A woman from Reading recently had a launch party for the book that takes the reader on a harrowing yet uplifting journey of her life.
‘Show Me Heaven’ is the moving and inspirational true story of Donna Taylor, a woman whose early life was marred by abandonment, poverty, and hardship. After her father’s departure at the age of three, Donna’s life spiralled into a cycle of homelessness and struggle, further complicated by the destructive actions of an abusive stepfather. Despite these challenges, Donna was determined to carve out a better future for herself.
Just as she seemed to be turning a corner, fate dealt her another blow, leading to a severe psychotic breakdown and the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Facing the stark reality of mental illness, Donna was on the brink of giving up. However, her story takes a hopeful turn as she chooses life over despair. This book is not just a tale of survival; it is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome the bleakest circumstances and find light after a lifetime of darkness. Donna’s journey from the depths of mental and emotional despair to becoming a beacon of hope for others is a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience within us all.
Donna said: “The book is a true tragic story about my life – homelessness, poverty, alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness. I hope the book inspires other people when they read it. It shows my resilience on how to tur your life around. When you deal with so many things in life.
“I’ve had a really good response. At the launch, a lady said: “Your book is amazing – I thought my life was bad until I read your book.”
Donna was in the press as a baby. She said: “I was three years old and my mother was living in a car with me and my three brothers. It hit the press in Reading and newspaper clippings can be seen in the book.
“I wrote it because so many friends of mine said I should write a book about my life – so I did to share my story with everyone and hopefully it may help someone else.”
A biography that never shies from the adversities that have plagued Donna Taylor’s life so far, Show Me Heaven is a truly inspirational read.
From being thrown into poverty and homelessness following the departure of her father
to suffering from psychosis, attempted suicide and being in and out of psychiatric hospitals for many years, Donna’s successful management of her bipolar disorder successfully turned her world on its head. Now in control of her life and mental health condition, Donna’s bravery and true grit
jumps from every page of this memoir written in support of others.
A biography that will appeal to fans of so called ‘misery memoirs,’ Donna story is one that taps into the growing public interest in and awareness of mental health. It also fills readers with a fervent admiration for the author, for overcoming such struggles and surviving, against such incredible odds.
Never shying from the harrowing truths of living with Bipolar, experiencing psychosis and attempting to take her own life, Donna’s story is not written to shock or sensationalise. Rather, her aim is to inspire others, who have experienced such
terrifying delusions and overwhelming lows to believe that whatever is being felt at a particular moment in time, careful management of a mental health condition can deliver transformative change.
Deciding to share her life story following the death of her brother in 2017, writing Show Me Heaven was far from an easy exercise. But, with 1.3 million people in the UK
suffering from Bipolar and millions more experiencing mental health crises, the author’s memoir eloquently reinforces that what is happening in the here and now does not need to define your life’s story.
This is her moving and inspirational true story of surviving poverty, hardship, and mental illness and finding happiness after a life of suffering.
Donna said: “My book opens with my experiences of childhood poverty and homelessness and goes to detail about depression and surviving suicide.
“My whole life was touched by poverty, homelessness, and mental illness with the added
family pressures of suicide, alcoholism, and drug addiction. I hold a deep desire to help others living in similar circumstances.
“I was inspired to write my book following the death of my dearly beloved eldest brother
Mark during 2017. Writing my memoir, I found profoundly challenging at times, whilst
at the same time provided a therapeutic release of built-up emotions.”
Donna is a 55-year-old qualified financial adviser, living in Reading, Berkshire with a severe and enduring diagnosis of Bipolar 1 Affective Disorder. Currently an employee at the local psychiatric hospital, in which she was once an inpatient, she said: “I enjoy the simple things in life – spending time with family and friends, listening to music and watching movies. I particularly enjoy travelling overseas to see new cultures.”
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