Holding on by Letting Go

A Memoir

By: Heather Hutchison

Narrated by: Heather Hutchison

Blind since birth, a once-spirited kid with big dreams now finds herself in a locked psychiatric facility - a wounded young woman in the midst of a global pandemic.

This memoir spans decades and continents to tell a story of the beautiful similarities that make us all human. From meeting unlikely allies in the dirty streets of some of Latin America's most impoverished neighbourhoods, to discovering difficult truths about discrimination in her home country of Canada, Heather Hutchison offers poignant insight into mental health awareness and what it means to strive for an ordinary life when you are often treated as anything but ordinary.

At once heartbreakingly honest and strikingly witty, Holding On by Letting Go is the unforgettable true story of one woman's journey through despair to acceptance and hope. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of the light that can be found in the darkest of times.

©2021 Heather Hutchison (P)2021 Heather Hutchison

One of the greatest mental health memoirs I have ever read

This book was astonishing and wonderful. I don’t even have the words to express how great this was. The author is really great at telling a story and keeping you engaged. You’ll want to tear through this thing in one sitting.

An important and captivating work of non-fiction everyone should read

Mental health and visual impairment: two vastly misunderstood issues with more stigma than common sense. The author's journey is compelling, poiniant and timely. Her vivid recollections of her time in a mental health care facility are compelling, informative and even entertaining. The first half details the good and bad moments of her life which set the stage for this pivital time. Her narration is nuanced, clinical and almost emotionless to make way for the facts, but with many bursts of emotion and animation which bring life to those circumstances where it is appropriate. As a narrator and voice artist, I can appreciate her divercity. This book deserves to be read, pondered and even studied. It is a story of rezillience, hope and strength which does not and should not elicit pity, but inspiration.