Holden After and Before: Love Letter for a Son Lost to Overdose

An extraordinary hybrid memoir by writer and broadcaster Tara McGuire, Holden, After and Before melds truth and fiction, as Tara tries to grapple with the loss of her son, Holden, after he died from an accidental opioid overdose. At once, McGuire creates a contemporary coming-of-age story, along with a devastatingly thorough depiction of a mother’s grief.  With heroic honesty and searing insight, McGuire opens her heart for readers to accompany her as she tries to reconcile with the unthinkable. In a stylish blend of fiction and fact, as McGuire listens to Holden’s voice after he dies, she recounts and imagines what led Holden to his tragic end, and creates ways to honour Holden’s life.