Beginnings
by Michelle Perkins

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When artist and barista Elena Evert wakes up in the hospital after collapsing in the street, her biggest fear is that they won’t let her leave—a fear that is quickly realized as she finds herself being transferred to the hospital’s psychiatric ward. She is in desperate need of professional help, not only to gain enough weight to stay alive but to start recovering from the eating disorder that’s been convincing her that she’s not good enough for years. Despite her near skeletal stature, she constantly believes that she could lose more weight. But while she might need help, she certainly doesn’t want it. Also in the psychiatric ward at the time is Maverick Sovannah, a poet and book lover who’d been recently brought into the hospital with drug-induced psychosis, resulting from taking cocaine laced with something that had inspired him to climb onto a rooftop and try to jump. His stay in the hospital will be far shorter than Elena’s, though just as desperately needed, and just long enough for them to briefly meet on her first day there. Three months later, out in the world, their paths cross again, and this time there is an almost instantaneous connection between them—a connection that soon blossoms into a sort of love that neither of them has ever experienced. A love that feels selfless and unconditional. It feels like two parts of a single being coming back together at last. But even such a love as theirs is no remedy for mental illness or addiction on its own. . . and its survival is never guaranteed.

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For author Michelle Perkins, writing has always been cathartic, allowing her to express parts of herself that she felt she couldn’t simply talk about with others, often leaving her feeling unseen and misunderstood. Having struggled with her own eating disorder for much of her life, she understands just how complex such mental-health challenges can be, how alone they can make one feel, and how much of a difference both love and patience can make. With her writing, she hopes that readers dealing with similar issues will come away from this story feeling both understood and seen, as well as reassured that love is never impossible, even when we find ourselves at our lowest points. “No matter how bleak things may seem, there is always the possibility of getting better (and) building a future... No one, no matter how flawed, is unworthy of love.” Michelle was born and raised in the small town of Perth, Ontario, where she currently lives with her family (plus one chubby cat). A lifelong avid reader, she loves writing not only stories but poetry and prose as well, her first collection of which, A Masterpiece to a Mosaic, she self-published in 2020. She also loves painting the beauty of nature, capturing with her brushes everything from spring flowers and whimsical skies to the most sparkling of oceans. To follow/connect with the author, please visit: Instagram@bookychelle

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Michelle Perkins