Jonathan Dupree knows this all too well. He’s moved in with his mother to look after his uncle, a life-long sufferer of mental illness.
When school kids target Jonathan, he makes a pact with a local gang to fit in, a pact that will see him betray his family and seek redemption from a most unlikely source.
FINDING JERICHO by Dave Jeffery is a story I could relate to as someone who has lived with and cared for someone afflicted with mental illness for decades. In my younger years, I was Jonathan, now I am more like his mother. I wish I could have read this book in my teen years, when I was struggling to develop empathy for others. By the end, I couldn't stop sobbing...but it was a good cry.
FINDING JERICHO by Dave Jeffery is a story I could relate to as someone who has lived with and cared for someone afflicted with mental illness for decades. In my younger years, I was Jonathan, now I am more like his mother. I wish I could have read this book in my teen years, when I was struggling to develop empathy for others. By the end, I couldn't stop sobbing...but it was a good cry.
The author uses fictional characters to highlight several issues which many of us have experienced in one form or another, such as depression, bullying, and our perception of others. Through Jonathan's personal experiences, Jeffery illustrates the stigma surrounding mental illness, and the need for more understanding and compassion...not just the ill, but everyone we come into contact with. We are often connected in ways we fail to realize.
Of course, Jeffery uses his slight-of-hand storytelling to create a few surprises which will leave a lasting impression on readers. I'm recommending this novella to everyone.
If you'd like another example of Jeffery's food-for-thought writing style, check out A QUIET APOCALYPSE, which features the hearing-impaired.
As always,
AstraDaemon
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