One Friday in April: A Story of Suicide and Survival

One of TIME's 100 Must-Read Books of 2021One of BuzzFeed's Best Books of 2021One of Vulture's Best Books of 2021Named one of the Most Anticipated of Books of 2021 by the Los Angeles Times, Literary Hub, and The MillionsA searing and brave memoir that offers a new understanding of suicide as a distinct mental illness.As the sun lowered in the sky one Friday afternoon in April 2006, acclaimed author Donald Antrim found himself on the roof of his Brooklyn apartment building, afraid for his life. In this moving memoir, Antrim vividly recounts what led him to the roof and what happened after he came back down: two hospitalizations, weeks of fruitless clinical trials, the terror of submitting to ECTand the saving call from David Foster Wallace that convinced him to try itas well as years of fitful recovery and setback.Through a clear and haunting reckoning withthe authorsownstory,One Friday in Aprilconfronts thelimitsof our understanding of suicide.Donald Antrimspersonal insightsreframe suicidewhether in thought or in actionasanillness in its own right,a unique consequence of trauma and personal isolation,rather thanthe choice of a depressed person.A necessary companion to William Styrons classic? Darkness Visible, this profound, insightful work sheds light on the tragedy and mystery of suicide, offering solace that may save lives.