequently triggers a thyroid slowdown - a 'thyropause' - that causes misleading symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and depression. "The Menopause Thyroid Solution" helps readers: know whether they are at extra risk of developing a thyroid condition; recognize the common - and not so common - symptoms of a thyroid problem; learn how to get thyroid and hormonal imbalance problems properly diagnosed; explore how best to treat a thyroid condition, through traditional and non-traditional means; understand how to balance the thyroid with reproductive/sex hormones and adrenal hormones; find out what and how to eat, what medications to consider, what supplements to take, and the mind-body-approaches to practice, in order to balance your hormones; and, improve the metabolism, for more effective weight management and weight loss.

What is "woman" if not "mother"? Anything she wants to be. Foregoing motherhood has traditionally marked a woman as "other." With no official place setting for her in our society, she has hovered on the sidelines: the quirky girl, the neurotic career obsessive, the "eccentric" aunt. Instead of continuing to paint women without kids as sad, self-obsessed, or somehow dysfunctional, what if we saw them as boldly forging a new vision for a fully autonomous womankind? Or as journalist and thought leader Ruby Warrington asks, what if being a woman without kids were in fact its own kind of legacy? Taking in themes from intergenerational healing to feminism to environmentalism, this personal look and anthropological dig into a stubbornly taboo topic is a timely and brave reframing of what it means not to be a mum. Whether we are childless by design or circumstance, we can live without regret, shame, or compromise. Bold and tenderhearted, Women Without Kids seeks first and foremost to help validate a path that is the natural consequence of women having more say about the choices we make and how our lives play out. Within this, it unites the unsung sisterhood of non-mothers as a vital part of our evolution and collective healing as women, as humans, and as a global family.

National Book Award finalist
A "New York Times" notable book
"One knows early on one is reading a classic--a text so necessary and abundant and true that all efforts of its kind, for decades before and after it, will be measured by it."--Thomas Lynch, "Los Angeles Times"
After fifteen years in print, "Woman "remains an essential guide to everything from organs to orgasms and hormones to hysterectomies. With her characteristic clarity, insight, and sheer exuberance of language, bestselling author Natalie Angier cuts through the still prevalent myths and misinformation surrounding the female body, that most enigmatic of evolutionary masterpieces. "Woman "is a witty and assured narrative tour de force with a reliable grasp of science.
Updated throughout and with a new introduction bringing readers up to date on the latest science in evolutionary psychology and hormone replacement therapy, this new edition of Woman reinvigorates Angier's joyful vision of womanhood.
"Ultimately, this grand tour of the female body provides a new vision of the role of women in the history of our species."--"Washington Post"

'Some days I love my body, some days I hate my body, but every day I respect my body.' What does it really feel like when you respect your body? For many of us, a neutral approach to our physical self, based on compassion and acceptance, requires a revolutionary shift in how we think about ourselves. I Am More Than My Body will help you strengthen your relationship with yourself and find balance, steering you away from shame without the pressure of having to love your body at all times. It will introduce a framework to help you practice neutral movement, recognise and arm yourself against bias, act with self-compassion, and navigate your feelings on this journey. A long-time practitioner of the body-neutral approach, Bethany C. Meyers shares their own story together with the experiences and ideas of experts and activists to help us care for our bodies while not having them dictate our worth.

5K training plans tailored just for busy moms! Whether you're looking for a convenient way to lose lingering baby weight or just want to get in shape to keep up with your kids, See Mom Run will help you achieve all of your fitness goals. Running strengthens your physical body and empowers the mind, a one-two punch to get you through the overloaded days of motherhood. Run Like a Mother 5K founder (and busy mother of three) Megan Searfoss shows you how to take those first steps toward the healthy habit of running, with the goal of completing a 5K race. She teaches you running basics, plus how to eat healthy, strength train, and choose your gear-all in a time-saving, cost-effective way. She will help you assess your fitness level and choose a realistic, week-by-week training plan that you can squeeze in before daycare or school, during lunch dates, or after dinner when the rest of the family is settled in for the night. As your fitness progresses, her programs safely challenge you to move from walking to intervals of walking and running to running continuously. At any speed, See Mom Run will help you cross the finish line and continue running for life!

This book examines sex, sexuality, gender and health in the Pacific with a focus on three key sets of issues: young people, culture and education; sexual and reproductive health and well-being; and belonging, connectedness and justice. Bringing together the work of scholars from across the Pacific region, this innovative volume showcases traditional knowledge and diverse disciplinary scholarship of policy and practice relevance. In addition to focusing on relationships, health, education, family and community, chapters engage with a number of cross-cutting themes, including violence, justice and rights, and sexuality and gender diversity. Drawing on the diversity and richness of the Pacific, its cultures, languages and people, the book lays the foundations for future conversations and scholarship for, and by, those within the Pacific. Sex and Gender in the Pacific is an important resource for students, researchers and practitioners working in Pacific studies, sexuality and gender studies, public health, nursing, public policy, sociology, education and anthropology.

A landmark book on the womb - its history, its present and the possibilities for its future - by the bestselling author of Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story 'It will change the way you think about bodies forever' Rachel Clarke, author of Dear Life 'A phenomenal book' Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women 'Sharp and political, learned and wise' Katherine May, author of Wintering The womb is the most miraculous organ in the body - with the power to bring life or cause death; to yield joy or pain - yet most of us know almost nothing about it. In this book, midwife and bestselling author Leah Hazard sets out on a journey to explore the rich past, complex present and dynamic future of the uterus. She speaks to the Californian doctor who believes women deserve a period-free life; walks in the footsteps of the Scottish woman whose Caesarean section changed childbirth forever; uncovers America's long history of forced and coercive sterilisation; observes uterine transplant surgery in Sweden and takes a very personal dive into the world of 'womb wellness'. Written with wisdom, warmth and nuance, and combining the author's years of experience as a midwife with medical history, scientific discovery and journalistic inquiry, Womb is an extraordinary exploration of a woefully under-researched and misunderstood organ. Above all, the book reveals that the uterus is more than the sum of its biological parts: it influences all our lives in the twenty-first century, and how we celebrate, medicate and legislate the womb might yet control where we go from here.

'Unforgettable' Celeste Ng 'One hell of a book' Stylist 'Heartbreaking and utterly immersive' Kirsty Capes 'Deeply moving' AJ Pearce 'Wonderful' Cathy Rentzenbrink 'Magnificent' Bonnie Garmus 'Brims with hope' Elle 'Storytelling at its finest' Glamour ---------------- HISTORY REPEATS WHAT WE DON'T REMEMBER . . . Montgomery, Alabama. 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend has big plans to make a difference in her community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she intends to help women make their own choices for their lives and bodies. But when her first week on the job takes her down a dusty country road to a tumbledown cabin, she's surprised to find that her new patients are just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling their welfare benefits, that's reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her new responsibilities, she takes India and Erica into her heart and comes to care for their family as though they were her own. But one day she arrives at their door to discover the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same. Inspired by true events and a shocking chapter of American history, Take My Hand is a novel that will open your eyes and break your heart. An unforgettable story about love and courage, sisterhood and solidarity, it is also a timely and hopeful reminder that it only takes one person to change the world. ---------------- Readers have been captivated by TAKE MY HAND too: ***** 'Incredibly powerful, moving and heartbreaking' ***** 'Realistic historical fiction at its best' ***** 'Fans of The Colour Purple, The Help, Where Crawdads Sing and To Kill A Mockingbird will love this' ***** 'Stunning, shocking, absolutely fantastic novel . . . I could not put this down!' ***** 'Definitely a must-read. So, so moving. Can't recommend highly enough'

Focusing on reproductive and sexual justice, this important book explores in detail both the challenges that trans people face when negotiating reproductive and sexual health in restrictive social contexts, and their agency in advocating for change. Chapters cover a breadth of topics such as intimacy, sexual violence, reproductive intentions, sexuality education, oncology, and pregnancy, introducing readers to the latest research in the field as well as key emerging concepts. The authors identify core principles for trans reproductive and sexual justice, providing a broad overview of what is currently succeeding and what can be built on going into the future. Trans Reproductive and Sexual Health offers a comprehensive exploration that is essential reading for academics and students in psychology, sociology, gender studies, and related areas, as well as clinicians and policy makers, offering direct implications for professional audiences working in health and social care.

This book presents the contemporary history and dynamics of Mexican midwifery - professional, (post)modern or autonomous, traditional and Indigenous - as profoundly political and embedded in differing societal stratifications. By situated politics, the authors refer to various networks, spaces and territories, which are also constructed by the midwives. By politically situated, the authors refer to various intersections, unsettled relations and contexts in which Mexican midwives are positioned. Examining Mexican midwiferies in depth, the volume sharpens the focus on the worlds in which midwives are profoundly immersed as agents in generating and participating in movements, alliances, health professions, communities, homes, territories and knowledges. The chapters provide a complex panorama of midwives in Mexico with an array of insights into their professional and political autonomy, (post)coloniality, body-territoriality, the challenges of defining midwifery, and above all, into the ways in which contemporary Mexican midwiferies relate to a complex set of human rights. The book will be of interest to a range of scholars from anthropology, sociology, politics, global health, gender studies, development studies, and Latin American studies, as well as to midwives and other professionals involved in childbirth policy and practice.

By means of a historical, legal and scientific approach, this book identifies the issues, progress and setbacks in the right for women to access abortion in various countries of the Global North. The book provides insights on the past, present and potential actions and struggles in the future about continuing to have the right to procure an abortion. Rites and rituals in order to better understand the practices of Asian countries, such as China, Japan and Taiwan, permeate discussions and debates. The volume presents the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on access to abortion healthcare services and abortion, and the innovative initiatives and schemes designed and implemented. The latter encourages health professionals and decision-makers to reflect on the 'good practices' and retain and develop over the long term. This edited collection is intended for academics and students across the social sciences and healthcare sector, members of the legal profession, healthcare professionals, activists, policy-makers, and any stakeholders working for and caring about women's reproductive rights and abortion rights.

This book investigates the history of women's reproductive health in Ghana, arguing that between the 1920s and 1980s, it was largely driven by discourses of development and population control rather than a concern for women's health or rights. Between the 1920s and 1980s, the choices that Ghanaian women made regarding their reproductive health were defined by development policy and practice. Spanning the colonial and immediate postcolonial periods, this book demonstrates that whilst the substance of development discourse shifted over time, principles of development continued to be used to impact and legitimise reproductive health policy and practices well after independence. The book explores Ghana's pluralist health system, the introduction of maternal and child welfare, the dominance of the Red Cross in Ghana's maternal and child health landscape, nationalist pronatalism and global population activism. In order to understand how global iterations of development and health policy impacted ordinary lives in Ghana, the author uses evidence from multiple 'levels,' including private papers, national archives and records of international and transnational organisations. Providing balanced archival perspectives, the book includes extensive oral history interviews carried out with both rural Ghanaian women and traditional birth attendants, as well as with midwives, doctors and family planning fieldworkers. This book will have an important impact on a number of historical fields including Ghanaian history, global health history, global histories of population and family planning and histories of development. It will be of interest to researchers and students in the history of public health, development, Africa, Ghana and gender.

From its beginnings in the 1970s and 1980s, interest in the topic of gender and migration has grown. Gender and Migration seeks to introduce the most relevant sociological theories of gender relations and migration that consider ongoing transnationalization processes, at the beginning of the third millennium. These include intersectionality, queer studies, social inequality theory and the theory of transnational migration and citizenship; all of which are brought together and illustrated by means of various empirical examples. With its explicit focus on the gendered structures of migration-sending and migration-receiving countries, Gender and Migration builds on the most current conceptual tool of gender studies-intersectionality-which calls for collective research on gender with analysis of class, ethnicity/race, sexuality, age and other axes of inequality in the context of transnational migration and mobility. The book also includes descriptions of a number of recommended films that illustrate transnational migrant masculinities and femininities within and outside of Europe. A refreshing attempt to bring in considerations of queer theory and sexual identity in the area of gender migration studies, this insightful volume will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as sociology, social anthropology, political science, intersectional studies and transnational migration.

Most European countries have experienced labour market reforms at varying times leading to extended working life and a postponement of retirement age. This book provides a gender perspective on the impact of extended working life on the different dimensions of well-being, the factors which can limit extended working life, and the working conditions of older workers. Over the course of 11 chapters the book explores factors that can limit access to paid work or affect working conditions for older workers, including care for dependent individuals, negative stereotypes surrounding aged workers and poor health. It also investigates differences in working conditions for older workers by gender compared to other groups of workers and across European countries including case-studies from Austria, France, Spain, Poland, Croatia, Albania and Turkey. It will be of interest to all scholars and students of social policy, sociology, gender studies and labour studies more broadly.

This book is dedicated to improving the practice of the policing of domestic abuse. Its objective is to help inform those working in policing about the dynamics of how domestic abuse occurs, how best to respond to and investigate it, and in the longer term how to prevent it. Divided into thematic areas, the book uses recent research findings to update some of the theoretical analysis and to highlight areas of good practice: 'what works and why'. An effective investigation and the prosecution of offenders are considered, as well as an evaluation of the success of current treatment options. Policing domestic abuse can only be dealt with through an effective partnership response. The responsibilities of each agency and the statutory processes in place when policy is not adhered to are outlined. Core content includes: A critique of definitions and theoretical approaches to domestic abuse, including coverage of the myths surrounding domestic abuse and their impact on policing. An exploration on the challenges of collecting data on domestic abuse, looking at police data and the role of health and victim support services. A critical review of different forms of abuse, different perpetrators and victims, and risk assessment tools used by the police. A critical examination of the law relating to domestic abuse; how police resources are deployed to respond to and manage it; and best practice in investigation, gathering evidence, and prosecution Key perspectives on preventing domestic abuse, protecting victims, and reducing harm. Written with the student and budding practitioner in mind, this book is filled with case studies, current research, reports, and media examples, as well as a variety of reflective questions and a glossary of key terms, to help shed light on the challenges of policing domestic violence and the links between academic research and best practice.

This book provides a theoretically and empirically grounded examination of the struggle for maternity care in contemporary Russia, framed by changes to the healthcare system and the roles of its participants after socialism. The chapters consider multiple perspectives and interactions between women and professionals and the structural and institutional pressures they face when striving for better conditions and treatment. Russian maternity care is characterized by the vivid mix of legacy of Soviet paternalism and medicalization, bureaucratic principles of state regulation (with high level of centralization and lack of professional autonomy) and global neoliberal tendencies. Maternity care professionals have to satisfy not only the growing needs and demands of women, but also deal with increasing state regulative control, market demands and new professional standards of care. Navigating these multiple and various challenges, maternity providers have to perform in multiple roles, bridge the organizational gaps and inconsistencies. Thus, the field of struggle for good care becomes not only professional, but political one. Highlighting the opportunities and barriers for good care in the context of post-socialist Russia, this book will be of particular interest to medical anthropologists and sociologists as well as midwives and other health professionals.

"I can be a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a woman without having periods." This book explores two of the oldest and most important symbols of all time: menstruation and secondary amenorrhea. Women of menstruating age commonly experience secondary amenorrhea - a cessation of periods - but most people have never heard of the term, nor do they realise what it represents. Danielle Redland's curiosity as to why this is posits that menstrual conditions need to be decoded, not just simply treated. Surveying menstruation and Secondary Amenorrhea (SA) principally from a psychoanalytic perspective, with sociocultural, historical, political and religious angles also examined, Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Women, Menstruation and Secondary Amenorrhea draws secondary amenorrhea out of the shadows of its menstruating counterpart, and explores how narratives of womanhood and statehood dominate. Chapters on blood ideology and war amenorrhea, on Freud's treatment of Emma Eckstein and on the psycho-mythology of Pygmalion, present the reader with visions beyond patriarchy towards more thoughtful ideas on the feminine, challenging assumptions about gender, identity and what is deemed "good" for women. Rich in clinical examples, the book locates menses and their cessation at the heart of personal experience and examines psychosomatic phenomena, the link between psyche and body and the value of interpretation. From the author's own analysis to a variety of cases linked to hysteria, anorexia, stress, trauma, abuse, helplessness and hopelessness, individual stories and narratives are sensitively recovered and carefully revealed. This refreshing example of multi-layered research and psychoanalytic enquiry by a new, female writer will be of great interest to psychologists, psychotherapists, healthcare and social work professionals and readers of gender studies, history, politics and literature.

Catherine Cho's son was three months old when she and her husband left home to introduce him to their families.

Catherine herself could never have envisaged how the trip would end for her - surfacing in an involuntary psychiatric ward, separated from her husband and child, unable to understand who she was, or remember how she got there.

In her two weeks on the ward, Catherine turned to her notebook to reconstruct who she was, piece by piece, from the fragments of her life as they drifted back to her. The result is this powerful exploration of psychosis and motherhood, at once intensely personal, yet holding within it a universal experience - of how we love, live and understand ourselves in relation to each other.