What do you think?
Rate this book
Finding Joy
I would like to introduce myself, I feel it's only fair. Only I know you so well now, you might get a scare. I know you know I'm in there, though I crept with greatest stealth: I am the hidden monster buried within yourself. Joyce is only sixteen when she's torn from the life she loves. Two years pass, but Joyce, her family, and her best friend Logan, are no closer to learning what's causing her dizzying array of symptoms. As Joyce tried to come to terms with her increasing limitations those around her struggle to understand what she is going through. Baffled and unsure, the doctors eventually diagnose Joyce with ME and CFS. But when Joyce and her family refuse to accept this diagnosis, her mental stability is called into question. Desperate for the truth and scared for Joyce's life, their only hope lies in a private hospital where she is finally diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Can Joyce survive a treatment as brutal as her illness? Can she find her way in a world she no longer recognises?
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2017
16 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 22, 2018
*** MANY THANKS TO AUTHOR FOR PROVIDING ME E-COPY OF THIS BOOK, IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. ***
That blurb tells all about the book and what’s in it. Finding Joy was fictional memoir about Joyce suffering from Lyme disease written by author who fought this illness herself for almost 10 years and wrote with purpose of raising awareness. This book was raw, direct, honest and poignant account of the disease from perspective of patient, her relative, and friend.
Characters-
Joy was 18 old teen who already lost 2 years life without any proper diagnosis. Even her sanity was questioned. I just loved to read her true thoughts. She was damn brave and strong. Her thoughts, pain, suffering, and fight was remarkably raw. Her pain was so excruciating that I feared she might give up at certain point. I admired her for the way she kept fighting the disease.
Beth– Aunt of Joy- was as strong as Joy. She was such an amazing lady. It’s not easy task to manage house, work and take care of a chronically ill patient, and putting aside all your need and life. She did all of that so brilliantly. She was more resilient and relentless than Joy when it came to finding about the disease and its treatment. I think if she was not there, Joy might have given up earlier. It was like she was going through her own kind of pain. I just loved this character from all the aspect.
Logan was true friend of Joy who stuck by her side all the time. His perspective was honest and gave the view of how a person around ill patient feel who is perfectly healthy and why they feel uncomfortable.
Dog– I can’t forget him while I talk about characters. A dog was named ‘Dog’. It made me smile when I read how he got his name Dog. When no one was around he was the only one who gave company to Joy. He was really nice dog and I loved the way he understood Joy’s pain.
What I liked-
First of all, I didn’t know anything about Lyme disease before. After I got the review request for this book, I researched about it and also checked if it exist in India as well, which found very rare here and only in particular regions. It perked my curiosity to know more about it and I’m glad I read this book.
In first chapter only I got to see how severe Joy’s condition was and I was utterly shocked that doctors couldn’t give a proper diagnosis. Her mental turmoil was heart touching and I could literally see and feel how terrible it might be for her when she couldn’t perform a day-to-day activities and even worst when any other person couldn’t understand her condition. Most horrible thing was when doctors ignored all those pain and difficulties and just told her that it’s all in her head. That was most shocking of all. I couldn’t believe they could do that to her just so the country can show lower ratio to a disease that is hard to diagnose and even harder to treat.
It was emotionally touching to read Joy’s perspective. She expressed her feeling with blunt truth. It felt so real and raw without any sugary coats that made it little hard to read. A normal person really can’t fathom how terrible it was for her or any Lyme disease patient.
I felt sad for her, angry towards medical system, love for her aunt and family. Her Aunt’s perspective gave great view towards her life as a caretaker, as an only person who could see her real pain, and how it truly affects a relative of patient. The way she listed all Joy’s symptoms, her research in finding out what’s wrong with her, how she managed her treatment and the schedule was utterly mind-blowing. She did better job in researching than doctors until they found right doctor.
Most amazing thing about the book was, all chapters that started with points telling about- how chronically ill patients feel, do’s and don’ts around them, how people should behave around them, what they like and don’t like, what they expects and their preferences for certain things, how their caretakers feel, and how healthy person feels around ill person. I bookmarked all those pages. I wish everyone can read and understand all those points.
This book truly showed how much a disease can take from your life; how people changes, behave and act when they know about your illness; how person come to terms with the condition; and how much support, care, understanding, proper treatment, and strong soul a person need to fight against it.
End was really nice. Even at the end it showed some or maybe most people always behave like they used to. Nothing changes their behavior and how immaturely they act. I definitely tag them as Joy did- IIM- Insensitive, Ignominious Morons.
Overall, it was great book to know all about Lyme disease and truly met its purpose of raising awareness of disease. I highly recommend this book to all readers of all age.
That blurb tells all about the book and what’s in it. Finding Joy was fictional memoir about Joyce suffering from Lyme disease written by author who fought this illness herself for almost 10 years and wrote with purpose of raising awareness. This book was raw, direct, honest and poignant account of the disease from perspective of patient, her relative, and friend.
Characters-
Joy was 18 old teen who already lost 2 years life without any proper diagnosis. Even her sanity was questioned. I just loved to read her true thoughts. She was damn brave and strong. Her thoughts, pain, suffering, and fight was remarkably raw. Her pain was so excruciating that I feared she might give up at certain point. I admired her for the way she kept fighting the disease.
Beth– Aunt of Joy- was as strong as Joy. She was such an amazing lady. It’s not easy task to manage house, work and take care of a chronically ill patient, and putting aside all your need and life. She did all of that so brilliantly. She was more resilient and relentless than Joy when it came to finding about the disease and its treatment. I think if she was not there, Joy might have given up earlier. It was like she was going through her own kind of pain. I just loved this character from all the aspect.
Logan was true friend of Joy who stuck by her side all the time. His perspective was honest and gave the view of how a person around ill patient feel who is perfectly healthy and why they feel uncomfortable.
Dog– I can’t forget him while I talk about characters. A dog was named ‘Dog’. It made me smile when I read how he got his name Dog. When no one was around he was the only one who gave company to Joy. He was really nice dog and I loved the way he understood Joy’s pain.
What I liked-
First of all, I didn’t know anything about Lyme disease before. After I got the review request for this book, I researched about it and also checked if it exist in India as well, which found very rare here and only in particular regions. It perked my curiosity to know more about it and I’m glad I read this book.
In first chapter only I got to see how severe Joy’s condition was and I was utterly shocked that doctors couldn’t give a proper diagnosis. Her mental turmoil was heart touching and I could literally see and feel how terrible it might be for her when she couldn’t perform a day-to-day activities and even worst when any other person couldn’t understand her condition. Most horrible thing was when doctors ignored all those pain and difficulties and just told her that it’s all in her head. That was most shocking of all. I couldn’t believe they could do that to her just so the country can show lower ratio to a disease that is hard to diagnose and even harder to treat.
It was emotionally touching to read Joy’s perspective. She expressed her feeling with blunt truth. It felt so real and raw without any sugary coats that made it little hard to read. A normal person really can’t fathom how terrible it was for her or any Lyme disease patient.
I felt sad for her, angry towards medical system, love for her aunt and family. Her Aunt’s perspective gave great view towards her life as a caretaker, as an only person who could see her real pain, and how it truly affects a relative of patient. The way she listed all Joy’s symptoms, her research in finding out what’s wrong with her, how she managed her treatment and the schedule was utterly mind-blowing. She did better job in researching than doctors until they found right doctor.
Most amazing thing about the book was, all chapters that started with points telling about- how chronically ill patients feel, do’s and don’ts around them, how people should behave around them, what they like and don’t like, what they expects and their preferences for certain things, how their caretakers feel, and how healthy person feels around ill person. I bookmarked all those pages. I wish everyone can read and understand all those points.
This book truly showed how much a disease can take from your life; how people changes, behave and act when they know about your illness; how person come to terms with the condition; and how much support, care, understanding, proper treatment, and strong soul a person need to fight against it.
End was really nice. Even at the end it showed some or maybe most people always behave like they used to. Nothing changes their behavior and how immaturely they act. I definitely tag them as Joy did- IIM- Insensitive, Ignominious Morons.
Overall, it was great book to know all about Lyme disease and truly met its purpose of raising awareness of disease. I highly recommend this book to all readers of all age.
November 6, 2018
Full review: http://swiftcoffee.blog/2018/10/13/fi...
Well, where to start... First of all, though I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I have to admit that it's genre had me confused. I knew it must have autobiographical elements, since obviously (and admittedly) that was the inspiration for this book, but because it's not an actual autobiography and has fictional characters (and I'm sure events as well), I went in expecting more of a novel. That may be my bad, I had every information available. So, for other people not to get things mixed up: I'd say this is a fictional memoir. It can be interpreted as a novel, I think, but many times I felt like it's more of a memoir. Though the main character is fictional, the author's presence is very intense. And I have to say, that I love the touch of personal experience and this book is definitely authentic all the way.
This book is basically a lecture on how to treat chronically ill people and a guide to their feelings and inner world. May I say, it's fantastic at that! It was a very interesting read, and the emotions came through as well: it was heartbreaking and achingly realistic. The author is great at communicating both her feelings and knowledge about Lyme Disease.
Though we get to see several POVs, not only the heroine's (or the author's?), and I find that amazing, I felt a bit that the characters themselves were not that well worked-out. They were okay, and they were more than great for the purpose (showing how a chronic disease affects everyone around), but they seemed very stereotypical for me. I'm thinking, though, that this is because of the MC's disease in the centre itself. The sickness that controls everyone and everything. People actually react to it in a very stereotypical way most of the time, I think. An illness makes people the ill one, the caregiver one, the pitying one, the bad doctor, the nice doctor, the leaving or the sticking friend, instead of being themselves. So, I'll treat this one as something written this way on purpose. The only thing that I really have an issue with here, is that I didn't feel a difference at all when another POV was present. It was clearly signaled, so it was obvious who's talking, but had I only read the style with which it was written, I would've no way to figure it out.
On the topic of Lyme Disease: this book was an eye-opener for me, but probably not in the way it was supposed to be. See, I was very surprised that this disease is THIS unknown to people. And yes, you could say that of course I know about it, I went to med school after all. But no, that's not the reason I was blind to all the ignorance. First off, even the doctors in this book (and I guess, in the author's life) had common misunderstandings about this disease (not knowing that ticks are very frequent at/near fields? A doctor...?), and I felt that was not only because they didn't really care about their patient. (Which they didn't, but now that's not my point.) Though I never met an actual patient with Lyme, nor a doctor who talked about their personal experience with it, we learnt fairly lot about this disease, the symptoms and the treatment (thought that's true, mostly of prophylaxis/prevention). Second, I've always been under the impression that here in Hungary everyone knows about the dangers of a tick bite. People tend to examine themselves/each other after a hike to make sure they notice if there's any ticks somewhere on their bodies. Many go to the doctor's to get it out professionally. I knew that I can get Lyme from ticks already in kindergarten, because I was vaccinated against the tick-borne encephalitis, and I knew that the vaccine doesn't protect me against Lyme. When we went to class trips near fields and forests in primary school, the accompanying teachers and parents searched us for ticks before shower. Every single one of us. And there were 30 kids! So, I was (unpleasantly) surprised that Lyme Disease is not at all known by the public worldwide.
Well, where to start... First of all, though I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I have to admit that it's genre had me confused. I knew it must have autobiographical elements, since obviously (and admittedly) that was the inspiration for this book, but because it's not an actual autobiography and has fictional characters (and I'm sure events as well), I went in expecting more of a novel. That may be my bad, I had every information available. So, for other people not to get things mixed up: I'd say this is a fictional memoir. It can be interpreted as a novel, I think, but many times I felt like it's more of a memoir. Though the main character is fictional, the author's presence is very intense. And I have to say, that I love the touch of personal experience and this book is definitely authentic all the way.
This book is basically a lecture on how to treat chronically ill people and a guide to their feelings and inner world. May I say, it's fantastic at that! It was a very interesting read, and the emotions came through as well: it was heartbreaking and achingly realistic. The author is great at communicating both her feelings and knowledge about Lyme Disease.
Though we get to see several POVs, not only the heroine's (or the author's?), and I find that amazing, I felt a bit that the characters themselves were not that well worked-out. They were okay, and they were more than great for the purpose (showing how a chronic disease affects everyone around), but they seemed very stereotypical for me. I'm thinking, though, that this is because of the MC's disease in the centre itself. The sickness that controls everyone and everything. People actually react to it in a very stereotypical way most of the time, I think. An illness makes people the ill one, the caregiver one, the pitying one, the bad doctor, the nice doctor, the leaving or the sticking friend, instead of being themselves. So, I'll treat this one as something written this way on purpose. The only thing that I really have an issue with here, is that I didn't feel a difference at all when another POV was present. It was clearly signaled, so it was obvious who's talking, but had I only read the style with which it was written, I would've no way to figure it out.
On the topic of Lyme Disease: this book was an eye-opener for me, but probably not in the way it was supposed to be. See, I was very surprised that this disease is THIS unknown to people. And yes, you could say that of course I know about it, I went to med school after all. But no, that's not the reason I was blind to all the ignorance. First off, even the doctors in this book (and I guess, in the author's life) had common misunderstandings about this disease (not knowing that ticks are very frequent at/near fields? A doctor...?), and I felt that was not only because they didn't really care about their patient. (Which they didn't, but now that's not my point.) Though I never met an actual patient with Lyme, nor a doctor who talked about their personal experience with it, we learnt fairly lot about this disease, the symptoms and the treatment (thought that's true, mostly of prophylaxis/prevention). Second, I've always been under the impression that here in Hungary everyone knows about the dangers of a tick bite. People tend to examine themselves/each other after a hike to make sure they notice if there's any ticks somewhere on their bodies. Many go to the doctor's to get it out professionally. I knew that I can get Lyme from ticks already in kindergarten, because I was vaccinated against the tick-borne encephalitis, and I knew that the vaccine doesn't protect me against Lyme. When we went to class trips near fields and forests in primary school, the accompanying teachers and parents searched us for ticks before shower. Every single one of us. And there were 30 kids! So, I was (unpleasantly) surprised that Lyme Disease is not at all known by the public worldwide.
January 30, 2018
The author Morven-May MacCallum was diagnosed with Lyme disease herself when she was a teenager. This is a fictional story written by her with the intension of raising awareness of this terribly disease.
This is such a heart breaking story of Joyce, a 16-year-old girl whose life has ground to a halt due to chronic illness and no-one can seem to determine what it is. Every day fatigue grinds her down, noise makes her head feel like it will explode and light is blinding. She is tested for different possibilities and all come back negative, to the point of being accused of it all being in her mind. Finally she is told it is CFS and ME but she knows herself that it isn’t.
This is a story of never giving up and just accepting a fate, it is about the frustrations of how other people see you but don’t really hear what you are saying, even close friends and family. It is making people understand that if you have a good day you are not getting better it is just a small remission before it hits just as hard again. As time went on Joyce’s friends diminished, with the exception of one, Logan. Joyce, her Aunt Beth and friend Logan found support in each other, most of the time.
Although the story begins with Joyce there are also view points from other people close to her. One of the most heart breaking for me was from her Aunt Beth, when she returned home from work one day. I won’t go into details but it is such a powerful scene all brought about by frustration, exhaustion and sheer just wanting to be normal. The author just captures these feelings perfectly.
I knew little of the disease before reading this book, although I had heard of it. One thing that I didn’t know was how horrific the treatment for it is. It is so terrible that many patients can not stand it and suffer the disease rather than continue with the ‘cure’.
This book is extremely informative, it explains how the disease is caught, the symptoms and the treatment in detail but because it is made into ‘Joyce’s’ story it becomes personal and it gives greater understanding to how it affects a real life. I really wish the author tremendous success in spreading the word to a larger audience about this condition.
I wish to thank the author for a copy of this book which I have truthfully reviewed.
This is such a heart breaking story of Joyce, a 16-year-old girl whose life has ground to a halt due to chronic illness and no-one can seem to determine what it is. Every day fatigue grinds her down, noise makes her head feel like it will explode and light is blinding. She is tested for different possibilities and all come back negative, to the point of being accused of it all being in her mind. Finally she is told it is CFS and ME but she knows herself that it isn’t.
This is a story of never giving up and just accepting a fate, it is about the frustrations of how other people see you but don’t really hear what you are saying, even close friends and family. It is making people understand that if you have a good day you are not getting better it is just a small remission before it hits just as hard again. As time went on Joyce’s friends diminished, with the exception of one, Logan. Joyce, her Aunt Beth and friend Logan found support in each other, most of the time.
Although the story begins with Joyce there are also view points from other people close to her. One of the most heart breaking for me was from her Aunt Beth, when she returned home from work one day. I won’t go into details but it is such a powerful scene all brought about by frustration, exhaustion and sheer just wanting to be normal. The author just captures these feelings perfectly.
I knew little of the disease before reading this book, although I had heard of it. One thing that I didn’t know was how horrific the treatment for it is. It is so terrible that many patients can not stand it and suffer the disease rather than continue with the ‘cure’.
This book is extremely informative, it explains how the disease is caught, the symptoms and the treatment in detail but because it is made into ‘Joyce’s’ story it becomes personal and it gives greater understanding to how it affects a real life. I really wish the author tremendous success in spreading the word to a larger audience about this condition.
I wish to thank the author for a copy of this book which I have truthfully reviewed.
August 5, 2017
FINDING JOY by Morven-May MacCallum is a unique story as it is a fictional memoir dealing with the issue of chronic illness which the author battles with herself.
As the story develops we meet Joyce who is desperately dealing with the impasse her life as reached through a sudden and debilitating illness that nobody seems to be able to diagnose. With some professionals doubting her, and others labelling her with ME and CFS, Joyce knows in her heart that they are wrong. Lyme disease is the thing which has drastically changed and stolen so much of her life from her, but she is determined to fight back in every way she can even if it makes her worse in the process.
The story switches from different character's points of view which really worked for me as it let us see how chronic illness affects everyone and not just the person who is ill. I really did not know much about Lyme disease at all before I picked up this book and it is eye-opening to read just how life-altering this illness truly is.
FINDING JOY by Morven-May MacCallum is a story of bravery and inner-strength and I found myself with a lump in my throat many times throughout. A well-written story that is clearly from the heart.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the author
As the story develops we meet Joyce who is desperately dealing with the impasse her life as reached through a sudden and debilitating illness that nobody seems to be able to diagnose. With some professionals doubting her, and others labelling her with ME and CFS, Joyce knows in her heart that they are wrong. Lyme disease is the thing which has drastically changed and stolen so much of her life from her, but she is determined to fight back in every way she can even if it makes her worse in the process.
The story switches from different character's points of view which really worked for me as it let us see how chronic illness affects everyone and not just the person who is ill. I really did not know much about Lyme disease at all before I picked up this book and it is eye-opening to read just how life-altering this illness truly is.
FINDING JOY by Morven-May MacCallum is a story of bravery and inner-strength and I found myself with a lump in my throat many times throughout. A well-written story that is clearly from the heart.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the author
February 10, 2019
A really insightful and heartfelt story which is obviously written by someone who has gone through the frustration of having an illness such as Lyme, or any of the invisible illnesses, and understands the despondency and isolation that the illness brings and through the character of Joy is able to share her thoughts, hopes and many fears of what lies ahead for her and what it takes to live day to day with an illness that completely devastates you and makes even the simplest of tasks a huge struggle.
Joy is 18 and should be living a life full of amazing adventures and out with friends all the time - but she's not. Her days are spent mostly alone and in darkness, but she has the support of her Aunt who she lives with and sees her at her worst and how an illness has robbed her of a life.
What I liked about the way this story was told was that it not only featured the point of view of Joy, but also that of her Aunt Beth and her friend Logan too and that was a inspired way of seeing an illness from different viewpoints. As a carer Beth gets to see the reality of Joy and the life she lives and that frustration she shows at not being able to get the help for her when needed comes across only too clearly. And in Logan, it isn't until he sees Joy at her worst that he truly begins to understand the impact that the illness she is dealing with has on her so it really helps you connect even more with how devastating it can be not only for the sufferer but those around them.
The exhausting journey that Joy and her Aunt go on to get a proper diagnosis is one I'm sure many invisible illness sufferers can really empathise with, and there is also a great use of lists throughout as to many things that go hand in hand with invisible illnesses such as the do's and don'ts of things to say, the lists of symptoms suffered, the limitations, the preparation needed in achieving an outing or task etc and that also helps give a greater insight into the daily battles someone might be facing.
As a M.E sufferer myself, I found this to be told with such heart and compassion and often had a tear in my eye at the similarities in my experience of life on a day to day basis and it was an emotional story to read that I hope will help others learn a little bit more about illnesses that you can't see.
Joy is 18 and should be living a life full of amazing adventures and out with friends all the time - but she's not. Her days are spent mostly alone and in darkness, but she has the support of her Aunt who she lives with and sees her at her worst and how an illness has robbed her of a life.
What I liked about the way this story was told was that it not only featured the point of view of Joy, but also that of her Aunt Beth and her friend Logan too and that was a inspired way of seeing an illness from different viewpoints. As a carer Beth gets to see the reality of Joy and the life she lives and that frustration she shows at not being able to get the help for her when needed comes across only too clearly. And in Logan, it isn't until he sees Joy at her worst that he truly begins to understand the impact that the illness she is dealing with has on her so it really helps you connect even more with how devastating it can be not only for the sufferer but those around them.
The exhausting journey that Joy and her Aunt go on to get a proper diagnosis is one I'm sure many invisible illness sufferers can really empathise with, and there is also a great use of lists throughout as to many things that go hand in hand with invisible illnesses such as the do's and don'ts of things to say, the lists of symptoms suffered, the limitations, the preparation needed in achieving an outing or task etc and that also helps give a greater insight into the daily battles someone might be facing.
As a M.E sufferer myself, I found this to be told with such heart and compassion and often had a tear in my eye at the similarities in my experience of life on a day to day basis and it was an emotional story to read that I hope will help others learn a little bit more about illnesses that you can't see.
June 3, 2017
Disclaimer: I received a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Finding Joy is a fictional memoir written in 1st person POV, which switches between characters. Each change gets its own clear section, so the switches are easy to follow. The book gives an account of a devastating chronic illness that, all too often, gets misdiagnosed. While it focuses on Lyme's Disease, it will also appeal to, and prove helpful for, those suffering from any long-term illness, whether that be auto-immune or depression, etc.
On the whole, the book is beautifully written; however, many hiccups do let it down somewhat with missing or extra punctuation being the biggest culprits. These aside, though, you will find yourself drawn into this read. The main character feels all too real, and the two supporting characters are also well portrayed. Finding Joy moved me to tears at times, which shows how well written it is. The author also weaves a thread of humour into the narrative, as well as giving her readers a brave and honest insight into what it is to suffer in isolation, being told by the 'professionals' that it's all in your head.
To my mind, this is a must read for both healthcare professionals and the layman alike. And, apart from its relevance to illness, it makes for a great read in general with a captivating story about challenge, strength, courage, and perseverance. The ending is well rounded and ties off the many threads. It gets a solid four stars from me.
Finding Joy is a fictional memoir written in 1st person POV, which switches between characters. Each change gets its own clear section, so the switches are easy to follow. The book gives an account of a devastating chronic illness that, all too often, gets misdiagnosed. While it focuses on Lyme's Disease, it will also appeal to, and prove helpful for, those suffering from any long-term illness, whether that be auto-immune or depression, etc.
On the whole, the book is beautifully written; however, many hiccups do let it down somewhat with missing or extra punctuation being the biggest culprits. These aside, though, you will find yourself drawn into this read. The main character feels all too real, and the two supporting characters are also well portrayed. Finding Joy moved me to tears at times, which shows how well written it is. The author also weaves a thread of humour into the narrative, as well as giving her readers a brave and honest insight into what it is to suffer in isolation, being told by the 'professionals' that it's all in your head.
To my mind, this is a must read for both healthcare professionals and the layman alike. And, apart from its relevance to illness, it makes for a great read in general with a captivating story about challenge, strength, courage, and perseverance. The ending is well rounded and ties off the many threads. It gets a solid four stars from me.
May 31, 2017
I was privileged to read this in proof form. I found it very affecting in terms of the maturity of the writing (for someone seemingly so young) and the way the narrator makes it personal yet manages to distance herself by also casting herself in the third person. At times it reads like a novel, and I think this works. Writing about illness is never easy - one can so easily fall into 'woe is me' mode - but this narrative, restrained in its language, yet with a pleading inner voice, may well be read by many others suffering from illness - depression being one that readily springs to mind. I can recommend this highly.
November 24, 2017
I really enjoyed Finding Joy by Morven-May MacCallum and think this is a book that should be on the required reading list of every high school student. It was heartbreaking to read Joy's story and witness the despair of such a young person suffering with a chronic illness. We normally associate chronic illness with older people and that's just not the truth of the matter. There are so many young people also afflicted that it is wonderful that there is such an excellent piece of writing out there to highlight this.
At certain points in the book we see the situation from others points of views, such as Joy's Aunt and friend. Although we need to be aware of what the sufferers are dealing with it is also important to understand what their loved ones may be going through and the despair and sadness felt by Joy's Aunt was just as difficult to read as Joy's pain sometimes.
Reading the description of what the treatment she finally started to receive did to Joy was terrifying. To know that something that is supposed to help and cure someone can absolutely destroy them and bring them to the point of not recognising their closest caregiver or wanting to just end it all is terrifying. A disease that can do this to someone as fit and healthy as a 16 year old with their entire life ahead of them deserves better awareness, funding and research. I am hopeful that this book will increase awareness of this disease and what it can do.
However, the book is not in any way some sort of gloomy depressing misery memoir. Joy's attitude towards her disease and her respect and love for her family shine through and the burgeoning friendship between Joy and Logan is so full of the typical teenage angst and awkwardness you forget her illness. I really would highly recommend this book as it's a wonderful read.
**I received a free ebook copy of this book to review from the author**
At certain points in the book we see the situation from others points of views, such as Joy's Aunt and friend. Although we need to be aware of what the sufferers are dealing with it is also important to understand what their loved ones may be going through and the despair and sadness felt by Joy's Aunt was just as difficult to read as Joy's pain sometimes.
Reading the description of what the treatment she finally started to receive did to Joy was terrifying. To know that something that is supposed to help and cure someone can absolutely destroy them and bring them to the point of not recognising their closest caregiver or wanting to just end it all is terrifying. A disease that can do this to someone as fit and healthy as a 16 year old with their entire life ahead of them deserves better awareness, funding and research. I am hopeful that this book will increase awareness of this disease and what it can do.
However, the book is not in any way some sort of gloomy depressing misery memoir. Joy's attitude towards her disease and her respect and love for her family shine through and the burgeoning friendship between Joy and Logan is so full of the typical teenage angst and awkwardness you forget her illness. I really would highly recommend this book as it's a wonderful read.
**I received a free ebook copy of this book to review from the author**
January 12, 2019
I had the privilege of meeting Morven-May MacCallum at the Ness Book Fest 2018. Before attending her seminar on "Writing and Health" I had very little knowledge of Lyme's Disease. I had heard about it from adverts, a few people who experienced it (though I never thought to ask in detail about their symptoms) and the growing public awareness to stay out of tall grass. However, I had no idea about the personal, physical, mental, emotional, and familial issues a condition like Lyme's disease brings those who suffer from it. Morven's novel is about a young teenager, Joy, who is bit by an infected tick. Joy begins to suffer as she starts forgetting things, loses energy to do activities she once enjoyed, and then gradually is held hostage by a disease which no one can find the meaning for. Exasperated, her aunt relentlessly researches and goes to multiple specialists before the truth is discovered and Joy finally starts slowly getting her life back. This book talks about the stresses of dealing with a medical system which is not receptive to their patient's questions as well as general misinformation surrounding Lyme's disease. It shows how truly difficult it is to be diagnosed with an illness which others no so little about. Although this book centres primarily around the problem of Lyme's Disease and its subsequent co-infections, the main lessons of care and compassion towards the chronically ill can be applied to any health challenge. Illness truly affects everyone in its wake from the patient to friends and family. This book is a moving reminder to value our health because none of us knows when unexpected challenges may arise.
December 31, 2019
Written with deep insight and humour, this fictionalised account of Morven-May MacCallum’s fight for a diagnosis and treatment should be read by everyone! If you’re one of those with a ‘hidden illness’ or you know someone who is ill, read it. The insight it will give you is precious. If you’re not I’ll and don’t know anyone who is Ill, you’re very fortunate, but still read it. You’ll learn something about human nature, about life, about finding joy........
May 18, 2020
The story of Joy is one similar to me. My wife has been bitten by a tick as well. It’s been more than four years since she is fighting with multiple diseases carried by the insect.
The symptoms, issues with health care and even the thoughts of Joy and Beth were familiar to me.
This book made me feel a little better, thank you Morven-May! Also writing a book while having Lyme-MSIDS is outstanding, congratulations!
Five stars from me :-)
The symptoms, issues with health care and even the thoughts of Joy and Beth were familiar to me.
This book made me feel a little better, thank you Morven-May! Also writing a book while having Lyme-MSIDS is outstanding, congratulations!
Five stars from me :-)
August 28, 2020
I was lucky enough to meet the writer of this book. That's how I came to know about it. At first I wasn't sure if it would be a subject for me. But I started reading anyway. The book caught my attention and it was easy to finish. It is a perfect view in a life of someone with an chronic illness. I was very surprised both by the subject and the style of writing. I would read it again. And looking forward to any next books by Morven.
November 6, 2020
This is an extraordinary book about the psychology of serious illness when hard to diagnose. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews