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95th out of 406 books
—
946 voters
Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression
In this compelling memoir, Brooke Shields talks candidly about her experience with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, and provides millions of women with an inspiring example of recovery hen Brooke Shields welcomed her newborn daughter, Rowan Francis, into the world, something unexpected followed-a crippling depression. Now, for the first time ever, in...more
Hardcover, 226 pages
Published
April 26th 2006
by Hyperion
(first published January 1st 1900)
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I read this because I really struggled after my baby was born, and I had heard that Brooke Shields had, also. There were times while reading this that I thought, "It's as if Brooke Shields read my mind when I was a new mom!" She had her baby before me, but still. It was weird how so many of the feelings and thoughts she described were exactly like ones I had. I couldn't relate to the rest of her life, such as when she talked about being on Broadway, having homes in NYC and LA, or hiring a baby n...more
When I first heard that Brooke Shields had suffered from postpartum depression, my heart went out to her. Just the hormones, alone, from having a baby can leave you on an emotional rollercoaster. That being said, I went into this book with a lot of sympathy. My attitude quickly changed. *Down Came the Rain* reads like a manual for how to have a baby. Aside from the fertility issues (if my own husband sneezes in the same room as me I get pregnant), I might have been reading excerpts from my OWN c...more
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I was interested in this book because my mother developed severe postpartum depression after having her last baby - my little brother. I wanted to learn more about it and remembered when this book came out a few years ago.
Brooke Shields lets you into her private world to discuss what it was like to develop severe postpartum depression very soon after having her first child. It was very informative and cast light onto that dark dusty corner that most people prefer not to look at, because of lack...more
Brooke Shields lets you into her private world to discuss what it was like to develop severe postpartum depression very soon after having her first child. It was very informative and cast light onto that dark dusty corner that most people prefer not to look at, because of lack...more
Jul 08, 2008
Elizabeth_agd
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone suffering from postpartum depression
Recommended to Elizabeth_agd by:
Jenn Neeb
I appreciated Brooke's honesty in how she described her experiences. Some of her points felt a little over-stated and went on but the writing was interesting. Several key components of her experiences really resonated with me. The experiences were bang on with what I was feeling before and during my diagnosis and it was almost a relief to hear that I wasn't an abnormality.
First, when she had a hard time defining herself after her daugher was born because "up until now, I realized, I had equated...more
First, when she had a hard time defining herself after her daugher was born because "up until now, I realized, I had equated...more
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So I choose to read this book because of my curiosity with postpartum depression and I was told it was an honest account. True it is honest, but the writing was less than fair... (I never knew that she had a degree in French literature from Princeton, maybe she'd have done better if she had written it in French?) Don't get me wrong, I applaud her for writing so candidly about postpartum depression and the thoughts/feelings that go along with it. She is brave for doing so and has probably helped...more
A little repetitive, not entirely gripping but I'm thankful for anyone that steps out of the dark and speaks out on mental illness. Postnatal depression is something that, incredibly, is still hushed up and not spoken about, which makes it even harder for women who are suffering from it as they feel that it is a wrong and taboo thing to be experiencing.
Reading Brooke's experience made me realise that what I experienced was quite 'run of the mill', although when I was experiencing it - I felt en...more
Reading Brooke's experience made me realise that what I experienced was quite 'run of the mill', although when I was experiencing it - I felt en...more
This is a very detailed look at the difficulties that Brooke Shields had just to get pregnant. She was happy while pregnant but she wasn't able to have a vaginal birth and had to have a C-section, then the baby had to have some adjustments and she just spiraled into a deep post partem depression. Good read.
Very moving. A great book to read if you think you are going through, KNOW you are going through, or have already been through Postpartum Depression. Reading it after being diagnosed with it myself made me feel like I was not the only one to go through those emotions. There are not a whole lot of books written about Postpartum Depression- let alone one that is NOT a textbook type. It is hard to deal with, let alone telling someone (or the whole world) that you have/had it, there is a terrible st...more
MY husband bought this book for me a few days after I was diagnosed with major post partum depression. Only after seeing an interview with Brooke Shields on a morning tv show did I finally get help. I didn't understand what was wrong with me -- when I heard her speak about what she had been through I felt such an overwhelming sense of relief that someone else had had the same thoughts and feelings. Though it is not the most well written book it is very realistic and for the most part relatable....more
well, there's a reason that brooke shields is an actor & not a writer. this is passable, as far as writing goes, but it's about on the level of a pretty good ninth grade essay. she definitely won't be winning a pulitzer any time soon.
but i didn't read it because i was expecting great prose. i read it for the subject matter, which is shields's experience with post-partum depression. i read this shortly after my daughter was released from the NICU. i really struggled throughout the time she wa...more
but i didn't read it because i was expecting great prose. i read it for the subject matter, which is shields's experience with post-partum depression. i read this shortly after my daughter was released from the NICU. i really struggled throughout the time she wa...more
I really didn't expect to like this book. Maybe it's because I'm not in the process of having had children or planning to in the near future but I had preconceived notions about this novel prior to reading but I'm happy to say that I actually enjoyed this memoir more than I ever thought I would. I found that while I was reading of this journey through postpartum depression, I couldn't put this book down. There was such honesty and rawness with the experiences that Brooke was going through that i...more
I almost gave "Down Came the Rain" only three stars because, even after reading about her heartfelt struggle with PPD (postpartum depression), I still had trouble looking forward to hearing about anything she has ever had to go through. BUT... I ended up at four stars. The reason being? Despite her book having a whiny edge to it (as in "poor me, living such a hard life with multiple houses and a career that gives me the financial freedom to do pretty much whatever if good for me at this moment")...more
I read this book after being diagnosed with post-partum depression after having Ethan in 2005.
The book is an interesting tale of what Brooke Shields went through after the birth of her first child. Shields was very vulnerable putting herself out there and writing about her experiences. My only frustration with the book was all the excuses she made "I had to have a c-section, then my baby nurse wasn't helping much, I had to go back to my LA home or NY home, get back to acting, etc." That was a l...more
The book is an interesting tale of what Brooke Shields went through after the birth of her first child. Shields was very vulnerable putting herself out there and writing about her experiences. My only frustration with the book was all the excuses she made "I had to have a c-section, then my baby nurse wasn't helping much, I had to go back to my LA home or NY home, get back to acting, etc." That was a l...more
A very in depth description of a mostly hush hush disorder. No one talked about this problem much 21 years ago and people did give you an odd look when you weren't over the moon happy after the birth of your child. After a difficult delivery, the medical issues a newborn can have and the isolation of living in a completely new town where you know no one, I,too, had a touch of post partum depression. It was no where near the extent that Brooke experienced, but it lasted a couple of months and I...more
i am so happy this book was written. not just for PPD women, but for people dealing with depression in general. it's so true; it's so real to the way it feels, and the way it breaks families and relationships apart.
it is a selfish thing, and it is so difficult to understand when you aren't in it. i love the way brooke's perspective changes, how you can see the despair begin and then the climb out, and how meds aren't the end all.
i really felt a kinship with her struggle to decide to go on meds...more
it is a selfish thing, and it is so difficult to understand when you aren't in it. i love the way brooke's perspective changes, how you can see the despair begin and then the climb out, and how meds aren't the end all.
i really felt a kinship with her struggle to decide to go on meds...more
Brooke Shields is a horrible writer. Maybe the blame lies on her ghost writer, if she had one, but the prose in this is almost unreadable. It is dorky and lame and clunky and very tell-not-show. For such an emotionally charged topic (post partum depression) this book was not emotional at all. I expected to be heartbroken on her behalf and it all felt very flat. It’s interesting that her husband wondered aloud, early in her pregnancy, if she might eventually suffer from PPD. This is an telling ti...more
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This book was one of the worst I've read in quite a while. I read it because I was interested in learning more about postpartum depression, not necessarily because it was Brooke Shields, who I've never been particularly interested in. The writing in this book was horrid. I seriously think I could write a better book right now. The unfortunate thing about this book is that I really do think she has an important story to share, but the tone of the writing was so irritatingly whiny and dramatic, sh...more
I borrowed this book from the Kindle Lending Library and I'm glad I only borrowed it.
The first two chapters of the book were decent; I found them relevant and interesting (for lack of a better word) to read. I could empathize with her and really found myself examining my own experiences after babies. However, after about 70 pages into the book, I started to get annoyed with her complaining and seemingly whiny attitude. I don't know how someone who admits to just lying in bed and crying can compl...more
The first two chapters of the book were decent; I found them relevant and interesting (for lack of a better word) to read. I could empathize with her and really found myself examining my own experiences after babies. However, after about 70 pages into the book, I started to get annoyed with her complaining and seemingly whiny attitude. I don't know how someone who admits to just lying in bed and crying can compl...more
Mar 25, 2011
April
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Possible mothers, new mothers, old mothers, spouses.
Recommended to April by:
laurie weeks
This is a quick read. The writing is a bit simplistic, but the intentions are fantastic and I love that it brings mental disorders (Post partum depression (PPD), specifically) front and center. I like that Brooke Shields as a celebrity was willing to share just how hard it was to cope with the (common!) depression that she had after giving birth.
In the book she continually reiterates that there is no one to blame for PPD and just because no one talks about it, it's nothing to be ashamed of, ,doe...more
In the book she continually reiterates that there is no one to blame for PPD and just because no one talks about it, it's nothing to be ashamed of, ,doe...more
In the nearly five years (five years!) since originally reading this book, I've become a mother. It's amazing the perspective this time has allowed me, and I'm glad to have revisited Brooke Shield's story with new appreciation.
Pregnancies and births are typically such joyous occasions, there's hardly ever talk of the less fun, but normal things that can happen. Why do women never talk about the exhaustion, the pain, the doubt and fear that creep into your rattled brain at all hours of the day (a...more
Pregnancies and births are typically such joyous occasions, there's hardly ever talk of the less fun, but normal things that can happen. Why do women never talk about the exhaustion, the pain, the doubt and fear that creep into your rattled brain at all hours of the day (a...more
I bought this book at Goodwill with the thinking that it was only $.75 and if I didn't like it, it wouldn't be a waste. I finally picked it up to read it this month, and it was actually very interesting. Because I have never gone through childbirth myself, and have had no experience with postpartum depression, I could not relate. However, it did give me a really good insight into her experience, and opened my eyes to the fact that it is a lot more common than people think. I think overall the bo...more
I really wasn't a fan of this book. For one, I felt the book could have been cut in half. It was just too long. It would be one thing if Brooke was a close, personal friend of mine, so I would be interested to read every single thought that was in her head during her time of depression; but for someone who is not close to the author, it seemed to drag on and on with no relief. Another thing is, it was difficult for me to really emphathize with her due to the fact that she took HERSELF off of the...more
Jun 26, 2007
Megan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants to be a mother
Through Brooke Shields, I learned what postpartum depression is really like. With courage, she explains her thoughts and feelings about everything around her. This is a great exposure for our culture to understand and accept that having the depression is not an embarrassment and more normal than we think.
This is a self help book. You thought it was the baby blues, think twice it could be postmartum depression.
Having just recovered from my own postpartum depression when this book came out in 2005, I was very excited and read it right away. I think this is actually one of the few books I've purchased at full price. It wasn't worth it. Well, maybe the stories in and of themselves are worth it, but the writing is crap and Shields has a complete disconnect from the majority of women who will read this book. (I wish I could hire a nanny!) The biggest flaw in the writing is the timeline, which skips all ove...more
I loved this book. I felt myself resonating with some of her emotions -and had to reach for a kleenex a few times. I think that anyone that has experienced Postpartum Depression - or witnessed it, should read this book. I was taken with her honesty and strength to tell it all.
I am grateful to her for her honesty and putting this issue in the spotlight. With all due respect however, it was hard to identify and feel empathy knowing that she had so much help and support (money, nannies, etc). The writing was also fair at best but that's not a major concern of mine for this genre. It was a bit too repetitive though.
All in all, I am glad she wrote it. Some people accused her of being self-absorbed but isn't that what depression does to us? Makes us think that everything i...more
All in all, I am glad she wrote it. Some people accused her of being self-absorbed but isn't that what depression does to us? Makes us think that everything i...more
I'm torn. While the message is incredibly important, having myself gone through PPD, the writing style left much to be desired.
Unfortunately, "Down Came the Rain," appeared to have been Shield's private journal that was immediately put to print without a single bit of editing. The story had no flow, jumping confusedly from one thought to the next. It is quite the work to get through but considering how few people are willing to talk about PPD, to admit of its existence and for so many, like mys...more
Unfortunately, "Down Came the Rain," appeared to have been Shield's private journal that was immediately put to print without a single bit of editing. The story had no flow, jumping confusedly from one thought to the next. It is quite the work to get through but considering how few people are willing to talk about PPD, to admit of its existence and for so many, like mys...more
Jul 19, 2010
Brandy
added it
At times it felt as though I was reading a diary, Brooke was not afraid to allow the reader into the darkest time of her life. And for that, I will forever be grateful. Recovering from PPD myself, it was a relief to have a better understanding from a personal point of view. Many times throughout her story, she made it a point to see her world from all perspectives. I felt this was key, it helped the reader understand that no matter how hard others try, you can’t be helped or understand until you...more
I read this book when I was a fairly new mom, so of course I felt great empathy for Brooke Shields when I started reading it. But I quickly felt annoyed with her whining and complaining about the mundane, everyday tasks that she wasn't even DOING. She talks a lot about them ... constant attention a newborn requires, feedings, diapers, crying, cleaning, cooking, etc ... yet she had a (incredibly patient) nanny and housekeeper who did these things FOR her. I'm not sure why she spent so much time c...more
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Brooke Christa Camille Shields is an American actress, supermodel and author.
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