As he grappled to come to terms with the diagnosis of a physically crippling disease, his body swiftly declined until he was finally completely paralysed with no voice. But his mind remained untouched. He was trapped within his body.

Imagine being delivered a death sentence. You are told you have an incurable, fatal disease. Everything you understand about your life is turned upside-down. Your mind is forced to deal with the consequences. How would you view your time? It would all feel like a horrible dream. This, though, is no dream. This is just where the nightmare begins.

The Silent Scream: Living with the Beast is the story of a fit, healthy man who is suddenly struck down. A man dedicated and passionate about nature, forced to suffer at its hands in isolation as he journeys through the last months of his life. It is the dramatised true story of the silent and savage journey of the author’s father and their family, battling against Motor Neurone Disease.

Using the backdrop of nature in this book, written by the author but read through the eyes of her father, the vileness of this disease is magnified. Inspired by the work of Mervyn Peake, William Golding and Peter Ackroyd, The Silent Scream will appeal to anyone who enjoys short stories and true life events.

“This is the abrupt end to my father’s life. It is also a testament to the love my parents had for each other as they tried to fight ‘the Beast’ together until he finally had to let go. As I witnessed the fear and pain that he suffered as he fought to come to terms with his reality, I made a commitment to write about his experience,” the author comments on her inspiration behind The Silent Scream.