Showcasing a Wonderful New Book: Journey by Mitzi Montague-Bauer
There are certainly plenty of books out there that are truly wonderful, but seldom does a book come out that grabs your heart like it was your throat and squeezes the air out of you as you absorb just the first two pages. This is that type of book.
Author, mom, and birth practitioner-
I am pleased to have received a free review copy of this book from the author and I am honored to share my thoughts about this remarkable page-turner:
I believe we have reached success in our lives when we can take our personal tragedy and transform our newfound wisdom into support, solution, and resources for others…
In this case, Mitzi Montague-Bauer brilliantly and authentically tells her story of her son. With the hope of changing the impact and outcome of a mental health diagnosis for an ever-increasing population, for their families and their community, it is a powerful read and will be far-reaching in its impact for anyone reading it.
I have read Journey 3 times, and each time I have taken something entirely different from it as if I evolved each time in my perspective. The addition of Journey’s point of view in his own writings is quite powerful and personal. “I am mourning the loss of myself. My sadness is warranted because my loss is real”. In my experience this speaks to the truth that we are born with mental wellness, it is a life experience that at times can be so mind-bending, heart-wrenching that the very soul of us is in crisis. Find the source of this crisis, the cause that threw that mind and heart out of “body”, so tragically, that it feels impossible to face or to find your world again. We can meet Journey on a deeply private and personal level, while he is searching and battling. This profound connection is skillfully shared through his mother.
The message I take away from this journey? When we offer resources that will assist an individual in telling their story safely if we can offer them the support of love to regain their truest Self; then we are onto something far-reaching, and this is the imperative of Mitzi’s story.
As a result, my view of mental challenges has grown, seen with different eyes, free from fear or apprehension, with a lot more understanding and compassion. The challenging gift we can offer anyone is to stand beside them while they are not themselves. Journey’s family did just that, with respect for his experience! After reading Journey, my own path and perspective have been widened and I am certain yours will be too. — Tamara J. Sutton, Grief and Life Coach CPC, Author, Demetrius, My Gift of Life
“Compelling. Original.” —The BookLife Prize
“Mitzi Montague-Bauer is a master of description. She holds nothing back in her detailed account of Journey’s life and her struggle. She describes, in intimate detail, the love, hope, worry, and fear, and the eventual overwhelming grief that torments her after Journey’s apparent suicide. She takes us into the homes and hearts of others who cared for Journey and the friends who supported her through her ordeal. Through Journey’s writings, and her own battle to keep the faith, she explores questions about life and purpose that plague most of us at times, and questions about the workings of the human mind that has, for centuries, driven research and experimentation seeking ways to heal sick minds. Finally, by revealing how she found her own peace, she gives readers hope and a suggested path to follow.” —Lorraine Cobcroft for Readers’ Favorite reviews of Journey
I am pleased to have received a free review copy of this book from the author and I am honored to share my thoughts about this remarkable page-turner:
I believe we have reached success in our lives when we can take our personal tragedy and transform our newfound wisdom into support, solution, and resources for others…
In this case, Mitzi Montague-Bauer brilliantly and authentically tells her story of her son. With the hope of changing the impact and outcome of a mental health diagnosis for an ever-increasing population, for their families and their community, it is a powerful read and will be far-reaching in its impact for anyone reading it.
I have read Journey 3 times, and each time I have taken something entirely different from it as if I evolved each time in my perspective. The addition of Journey’s point of view in his own writings is quite powerful and personal. “I am mourning the loss of myself. My sadness is warranted because my loss is real”. In my experience this speaks to the truth that we are born with mental wellness, it is a life experience that at times can be so mind-bending, heart-wrenching that the very soul of us is in crisis. Find the source of this crisis, the cause that threw that mind and heart out of “body”, so tragically, that it feels impossible to face or to find your world again. We can meet Journey on a deeply private and personal level, while he is searching and battling. This profound connection is skillfully shared through his Mother’s.
The message I take away from this journey? When we offer resources that will assist an individual in telling their story safely if we can offer them the support of love to regain their truest Self; then we are onto something far-reaching, and this is the imperative of Mitzi’s story.
As a result, my view of mental challenges has grown, seen with different eyes, free from fear or apprehension, with a lot more understanding and compassion. The challenging gift we can offer anyone is to stand beside them while they are not themselves. Journey’s family did just that, with respect for his experience! After reading Journey, my own path and perspective have been widened and I am certain yours will be too. — Tamara J. Sutton, Grief and Life Coach CPC, Author, Demetrius, My Gift of Life
“If you have ever loved someone with a mental illness, this is a “must-read”. Mitzi takes no prisoners, baring her own struggles, describing the limits of “the system” in terms of caring for the mentally ill and through it all, weaves her experience in with that of her family and of Journey, her son. In quoting Journey’s own words, Mitzi provides an insight into the world of mental illness that no college course could match. By adding her own story, Mitzi bravely invites the reader to examine not only how we treat the mentally ill, but how do we who love the mentally ill recognize our own wounds and find our own healing. I am a mental health professional and was honored to receive a free review copy of this book from the author. I’ve since bought two more copies, one for myself and one to share with my colleagues.” — David Ware, LMSW