Prepare yourself for this beautiful, inspiring, and extraordinary tale of triumph over adversity. Out April 2015.
From the halls of Harvard to the beds of the psych ward
“In the space of five years, I went from graduating at Harvard to becoming a psych patient. I overcame the stranglehold of depression and chose not to die. Instead, I embraced life only to discover I am a good Greek girl at heart, albeit an unconventional one. This is my story.”
Written from the heart and with integrity, The Good Greek Girl is Maria Katsonis’ story – it’s an intimate portrayal of mental illness that will move readers to laugh, cry, gasp and smile.
Maria explains that she wrote The Good Greek Girl to de-stigmatise mental illness and give voice to the lived experience of depression, “I also wanted to provide an insight into Greek-Australian culture, cultural stereotypes and convention from a female perspective.”
Maria Katsonis is the good Greek girl who grew up above her parents’ Melbourne milk bar and shared a bedroom with her yiayia – until university, where she discovered her rebellious side, realised her true sexuality and abandoned nine-tenths of an economics degree for a career in the theatre.
After finally finding the courage to come out as a lesbian to her Greek Orthodox family and community, Maria’s reveal was not received as planned and she was eventually ostracized by her family and culture.
Maria embraced her independence and aimed extremely high with her achievements, including attending Harvard University and graduating with a Masters of Public Administration – however, five years later she found herself alone on a bed in a white psych ward fighting for her life.
Experiencing a complete mental breakdown that shattered her professional and personal identity, Maria is now a senior executive in the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, an ambassador for beyondblue and advocate with the Australia Council for Mental Health,
Maria has more than conquered the forces that held her back – she owns them.
While she now lives with a chronic mental illness, Maria Katsonis leads an active, meaningful and extraordinary life – her story of triumph over adversity is nothing short of inspiring.
Released April 2015
Publisher Jane Curry Publishing
Price AU $32.95, NZ $36.95 and UK £19.95
