Book explores gender, mental illness from a parent's perspective

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Sherry Haaima

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EMC Lifestyle -Arnprior author Jamie Johnson is ready to share her story with the world.

Johnson, who writes under a pseudonym, is signing copies of her first novel, Secret Selves, this Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Arnprior Book Shop.

Secret Selves, explains Johnson, explores the process a parent goes through when their child grows up to be a little different than planned. Johnson has lived through it with her own transgender son, and a second time when her other teenage son emerged with five strange new personalities.

Her book, which targets parents struggling with life challenges, shows how the process of acceptance can bring back a feeling of peace, says the author.

"Your kids will not always turn out exactly as you'd planned, but you've got to love them for who they are - just the way they are," says Johnson. "No one is a perfect parent and we all make mistakes,"

Johnson feels her father, a well-known Arnprior artist and fire chief, would have been proud of her attempt to help people through art.

She says she is comfortable with people in Arnprior and the surrounding community knowing her identity but with the pseudonym she is protecting her children, especially one son whose employer might not be aware of his history.

The last thing she wants is to cause any problems for her kids, says Johnson.

"It's not a huge risk, but there is a risk he could lose his job," she says.

The second reason for sharing her story, however, is to help others in her situation.

Johnson's work covers subjects that are controversial and widely misunderstood.

"Many people do not understand what so many/kids/go through. I want people to know what it's like to be a transgender. I want people to learn more about how mental illness affects the members of the family. And I want people out there, like us, struggling with their own challenges, to know that they're not alone," says Johnson.

She allowed her children to see the book and make suggestions before it was sent off for publishing.

One of them made detailed notes and offered his opinions. His ultimate approval was evident at the end, however, said Johnson, a simple 'clap, clap, clap.'

"They're very, very supportive because they feel the message is very important," she says.

The Arnprior entrepreneur's short non-fiction pieces have appeared in several Canadian publications, but this is her first novel, a labour of love that took five years to complete.

The process of writing and rewriting the book was very therapeutic, says Johnson, and also taught her and her children things they didn't know about each other.

She says that she's had nothing but positive feedback about Secret Selves.

Just last week she got a call from a mom who said the book had helped her with parenting challenges, words that make the hard work worth it.

Johnson says she wrote the book thinking that she would have benefited from something similar when she was facing her own parenting challenges.

But her story isn't written like a textbook, says Johnson, instead it includes humour and suspense that keeps the reader interested.

Johnson's memoir, Secret Selves, is also available at a Sense of Country (167 Raglan St. Renfrew).

Johnson will be signing copies of Secret Selves at the Arnprior Book Store (152 John St. N) on Saturday, Feb. 4 from noon to 2 p.m., where copies of the book are for sale.




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