Behind the Smile

by Marie Osmond

First published 2008

Marie Osmond cradles her newborn seventh child, but joy eludes her. The celebrated entertainer and mother of seven finds herself sinking into a darkness she cannot name or escape. Four of her children came through adoption, but this biological birth triggers something devastating. Depression grips her with increasing force. One evening, she hands her bank card to the babysitter, climbs into her car, and drives north. She has no plans to return until she breaks free from this consuming crisis. Marie must confront the reality that more than ten percent of new mothers face this same battle, yet most suffer in silence. Her journey through postpartum depression becomes a fight for her sanity and her family. Working with a doctor who understands her struggle, Marie learns to recognize her condition and develop strategies to overcome it. She discovers that healing requires both professional help and personal courage. The story follows her path from despair to recovery, showing how she reclaimed her life and found hope again.

Genres: family-life, mental-health, autobiography, mental-illness, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, adoption

Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: personal-journey, recovery

Period: 21st-Century

Kindle Edition · Grand Central Publishing

Content warnings: depression, mental-illness

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