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

I listened to an ALC (advanced listening copy) of Holden, After and Before. What a beautiful and moving book made especially powerful by Tara McGuire's narration. As a radio broadcaster, McGuire's voice was gentle and easy to listen to, even when the subject matter was not. In this memoir, McGuire p......more

We can never be sure of the pain hiding behind someone’s eyes. How did the book make me feel/think? holden: after & before, is an astonishingly beautiful read in the face of immeasurable suffering. The unfathomable loss of a child. This book is beyond words. Everyone must read it to become kinder. In......more

Holden, After and Before by Tara McGuire is truly a love letter from a grieving mother to her son. Holden McGuire died of an accidental opioid overdose, leaving behind questions and heartbreak for his family, especially his mother. McGuire has brought the realities of the opioid crisis to life, givi......more

I wanted to read this as part of my addictions med reading elective to better understand what substance use looks like to ppl who are using and their friends/families/etc. The book was a memoir written by someone whose son died from overdose. The author (his mother) is super vulnerable and has a lot......more

This book took such courage to write. The courage to to research an adult child’s life and to look within. And then to share it for all of us to witness. It’s so important for all of us to read - to better understand people with lived experience with substance use, reduce stigma, witness an unbearab......more