Two-time international bestselling author
How coming out transformed my life
Growing Through
I needed to know that if I came out and everyone rejected me, I’d still be able to find a way to love myself.
Born in India to a middle-class Christian family, Nerissa was forced to fit in so they wouldn’t stand out. Bullied in school and belittled at home, with no words to describe how they felt, Nerissa led a confused and lonely existence.
Torn between the expectations of being the “good Indian Christian girl” and a desperate yearning to live their truth, Nerissa embarks on a long and arduous journey of self-discovery that takes them thousands of miles away from India to a country they now call home.
Raw, honest and heartfelt, Growing Through is the story of Nerissa’s life – their failures and triumphs as a queer person of colour who, like many others, battled to embrace their identity in a world that constantly told them they didn’t belong.
UJAALA
Unputdownable!
Not for the faint hearted. A powerful, strong, vulnerable insight into a journey of one person’s discovery of self and their determination to win in every aspect of their life. Absolutely unputdownable.
SERENA
Absolute Must Read !
A simple and heartwarming book written so beautifully. A story that is authentic, relatable, humorous & heartbreaking at times that will give you all hope for a better tomorrow. Something that is so needed in today's world! I loved every bit of it & highly recommend it to all.
CAT73
Authentic and Inspiring
A truly open and honest personal journey that serves as a great reminder that we don’t always know what’s going on in someone else’s life and we should always be compassionate. This book will help many, many people.
A Different Reality
Growing through our mental health journey together
In 2013, Nerissa’s wife, Charlie, was told that the threatening voices in her head were a symptom of Schizoaffective Disorder. Neither she nor Nerissa had ever heard of this mental health condition before. But they were determined to not let this diagnosis get the better of their lives or their relationship.
In A Different Reality, Charlie and Nerissa take you behind the scenes to offer an unflinchingly honest and personal insight into the good, bad and extremely raw realities of living with a mental health condition and their carer’s perspective. This part-memoir, part-self-help book shines a light on the practical, psychological and emotional complexities of mental health, reminding people that it’s okay to not be okay.
Don’t take medication. Take an overdose of medication. Jump in front of a train. Jump out of a window. Don’t talk to anyone, not even Nerissa.
NIC
Raw insight into
mental health
The story of Charlie and Nerissa as they experience mental health is powerful, moving and full of insight. A must read for anyone.
BOB
Incredibly insightful.
From the first paragraph, I was hooked. It gave me a sense of the fear, loss, and isolation that having a mental health diagnosis can bring, the challenges that come from being a carer, and being thrust into a life that you never expected. But it also offered great insight, and hope for a better future.
THERESIA
Wow! So inspiring.
I am lost for words. I am so thankful for you to be sharing this and now I am aware of what toll it takes to be diagnosed with such a condition and for you to be in it. I have a better understanding for people with PTSD and mental health disorder and about communication. Thank you!
