Down Came The Rain

February 28, 2005
In 1980, when she was 15, Shields starred in The Blue Lagoon
. In the movie, her character accidentally becomes pregnant, and when her son is born, he intuitively finds his way to her breast as Shields looks on with love and contentment. The irony of this scene isn't lost on the grown-up Shields, who not only did not become pregnant accidentally—numerous IVF cycles and a miscarriage preceded the 2003 birth of her daughter—but suffered a devastating aftermath to that birth. "I was in a bizarre state of mind," Shields describes, "experiencing feelings that ranged from embarrassment to stoicism to melancholy to shock, practically at once. I didn't feel at all joyful." Shields assumed she'd bounce back in a few days, after resting from her difficult labor. Instead, her feelings intensified: "This was sadness of a shockingly different magnitude. It felt as if it would never go away." While Shields denied anything was wrong, the persistence of friends and her husband persuaded her to seek treatment through medication and therapy. This brave memoir doesn't shy away from Shields's most difficult moments, including her suicidal thoughts, clearly showing the despair postpartum depression can wreak. While the writing is sometimes repetitive and clichéd, it does emphasize the depth of Shields's depression. This tale will bring awareness of a problem that so many mothers have been afraid to discuss; look for this book to touch off a flurry of lifestyle pieces. Agent, Kassie Evashevski at Brillstein Gray.

May 15, 2005
Sometime model and actress Shields takes on the role of author here, wielding her celebrity status to convey a crucial message: that postpartum depression is a serious but treatable condition that can strike any mother. Shields tells her own story to emphasize this point, relating her struggle to become pregnant and her excitement at the prospect of her baby's birth. What happens afterward, though, is entirely unexpected -instead of feeling exhilaration like most other mothers, Shields becomes depressed. With the encouragement of her husband, family, and friends, she eventually seeks professional treatment that enables her to experience the full joys of motherhood. Her afterword is replete with helpful resources, including books, web sites, and hotline numbers. Highly recommended for all public libraries, alongside titles like Natasha S. Mauthner's "The Darkest Days of My Life: Stories of Postpartum Depression". Confirmed appearances on "Oprah" and "Today" will guarantee heavy demand.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.