Inside story of mental health therapy
Moves away from labelling and stereotypes
A mystery to be solved
Unique psychologist’s perspective
Third in series of Dr Mike Lewis novels
Stand-alone novel
The charity Mind reports that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health disorder every year.[1] Given this prevalence and the stigma that has surrounded mental health issues, how can we increase our understanding of them and how can we respond to them? Retired Consultant Clinical Psychologist Annie Try believes fiction is a key part of the answer.
Red Cabbage Blue gives an inside perspective on the therapeutic process through atypical psychologist Dr Mike Lewis and an art therapist colleague. It explores the nature of mental health problems caused by grief and childhood trauma, demonstrating the improvements that can be gained by appropriate therapy and how the past can be addressed. It covers friendships, relationships, healing and identity – for both the client and the psychologist.
This is the third of Annie Try’s novels centring on protagonist Dr Mike Lewis and his clients. He has now moved back in with his wife, Ella, hoping this will be permanent. Feeling more in control of his life, he is tackling a backlog of referrals when he meets a new client who thinks, dresses and eats only blue. What seems like straightforward obsessive behaviour becomes more intriguing as 22-year-old Adelle reveals the full extent of her problem with colours and begins to break away from her over-protective mother. As therapy with Mike progresses, Adelle tries to find out about her past. A distressing truth is uncovered, leading her on a mission to resolve a mystery spanning nearly two decades. As we follow Mike and Adelle’s journeys, we grow in compassion and understanding for the characters and the issues surrounding mental health.
Annie says, ‘Mental health problems can devastate a person’s life and make ordinary events impossible challenges. I would hope that those reading my novels will understand the strength and effort required by those tackling such difficulties. More than that, I aim to portray Dr Lewis’s clients as people with their own lives who should not be stereotyped by their diagnosis.’
Red Cabbage Blue by Annie Try (ISBN: 9781912726110) is published by Instant Apostle and is available from Christian bookshops, bookstores and online retailers. Fiction, 384pp, £8.99.