The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing

Quiet your mind, and the silence will help you hear your inner voice—the one that says, “Stay strong enough to forgive, to heal, and to have hope.”

In her stirring, vulnerable new memoir, Karena Dawn reveals what it was like to grow up with a mother suffering from severe mental health issues, and how, during her teenage years, she desperately tried to escape her own inner demons. Addicted to pain-numbing drugs and crippled by severe depression, Karena learned how to use grief as a teacher, releasing herself from guilt and shame and finding the inner strength to go from abandonment to forgiveness, from hopelessness to healing.

Karena’s bold and brave memoir shows us how staying silent about mental illness only reinforces the stigma. At the heart of her story is the eternal struggle we all share—how to move past the pain and suffering of our personal battles to experience life’s joys. Through the healing power of nature, meditation, and fitness, Karena was able to forge a path to self-discovery and find peace.

Ultimately, The Big Silence reveals how a journey of self-love can lead to a renewed sense of identity and a life filled with hope and optimism.

PLEASE NOTE: The audiobook edition is read by Karena Dawn and features additional anecdotes and conversations that are exclusive to The Big Silence audiobook:

- Karena sits down with therapist Vasavi Kumar for “Therapy Sessions” after each part in the book, where she answers questions and decompresses about topics in the book.

- Includes original poetry read by Rachel Sahaidachny.

© 2025 FlashPoint (Audiobook): 9781544548456

Release date

Audiobook: May 6, 2025