Grab a box of tissues and get ready to have your heart conquered.
In the battle with mental illness, there seem to be few victors and an endless number of casualties, and the victims span far beyond the patients. For Annie Wolff, the casualties in her lifetime battle include her mother and her grandmother, both of whom lost their lives to severe depression when they were just about her age. Afraid of what form her illness might take when it rears its ugly head, Annie makes the impossible choice to abandon her children when they are young. Fleeing some 1500 miles away to New Mexico, Annie leaves her beloved children with her capable, stable ex-husband. But life always seems to throw a curveball when you’re not looking. News of the death of her ex-husband sends Annie into a panic. She rushes back to Washington to make sure her kids, now in the care of their aunt and uncle, are okay, but she initially refuses to insert herself into their lives since her track record proves that she can be a danger to herself and those around her. Annie gets plenty of assurances about the welfare of her kids, though her gut tells her to dig deeper. But will the sudden appearance of a mother who abandoned them so long ago be welcomed by her teenage children?
These Numbered Days is a well-rounded story featuring a main character struggling with a widely misunderstood illness. The writing style is gripping, allowing readers a painfully authentic glimpse behind the curtain of a mind and life affected by depression. Annie is an incredibly well-drawn character, one who is so used to being alone that she can no longer relate to people, feel at ease in conversation or even pick up on humor. But her transformation is steady and heartening as she fights for her kids, her sanity and her life. The scope of this intimate story may be small at the outset, one flawed woman’s singular struggle with debilitating mental illness, but the ramifications loom large. Modern issues, including self-harm, suicide, overwhelming guilt, choosing when to come out of the closet, and light drug use make this a sleek, contemporary fiction novel that will not only resonate with readers, but will offer a widened perspective on an underestimated illness and a renewed sense of faith in the power of a mother’s love. Grab a box of tissues and get ready to have your heart conquered by Annie and her kids in These Numbered Days.
