Philip Catshill was a young police officer in Britain until one day he woke up staring at a crack in the bathroom ceiling.

Told with a forthright yet sensitive tone, this novel opened up my eyes to what it is like for a person to experience a major stroke. The author survived a major stroke at the age of 30 and was eventually able to write about it in this novel about that eighteen month time period. He was determined to get back to the police service. He worked hard to talk, to walk, and to get the use of his limbs back, only to be taunted by the other stroke victims in the rehabilitation unit who said, “You haven’t had a proper stroke” once he was out of bed.

The loss of words, the way people react to a person with a disability, the struggle against prejudice from people who have had stroke, too, are heartbreaking reminders to be mindful of others. Philip Catshill’s novel is well-written. I highly recommend his novels to everyone.