Thirteen and Underwater - by Michelle Weitering (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Thirteen and Underwater is an emotionally-charged true story, based on a young man's dark journey of anxiety.

Told with a mother's insight, Thirteen and Underwater divulges a life full of love and laughter and reveals the tiny claws of anguish that turn into sharp talons of despair, as her beloved son grows from childhood, into a defeated teenager, grasping at the reins of uncontrollable anger and isolation. As his mother, fighting to do what society expects of her while facing the incalculable loss of her son's sense of self, the writer questions herself constantly, with the emotionally draining barrage of, 'What am I doing wrong?' Yet she tells their story with characteristic candour and humour.

This is the story of one family's survival, reflecting billions in a worldwide epidemic. It explores how anxiety can severely affect not just a little boy trying to fight the unseen predator that is mental illness, but the entire family. Their journey together shows them from their happiest times, to their very bleakest. It is an inspirational story of one family's refusal to give in to the nightmare caused by anxiety.

Review Quotes

"... Deftly written, Weitering whispers to the emotional soul of motherhood and the unbreakable bond between mother and child, the fragility of the self and the resilience of the human spirit that lies deep within us all to never, ever give up no matter what life throws at you." Susan Wakefield The New York Times