Stewart Bint Author
  • Home
  • About
  • Fiction
  • Translations
  • Anthologies
  • Non-Fiction
  • Stewart Bint's Blog
  • Store
  • Contact

Don’t Worry About Me. Care For Me

10/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Here's my 5* book review of "High Tide, Low Tide: The Caring Friend's Guide To Bipolar Disorder," written by Martin Baker and Fran Houston, published by Nordland Publishing, on October 1st. 
Picture
Picture
The story behind High Tide, Low Tide, and how it came to be written is every bit as remarkable as the book itself.

The authors, Martin Baker and Fran Houston met online in May 2011. At the time Fran was living on an island in Maine, USA, and Martin in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North of England. Fran suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and bipolar disorder, and now, in a way, Martin is a long distance carer – in that he cares about her. His caring shines through in the easy, flowing writing style, as he tells the moving and powerful story, taking us into Fran’s world of bipolar, in particular.

And that’s what makes this story so remarkable – the fact that Fran lives in the USA and Martin is in England.

It’s a story that simply had to be told; appealing, as it surely will, to every single person suffering from bipolar, to every single mental health carer, and to everyone who has absolutely no connection with, or an interest in, this completely misunderstood and feared ailment.   

The reason why? Because it’s a human story told told in human terms, which skilfully sweeps aside the dark myths surrounding bipolar.

High Tide, Low Tide is well structured, well written, and, even though I’m a veteran mental health campaigner, had me thinking long and hard about how people suffering from bipolar actually live with it.

My only slight quibble, and this is a purely personal point of view, is that the introductory explanations run to too many mini sections - with titles such as Preface, Introduction, Why This Book Is Different , Key Messages, and Perspective and Language – before we get to the real meat. But that meat, when we start to devour it, is filet mignon all the way, and fully deserves the five stars I’ve given it.

I was particularly taken with an early comment from Fran: “Don’t worry about me, care for me,” which Martin says is one of the first things he remembers Fran telling him, and he feels it is as relevant today as it was then.

Structured in three principal sections: “Be Who You Are,” “Do What You Can,” and “Embrace The Journey,” each one contains a number of solid gold nuggets of wisdom, which truly mean something to people involved with bipolar – either as sufferers, or as carers. Such as “Care but Don’t Crowd. Share but Don’t Pollute,” “Being A Haven,” and “Wellness and Illness.” By its very nature bipolar, with its episode of mania and depression, has both positive and negative implications, and these are explored accurately and skilfully, and above all, show the human costs of the ailment.

Exploring what bipolar is and what causes it, we are taken on a journey almost into Fran’s mind, looking at what bipolar “labels” mean and don’t mean to her…along with the physical symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.  

This may all sound dark and depressing. But it isn’t. This is a book about friendship, overcoming adversity and the incredible long distance relationship between two truly extraordinary people. It’s well documented, well researched, and contains important source material and contacts for anyone needing assistance with the subject matter which is so often misunderstood.

I was honoured to be given a free pdf copy of this remarkable book for my review. Overall, the unique relationship between Fran and Martin makes fascinating and moving reading. Five stars for every single aspect of it.  

Buy "High Tide, Low Tide: The Caring Friend's Guide To Bipolar Disorder" on Amazon UK:  
https://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Tide-Low-Friends-Disorder/dp/8283310216 
and on Amazon, in The States:
https://www.amazon.com/High-Tide-Low-Friends-Disorder/dp/8283310216

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Stewart Bint supports mental health charity Lamp Advocacy.

    Click here to donate
    Picture

    Author

    Stewart Bint is a novelist, magazine columnist and PR writer. 

    He lives with his wife, Sue, in Leicestershire in the UK, and has two children, Christopher and Charlotte, and a budgie called Sparky.

    Usually goes barefoot.

    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    May 2023
    October 2022
    August 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.