VALEDICTORIAN OF BEING DEAD

Heather B. Armstrong narrates her own memoir of treatment- resistant depression with groundbreaking vocal intensity. She bravely welcomes listeners inside her painful, yet often hilarious, internal dialogue. She isn't portraying emotional desperation--she relives it for listeners. Her voice cracks because she is really crying as she screams for relief from her ceaseless desire not to be alive. This is why listeners will be surprised at how funny Armstrong can be. Her raw portrayal of the daily struggles of depression is juxtaposed with her laugh-out-loud navigation of an experimental treatment for depression. Listeners will root for Armstrong's brain to "reboot" as she undergoes anesthesia, to quiet all brain activity, 10 times. Armstrong's powerfully honest performance is sure to enhance every listener's understanding of clinical depression. J.T. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2019]