Enough: A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood

Description

A bicultural child of a Malay mother and an Indian father, Amelia Zachry was different from the get-go, never quite fitting in. In this raw, inspiring memoir, she chronicles the long, winding journey that brought her from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Kentucky, USA-the place she and her family now call home. Amelia was nineteen years old, her future wide open, when a fellow student from her Kuala Lumpur university sexually assaulted her. After that night, she felt sullied-and convinced that what had happened was her fault. In the months and years that followed, she spiraled, first into isolation and then into promiscuity, as she attempted to try to take back some of the power that had been stripped from her that night. Eventually, she met the man who would become her husband and greatest advocate, Daniel, and began to emerge from that dark place-but even he couldn't fight her demons for her. In her late twenties, Amelia was diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar II disorder, both of which would go on to shape her adult life as an individual, a wife, and a mother. A memoir of trauma and healing, mental illness and resilience, culture shock and new beginnings, devastation and triumph, Enough is one woman's story of learning to make peace with the fact that things are as they should be, even if she sometimes wishes they were different-and of discovering that however far away it may seem, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Amelia Zachry was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After graduating from Curtin University in Kuala Lumpur with a degree in marketing, she worked in public relations and marketing until she met her American husband, Daniel, when he was traveling through Malaysia with friends on a short vacation from their job in Japan. Since then, they have lived together in Japan, Canada (where Amelia obtained a second degree in human ecology from the University of Western Ontario), and Kentucky, and had two daughters together. Now a full-time writer, Amelia is also an advocate for sexual assault survivors and those who suffer from mental illness. She was recently published on HuffPost and Moms Don't Have Time to Write, and blogs weekly at https://ameliazachry.com, where you can find a list of her recent appearances and more information about her and her work. Amelia lives in Lexington, Kentucky.

"Zachry's unflinching memoir chronicles her search for love while coping with depression. . . . A harrowing tale of coping with mental illness . . ." -Kirkus Reviews "Zachry's memoir is a roller-coaster of emotions . . . valuable for its articulation and contextualization of mental health issues." -Library Journal "Enough is a startling memoir about surviving assault and grappling with mental illness." -Foreword Reviews "Enough is the story of one woman's journey to find her place in the world, despite a nagging sense of abandonment, racial insecurity, a history of trauma, and the unfortunate stigma associated with mental illness. Zachry captures it all with grace and illuminates the art of healing." -Rica Keenum, author of Petals of Rain and Nobody's Daughter "In this compelling debut, Zachry takes the reader on an unflinchingly honest, heart-wrenching journey." -Anastasia Zadeik, author of Blurred Fates "This book is a must-read for anyone hoping to better understand the experience of PTSD and bipolar disorder. Zachry shares a beautiful and painfully honest portrayal of her path to healing in the face of trauma. She reminds us that recovery is guided by love, hope, and the commitment to putting one foot in front of the other every day to move toward a valued life." -Dr. Christal L. Badour, Director, Stress, Trauma, and Recovery Research Collaborative, University of Kentucky "There is little BILPOC representation when it comes to memoirs about trauma and mental illness. In Enough, Zachry takes on these hard subjects with writing that is beautiful, powerful, and compelling. She takes readers with her on a journey that is both heart-rending and heart-mending. You won't soon forget this brave, important book." -Claudia Love Mair, author and coordinator of the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative "Enough is a memoir reflective of the arduous, often non-linear journey of growth through mental illness and the after-effects of trauma. Zachry's honest, genuine, and direct descriptors of her symptoms and experiences will help countless others who are facing their own struggles navigating mental illness." -Dr. Kari Jones, licensed psychologist "Amelia Zachry's fierce, unflinching prose captures the devastation of a life interrupted and a spirit shattered. But her journey also reminds us that healing is possible. Candid and deeply moving, Enough is an unforgettable memoir." -Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies