May is Mental Health Awareness month. To promote a supportive community and reduce stigma, we are featuring women’s fiction that depicts mental health struggles.
Women's Fiction Writers AssociationMay 27, 2026
It’s a hard subject to talk about, especially for someone suffering from it. “Many of us have been labeled or even seen ourselves as freaks, weirdos, oddballs, eccentrics and outcasts. So it’s no surprise that many of us attempt to keep our illness hidden to the extent we can.” That’s…
Jim AlkonOctober 25, 2024
This month in BookTrib, the Women's Fiction Writers Association celebrates women’s fiction titles that showcase main characters experiencing mental health issues.
Women's Fiction Writers AssociationMay 22, 2024
Cindy Wittstrom has faced off against some of the deadliest mental and physical disorders known to modern medicine and lived to tell the story. When The Brakes Fail (Gatekeeper Press) is a well written account of one woman’s fight to survive postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, breast cancer, insomnia and a…
Michael FerrySeptember 14, 2023
This month in BookTrib, we are celebrating women’s fiction titles that showcase neurodivergent characters. Everyone’s brain is unique. It’s estimated that as many as one in five individuals exhibit characteristics of neurodivergence. This is your opportunity to help shine a light on conditions such as epilepsy, autism, dyslexia, ADHD, OCD,…
Women's Fiction Writers AssociationMay 24, 2023
Sound the trumpets and ready the fireworks to light the sky in a dazzling display honoring the debut of Jamie Ford’s eagerly awaited new novel The Many Daughters of Afong Moy (Atria). He has ambitiously reached for the stars and caught the tail of a transcendent, iridescent and fast-moving comet.…
Linda HitchcockAugust 2, 2022
Do you want your child to be excited about learning, prepared for the future, and eager to go to school? Rather than worrying about grades or giving kids more homework, it's best to take a step back and reevaluate what your child needs to be open and engaged with their…
BookTribMarch 3, 2023
Grief and sorrow are feelings all too familiar in life, but everyone experiences them differently. While some find it easy to rise from the depths of despair, others trudge on for what seems like an eternity, struggling with depression and anxiety, battling against seemingly insurmountable odds. Caitlin Blackburn addresses these…
Katie BloomerJanuary 6, 2023
EVERYONE HAS A DARK SIDE No matter how good we may try to be, the truth of the matter is that we are imperfect beings with imperfect thoughts and actions. As the horror genre so unflinchingly insists, darkness surrounds us, is within us, and is one of the fundamental building…
Monique SnymanSeptember 7, 2022
John Poehler in 1999 was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type 1. Dealing with the effects of bipolar disorder were going to be monumental enough. But in that first wave of comprehension as the implications of the diagnosis sink in, emotions can run wild: fear, anxiety, depression, loneliness, worthlessness, maybe even…
Jim AlkonAugust 19, 2022
What first drew me into Bet on It (St. Martin's Griffin) by Jodie Slaughter was the cute cover and the book description’s mention of Piggly Wiggly and the fictional town of Greenbelt, South Carolina. Rarely do you see a contemporary romantic comedy set in that state, and it was exciting…
Y. M. NelsonJuly 12, 2022
Recently, focus on mental health and awareness of the various ways it breaks down have become a touchstone issue, especially after the year we’ve had and the uncertainty of what is to come. Add to that the general stresses of life, fears, anxiety, past traumas, existing depression … the list…
Barbara WilkovSeptember 27, 2021
If Jen Epstein wasn’t worrying about something, we’d all be worried. Such is the life of a born worrier. As a child she worried her uvula would break off and she would swallow it and choke to death. Then she worried high voltage wires would get her. Eventually, she was…
Jim AlkonNovember 27, 2018
It’s no wonder that for so many of us, our bodies feel lacking or unworthy. If only I could just lose a little weight, we tell ourselves. If only I could look like that person. It’s a thought that has, sadly, become a daily mantra for millions of us. Thankfully, Sonya…
BookTribMarch 28, 2018
Arrian’s Lion by the debut author A.J. Cullen begins with a tender but tentative scene: “His eyes met mine lovingly … I also knew if Kit were to inherit his father’s title, he had to keep his reputation spotless. If I wanted to gain enough respect from the nobles so…
Judy MorenoMay 24, 2021
Saying goodbye can be a difficult task for individuals of any age, but it is especially challenging for younger children. Transitions for little ones can be jarring, so it is important to always be there for a child when parting with a loved belonging, a familiar face or place of…
Rachael SuhieMay 17, 2019