Holden, After and Before: Love Letter for a Son Lost to Overdose is a deeply personal exploration of grief in the wake of the opioid crisis. Written by a mother for her son Holden, a young graffiti artist who died at twenty-one, it traces his life and death with unflinching tenderness.
Moving back and forth through time, the book weaves together fact, investigation, memory, imagination, and reconstruction. In searching for the full story of Holden’s life, the author also confronts the many silences and missing pieces that surround trauma, addiction, and mental illness.
This poignant work examines the emotional landscape of loss while honouring a complex, creative young man. It offers a compassionate look at how families live with overdose, and how love persists in the aftermath of tragedy.
Themes and focus
- Grief and the ongoing process of mourning a child
- The human impact of the opioid crisis and overdose
- Mental illness, trauma, and creative expression
- A mother’s attempt to understand and remember her son’s life
Both intimate and reflective, this book will resonate with readers interested in memoirs of loss, addiction, and the ways love continues after death.
