A Voice of One's Own: A Story About Confidence and Self-Belief

by The School of Life, Sarah Burton (Photographer)

The first in a new series of Therapeutic Tales from the School of Life

Anna is a kind and thoughtful person, in her mid-twenties. But lately,  life has been hard. Her job is extremely stressful, her relationship is lacking balance and support, she has a difficult and complicated family history. It’s not hard to see a bit of ourselves in her.

In a style that’s brief and poignant, we follow Anna as she slowly unpacks the roots of her own self-suspicion and discovers something we all deserve but have so often been a voice of our own.

With beautiful documentary photography on each page, this is fiction as therapy—and it seeks to offer the reader consolation, recognition and therapeutic insight. 

Genres: Fiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published September 26, 2023

About the author

The School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives.

We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.

Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.

That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.

Reviews

[AcademicEditor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a departure from other School of Life books, which I've always enjoyed. It's sort of an illustrated novelization of a person's mental health journey. I think it will be helpful for younger people and maybe those starting on a CBT journey.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Parisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

مباحث تو این سری کتاب‌ها خیلی تکرار شده...

[Fabio · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but touching story, definitely a good read to approach the upcoming arrival of my 29 years.

[Bahar_dpr · Rating 3 out of 5]

داستان زندگی آنا تا حدی تروماهای کودکی و تاثیر آن در دوران نوجوانی و جوانی رو‌نشون میداد و ساده بیان شده.

[Simon Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read a few books from The School of Life recently, and when I spotted this one described as “a therapeutic novel”, I was curious. It’s not a phrase I’d come across before, and I wondered what exactly they meant. A novel that soothes? One with a diagnosis and a treatment plan? As it turns out, A Voice of One’s Own is a fictional story with an overtly therapeutic aim: it sets out to explore the emotional legacy of growing up without space to speak freely or feel heard.

The story centres on one woman’s life, and through her, the book explores some universal themes—particularly the long shadow cast by early parenting, and the difficulty of expressing oneself when that hasn’t been modelled or encouraged. The plot is relatable, though the tone of the omniscient narrator is more didactic than literary. It’s gentle and readable, but a little heavy-handed in parts, and I found that its simplification of messy, complex human experiences occasionally jarred. There’s insight here, but it often feels pre-digested.

Structurally, it’s an unusual book: each of the short chapters is accompanied by an illustrative photograph. These didn’t add much for me. They weren’t especially beautiful or evocative, nor did they feel meaningfully connected to the narrative. They were very literal and representative. If anything, they disrupted the flow. I found myself wishing the book would just get on with telling its story.

That said, there were moments that gave me pause. The book gently illustrated how lacking confidence in one’s own voice can manifest in small, ordinary moments—reluctance to correct a mistake, silence in a meeting, deferring to others without even realising it. These aren’t revolutionary insights, but they prompted a little personal reflection. I just think the same ground has been covered elsewhere with more subtlety and spark.

In the end, this didn’t land as strongly for me as other titles from The School of Life. It’s a short and well-intentioned read, and I suppose if someone wanted a very soft, undemanding introduction to this sort of emotional territory, it might be a good starting point. But for most readers, I think there are better, deeper options out there.

[Eviana · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, it is an interesting concept of fiction with illustrated pictures on every page. But, I am still not familiar with this and end up focusing more on the text.

"A Voice of One's Own"covers a very much-needed topic about mental help and the importance of seeking help. There are many valuable lessons and insights. That would be very helpful, especially for people who are still not sure to seek professional help. I was reminded of Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" with a more hopeful feeling on it, which is good!

I enjoy this quick read, but for now, I still prefer the previous non-fiction books from The School of Life.
Nevertheless, that doesn't mean I am not interested in this type of book again in the future (if TSOL decides to write some more). There is room for improvement. The plot and writing style could be better and I'm looking forward to reading more.

Thank you, NetGalley and The School of Life for providing the digital ARC.

[Omolara Anisere · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alain it’s a no from me dawg

[Pupak · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Voice of One's Own: A Story About Confidence and Self-Belief," the first installment of the Therapeutic Tales series from the School of Life, delivers a powerful narrative that speaks to the very core of our human experiences. Through Anna, a relatable character facing the challenges of a stressful job, an imbalanced relationship, and a complex family history, we find a mirror reflecting our own struggles and self-doubts.

In a storytelling style that is both brief and poignant, this book skillfully guides us through Anna's journey of self-discovery. We watch as she delicately unravels the tangled roots of her self-suspicion, allowing us to see a piece of ourselves in her struggles. Anna's experiences resonate so deeply, making her a character we can't help but root for and empathize with.

What truly sets "A Voice of One's Own" apart is its unique approach to storytelling. The inclusion of beautiful documentary photography on each page adds a layer of visual depth that enhances the reader's connection to Anna's world. This fusion of fiction and visual art creates a therapeutic reading experience that goes beyond the ordinary.

More than just a novel, "A Voice of One's Own" is a form of literary therapy. It extends a hand to the reader, offering consolation, recognition, and valuable therapeutic insights. It reminds us that we all deserve to find our own voice amid the noise of self-doubt and external pressures.

This book is a gem for anyone seeking not only an engaging story but also a path to greater self-confidence and self-belief. It's a gentle reminder that, like Anna, we too can uncover the strength within ourselves to overcome life's obstacles and embrace the voice that is uniquely our own.

"A Voice of One's Own" has crafted a tale that is simple yet profound, insightful yet relatable. It's a literary journey that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page, leaving you with a renewed sense of self and a belief in the power of your own voice. Don't miss the opportunity to embark on this transformative reading experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and The School of Life for sending me an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Voice of One’s Own from The School of Life is a departure from their usual output. It is described as a novel, which is true insofar as it is fictional. It follows the trajectory of many fictional works: a hero(ine), a problem, a journey, a crisis, a resolution. That said, it doesn’t feel like a novel. The book is short, with photographs on every double-page spread. The language is basic and it is clearly intended as a vehicle for examining a particular area of mental health and the potential therapy which might support someone in similar circumstances. Which is not a negative thing; I found it interesting and easy to read and gained some insights despite my own circumstances being far removed from that of the protagonist.

I believe this is the first of what may become a series of similar ‘novels’ from The School of Life. I hope that is the case. I can see how such books may be a more accessible means of opening the debate on mental health to a wider range of readers and also demystifying how therapy works. For some of those readers, possibly a step towards validation and accessing the support they need for their personal needs.

[Taylor A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book affirmed what I had known all along..

This book is not exceptional in awakening anything in me that I did not know, but rather affirmed subconscious notions of lifelong experiences. My parents have narcissistic traits and I believed for the majority of my life were my "sensitivities". I recommend this book to anybody, particularly women, who believe that they may have been manipulated by their parent(s), and whose advancement has been stunted due to untruths that they have been indoctrinated their entire lives.

[Vidhi Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book consists of photos and accompanying text that follows the life of Anna. We learn about her past, see her go through a nervous breakdown and how therapy helps her out of it and helps her live fully again. I enjoyed the first half of the book immensely but the second half seemed a little rushed. Overall, a feel good story with a lovely photo essay that glorifies the virtues to psychotherapy.

[dinda🍀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

the story relates with me a lot, especially about who ought to survive on one’s own.. it doesn’t have all the answers but it kinda opened up the pave of which I think I should move on to…

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but important story. I have never encountered a book in this style, a piece of fiction that teaches so much as if nonfiction. I imagine we can all understand and relate to it in some way. :)

[Tan Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weird reading experience where both plot and themes fail to engage the reader.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Your typical School of Life insights, fictionalised with some very dull stock photos included. It was okay.

[Rareș Lukács · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love Anna and feel so much for her!! 🤍🤍🫧😭

[Millie (anatomier) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What is a privileged childhood? Society likes to answer that one swiftly for us: foreign trips, a spacious bedroom, a comfortable home, plenty of presents. But true privilege might be something else entirely: careful listening, affectionate nicknames, patience, a tolerance for stumbles, an interest in minor sorrows and pains, a generosity of interpretation around difficult behaviour, a sense of existing in one’s full complexity in another’s mind.”

3.5/5 🌻

It’s been a long time since I picked a book off the shelf in the library. I was casually browsing the shelves when the title caught my eye as it reminded me of Virginia Woolf’s essay “A Room of One’s Own”. When I realised it was not written by a person per se but by #TheSchoolofLife, I was intrigued. And of course, when I saw that every single page of the story had an accompanying image, I knew I had to read it.

#AVoiceofOnesOwn is a photographic documentary-style novel with a succinct but poignant story centering a young woman’s journey to discovery her own voice - something she didn’t realise she had denied herself even into adulthood. Succinct and cutting straight to the heart, the novel is one of realisation and recovery.

I was a little skeptical when I found out that the organisation that wrote this book and realised they also do lots of self-help books (which I find hard to read), but I wanted to at least give it a good shot before I decided for sure. While very different from the books I usually read, this was a very digestible book not just because of the writing style, but also the visual narrative - both of which are very clean.

For me, Anna, the supposed main character is not someone we’re supposed to empathise with, but more of an imagined person who reflects circumstances that may lead one to lead a very muted inner life and how she can learn to give voice to what matters to her.