Mental Health Bookclub discussion

This is Etmṇ. A girl who grows up caught between two tribes filled with deeply shamanistic values and magic. Her existence is already a taboo, but this taboo deepens further when she develops schizophrenia as a child, and experiences all forms of psychosis which can blur the lines of her reality greatly, and sometimes completely.

Rather than being a character who is able to wield strange magic because of her schizophrenia, Etmṇ lives in a world where such magic already exists in an immersive and natural way. Despite this however, even though such things are normal in the cultures she encounters, she still finds herself isolated because of her illness.

Etmṇ is based on someone I've known for 30 years, and thanks to their help by way of interviews and journals, the journey Etmṇ goes on, and the things she experiences, are written to be directly representative of this individual's own experiences. Because of this fact, despite being set in such a fantastical setting, Etmṇ as a character, becomes uniquely relatable in her own way to people who also suffer from such afflictions.

Etmṇ's story is a dark one; it is not an easy read at times, and the subjects it tackles are very real. But it remains at its core a story of hope, self-discovery, and inner strength, in a way that is relatable in a real way to real people. I am very proud of Etmṇ and the journey she goes through, and it is her strength and her message that I want to share in a positive light.

Thank you for reading!
Ambrose.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...