Jackson brought back a flood of memories for me. I found it heartwarming and I could relate on many levels. An important book for anyone going through challenging times with a teenager.

A must read for anyone whose life has been touched by mental illness.

This is an inspirational read.
The story the author shares is enlightening, eye-opening and frustrating all at the same time.
It also shows us that the love of family can get you through the darkest of times.

Kudos to Lynn on capturing the feelings of Jackson as he struggles with his mental illness and her portrayal of every parents’ heartache in recognizing and coping with the reality of having such a child . Very insightful and definitely worth reading!

Excellent Read! Any parent who has a child struggling with mental health should read this book.

I suspect we’ve all had a Jackson. By that, I mean that we’ve all had someone that we love, absolutely, without reservation, but someone who needs our help. Without necessarily even being aware of it, we dedicate a significant part of our lives in an effort to make that person’s existence a little bit better. Take a moment and think of such people. I once attended a funeral in which the most significant line I remember is, ”At least now we know we won’t have to spend the night worrying about him.” I have a good acquaintance who willingly, gratefully spends her life fending for a magnificent son who happens to have Asperger’s. I have a couple of family members for whom I wished I had played a role as significant as June did for Jackson in this book.
Jackson…love and hope is not a novel, it is not light summer reading, but it is a book that we all need to read. It is a story of Jackson, a troubled youth, and June, the mom who, with her husband, slowly, painstakingly, almost haphazardly, spends her life dealing with Jackson’s difficulties. There are no easy remedies offered here, no quick fixes. As an educator who has spent the better part of a lifetime trying to help kids learn, I have found that there is no cure-all, no panacea for illuminating children. Per this book, the case is the same for children with emotional problems. Jackson needed to have a particular fix, and people similarly afflicted probably need a similar cure. Identifying that fix takes a lifetime of love, and June took care of this.
I thought of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar as I read this. I felt a need to help Jackson but found myself wanting. Whatever. Any book on a par with The Bell Jar is worth reading, at any time, any place. Read it.

First and foremost, I want to say that this in one of the most emotional, if not the most emotional book that I have read in an extremely long time.

I was lucky enough to be one of the winners of this amazing book and I don't believe that it was a coincidence that I happened to receive this book. I believe that it was fate.

Ms. McLaughlin, thank you so much for writing this book and for bringing this subject to the forefront. We need to break the stigma of this dreaded disorder.

This book deals with a subject very near and dear to my heart, Mental Health.

The story deals with the mental health challenges faced by Jackson, the son of parents who love their son very much but find it difficult struggling to navigate the way to show their love for their son while trying to support him and yet maintain their own mental health.

While this book is fictional, the situations that are dealt with are very real. I know through first hand experience of having dealt with my own mental health challenges and how people treated me, with misunderstanding, with curiosity, with insensitivity but with a single parent mother who loved me, stood by each and every moment. I also am a volunteer with the Canadian Mental Health Association.

If you or a loved one one struggle with mental health issues, or are one who is interested in finding about mental health challenges, I recommend that you read this book. It is highly educational and emotional. It will certainly help you to understand what it is like to deal with this issue each and every day on a very personal level. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Every person has either dealt with these issues themselves or are aware of someone who has or is dealing with these issues.

Let's end the stigma now. Not all disabilities are visible.