Almost Me (ePub)

Almost Me by Quraisha Dawood is a personal journey through miscarriage,postpartum depression and motherhood.

This book is for you, the one who cannot find the words. To you, the one standing alone in the crowd. You, the one with your heart in two worlds. You with the lump in your throat. You, the smiling one with the invisible ache. You, the one who is tired of one more day.

You, resilient one.

PREFACE

The idea for this book did not come to me in a moment. It was gathered over time, slowly etching itself into being, much like the beginnings of life described at the start of Chapter 18 of the Qur'aan. From the depths of one's soul, to a heartbeat, to love and loss, to becoming the woman I am. I remember these verses from Arabic class - that moment when my teacher explained the meaning to us. For some reason, it stuck with me. Life really does come full circle sometimes. Anyway, I suppose this book started much like that, in stages, and I am now at the stage where I can talk about my story. Through this journey filled with pain, heartbreak, moments of joy and anger I have had to relearn who I am, somehow learn to love myself and not let anyone try to unnerve me. I am still learning.

My hope is that you feel less alone, find some understanding, or even laugh at my silly moments.

Thank you for reading and being patient with me.

REVIEWS:

"'Almost me' is a raw, unfiltered and much needed book for mums and dad's to read. It breaks barriers of what motherhood is and what mums are expected to be. I love that Quraisha shares real life experiences and I know many mums will relate. Post natal depression is very real and very much a taboo subject in our community. Many mums experience the trepidatious journey of pregnancy after loss, myself included. Mental health is so greatly highlighted in this book and I hope that this gives mums the courage to seek out professional help.

"The moment a child is born, so is a mother. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is absolutely new."

Sumaiyya Karim

Mothers Intuition

"Quraisha succeeds in taking us into her confidence as she recounts, with sharp, unflinching detail the anguish of miscarriage and the blight of post-partum depression.These are honest reflections on loss, grief and the emotional and spiritual disconnects that so often underpin motherhood and the lead-up to it.

It will resonate deeply with anyone grappling with fertility and the questions around what having children means to their own experience of womanhood.

Quraisha documents her emotional reactions with precision; we live through all her dejections, her triumphs become our own.

This is the kind of sincere self-exploration that demands to be amplified. It is only in writing that which is not spoken about enough, that we will all feel less alone."

Saaleha Idrees Bamjee

Zikr

Published by Yiz House Publishing