Down Came the Rain by Brooke Shields

From Goodreads: When Brooke Shields welcomed her newborn daughter to the world, her joyful expectations were quickly followed by something unexpected crippling depression. In what is sure to strike a chord with the millions of women who suffer from depression after childbirth, Brooke Shields shares how she, too, battled a condition that is widely misunderstood, despite the fact that it affects many new mothers. She discusses the illness in the context of her life, including her struggle to get pregnant, the high expectations she had for herself and that others placed on her as a new mom, and the role of her husband, friends, and family as she struggled to attain her maternal footing in the midst of a disabling depression. Ultimately, Brooke shares how she found a way out through talk therapy, medication, and time.

I listened to this on audio. I would NEVER EVER EVER have made it through in print. It felt like I was at a long lunch with a friend who monopolized the conversation talking about their pregnancy and birth and new baby. And just like those friends in real life, there were some interesting bits, there were moments where I cared about what might happen but overall, my mind was elsewhere a lot of the time. I only stuck it out because it was Brooke Shields and we have grown up together. Brooke and I are less than a year apart in age, Blue Lagoon came out when I was in high school, Suddenly Susan when I was an adult. Our life experiences may have been a little different (ha!) but we share a timeline and that makes me have a soft spot for her and thus, be willing to listen to three CD's of "Post-partum depression, me? How is that possible? My life is perfect." and then a few more CD's of "I love my meds, my life is perfect again, let me tell you all about it". So, in the end, the message is important and I am glad Brooke is willing to talk about it....but it could have been much shorter.