I’ve known Odette, the author of Voices Within, for five years now. Over many a fine whiskey, I’ve heard a lot about her work as a contemporary shaman and her perspectives of working with people experiencing severe trauma. Client confidentiality always applied, obviously.
So when I finally managed to get my hands on Odette’s book, I knew, to some extent, what to expect. It wasn’t going to be an easy, breezy read. It would deal with mental illness and wellness and non-conventional healing methodologies. I was fully aware that it’d challenge my personal views on living with mental health issues while also providing well-researched strategies that worked for other people. In short, I was in no way doubtful that Voices Within will be an enchanting and thoroughly enjoyable read.
I should probably say that I have an intense curiosity of mental health issues and trauma, having grown up in an actively warring country, hearing stories of my parents running away from rioters and angry mobs that wanted to decimate lives. My mum was also diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia about 13 years ago, which is why Isabo’s journey and life with schizophrenia was of particular interest.
The book was easy to get into. About 20 pages in, I messaged Odette to say it reads as smoothly as fine whiskey, my ode to our shared passion for the warming beverage. But about 25 pages in, I stopped. The story was still going smoothly and the narrative felt flawlessly natural. But life got in the way and I had to deal with other stuff first.
Over the next 6 to 8 months I went back-and-forth, only managing a handful of pages at a time. Every time I returned from my break, however, Isabo’s story jumped right out at me, and I could carry on as if I’d never left. All that’s to say that the author has brilliantly kept the core thread of the story throughout the book so that regardless of where you drop off and when you pick it up again, you can always reorient yourself in the story at exactly the right spot.
Having read a few hundred books, and written a couple (unpublished ones) myself, I know that it’s incredibly difficult to travel between the past and present, and skirt around sensitive themes like multi-generational trauma without losing a sense of place. It requires a precisely organised mind. Which is funny because Odette as a person is more spontaneous and whirlwind-y than meticulous and organised. But that’s exactly what’s so great about this book—I know Odette’s been brewing this story in her mind for over 20 years, and in all that time, she has—consciously or not—managed to keep herself and her readers oriented.
Isabo’s voices within
This is a story of a teenager with a schizophrenia diagnosis. Her father is a wealthy and established lawyer who can afford her the most expensive care that the pharmaceutical industry has to offer. He is, however, irrationally reluctant to explore alternative avenues. He only wants to “fix” his daughter and he tries everything he can. Until he realises that everything he does to cure his daughter is only harming her. He relents and agrees to Isabo taking some time off to learn more about her mind and the possible cause for the voices that seem to haunt her mind. The rest of the story is this teenager’s exploratory journey into her mind—with a reliable and loving guide. On the way, Isabo endures loss, heartbreak, and a terrifying experience with fake guides.
The takeaway point
This is a brilliant read for anyone curious about what goes on inside the head of someone with any sort of mental issues. But you’ll do well to remember that if you met one person with a mental health issue, you’ve only met one person with a mental health issue. The condition is so vast and so diverse and so very personal that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution or insight.
This story, then, is a nuanced and well-articulated experience of one individual. It didn’t teach me how to deal with my mum’s schizophrenia. Nothing can, because Isabo and my mum aren’t the same. But what this book did do is to give me a previously-unknown insight into how not to treat my mum and how not to try and “deal” with her. This book taught me to be more patient and be more open to ideas, however wild they may seem. Because the mind of someone who realises they’re experiencing voices or visions is incredibly rich in imagination and creativity. Sadly, too many of such people are lost to medical systems that aren’t prepared to listen.
Check out Voices Within on Goodreads.
The Chaos Within 