Book Review : Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner
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Hi friends, and thank you for stopping by for my latest book review.
*Disclaimer : I received a copy of this ebook for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Below you’ll find the description of the book provided by NetGalley, followed by my personal review and star rating.
Description :
In this fascinating narrative, therapist Catherine Gildiner’s presents five of what she calls her most heroic and memorable patients. Among them: a successful, first generation Chinese immigrant musician suffering sexual dysfunction; a young woman whose father abandoned her at age nine with her younger siblings in an isolated cottage in the depth of winter; and a glamorous workaholic whose narcissistic, negligent mother greeted her each morning of her childhood with “Good morning, Monster.”
Each patient presents a mystery, one that will only be unpacked over years. They seek Gildiner’s help to overcome an immediate challenge in their lives, but discover that the source of their suffering has been long buried.
As in such recent classics as The Glass Castle and Educated, each patient embodies self-reflection, stoicism, perseverance, and forgiveness as they work unflinchingly to face the truth. Gildiner’s account of her journeys with them is moving, insightful, and sometimes very funny. Good Morning Monster offers an almost novelistic, behind-the-scenes look into the therapist’s office, illustrating how the process can heal even the most unimaginable wounds.
My Review :
I found this book to be so fascinating. For quite a while now I’ve been really interested in how the brain works. What causes people to do the things they do? Specifically intriguing was the story of Alana whose brain protected her by creating alternate identities that allowed her to cope with the some of the worst trauma a child can endure.
Psychological healing is no joke – it doesn’t work unless you do. I think that Catherine Gildiner really chose 5 patients’ stories that really allowed that process to shine.
They each had their own trauma that was manifesting itself in ways that they needed professional help to overcome. All of them had to dig deep inside themselves in order to process their pain in order to induce healing.
I loved getting an inside look at not only their personal process, but as their therapist, Catherine’s process of guiding them through as well.
I’d recommend this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
