Approaching Neverland: A memoir of Epic Tragedy & Happily Ever After

"Approaching Neverland is worth reading, re-reading, and sharing with others because it is beautifully human...The family's strengths, vulnerabilities, tragedies, and joys will have the reader crying at the bottom of one page, smiling by the top of the next, then crying and smiling by the bottom again. Basically it will make you one hot mess, so if reading in public, keep a tissue handy."
Emily Seibert, Feminist Review

"Approaching Neverland is the only book that EVERYONE in my book club loved."

"You will fall in love with this family. I felt like I was the sixth sibling!"

"Truly inspiring for anyone who has suffered tragedy or loss in their life."

"This book helped me get through my Post Partum Depression."

"Reminiscent of JD Salinger."
Wayne Felton, Charlotte, NC

"A must read that will leave you smiling with tears in your eyes."
Mary Eileen Williams, Feisty Side of Fifty

"A top pick for those seeking memoirs on mental illness and its effects on parenting."
Midwest Book Review

"Unforgettable!"

"A terrific read for our community...and every other human community."

"This book will go a long way toward helping break down the stigma surrounding mental illness."
Dr. Gifford Boyce-Smith, President, NAMI-San Francisco

"Psychotherapists need to order this book NOW, read it and share it with clients and colleagues."
Maure Quilter, LMFT, The Therapist Magazine, Nov./Dec. 2009 issue

"An inspiring and beautiful story."
Fran Martin, NAMI Contra Costa, Dec. 2009 issue

Note: If you have recently sent a message to the author using this website's contact form and have not heard back, please email the author directly at kennedyem@comcast.net.

For as long as she could remember, Peggy Kennedy bore witness to her mother's mental illness: while growing up in the 1960s, Peggy's mother, Barbara, often liked to play games of make-believe and tell the children they were all going to Neverland-just like Peter Pan. But while the children knew it was all pretend, Barbara believed it to be all too true.

Approaching Neverland recounts Peggy and her family's attempts to deal with their mother's mental illness during a time when it was little understood and even feared.

With brutal honesty and surprising humor, Peggy shares the turbulence of growing up under the shadow of Barbara's illness, of being shuffled from one family member to the next, and of visiting her mother in the mental institution. As the years pass, the shadows of Barbara's challenges become a loving legacy in Peggy's quest to achieve happiness and fulfillment in her life.

A vivid, haunting portrayal of one woman's struggle to understand how the past fits in with her future,Approaching Neverland is as inspiring as it is beautifully written, and will stay with you long after the last page is turned.


Loved this interview with Joe Hackman of Danville Rotary!

Listen to Alice 97.3/LIVE 105 FM Sunday Magazine interview

Watch Peggy Kennedy on CBS Bay Sunday

Interview with Janice Edwards and Paul, NBC Bay Area Vista http://www.bayareavista.com/

Interview with Mary Eileen Williams who also recently interviewed Prince Charles' Communications Secretary, author Mary Higgins Clark, and Patricia Cornwell, the world's #1 best selling crime writer. 'http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feisty-side-of-fifty/2009/10/28/feisty-side-of-fifty-radio'

UPCOMING EVENTS SCHEDULE

Thurs. February 13, San Francisco Writer's Conference, Mark Hopkins Hotel, Peggy Kennedy will be on the Book Success Panel

Thurs. February 18, 7:00 pm, Books, Inc., 1760 Fourth St., Berkeley, book reading & signing




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