Sorry, the paperback version is sold out.
However, the eBook for Kindle is available through Amazon (click here)
2nd hand copies of the paperback may also be available there
Any issues? Just email: jane@janemcullen.com
Synopsis
Benedict Marshall is a charismatic, articulate, award winning playwright. At 62, his life is altered dramatically in one week by two events - being diagnosed with Parkinson’s and meeting Nell, a much younger, out of work actress. They form an instant and unlikely close friendship. He shares his guilt and introspection about his past and the fear and isolation he feels in his own body, with Nell and she confides in him the insecurities and challenges she faces in her profession.
As they grow closer, Benedict valiantly battles against his Parkinson’s with black humour and charm, while trying to deny to his family and himself, his unspoken love for the young woman who everyone warns him can only be after his money.
But the novel also explores the close relationship between two retired men, Benedict and his next door neighbour Sidney and how their friendship supports and sustains both of them through a difficult year.
To read reviews on Amazon.co.uk: Click here
Podcast
Listen to Jane chat with Wayne Smith on the Olympia Boxing Podcast (1hr; August 2020). Provides background to the development of the book and the ongoing interaction with readers. Click here
Jane - on Parkinson’s
As an exercise specialist, Jane has specialized in supporting the less able to benefit from exercise through teaching Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi to many different groups, in particular those living with Parkinson's and MS. During the many years of teaching, Jane has loved meeting and getting to know those living with these long term medical conditions and considers them as friends. Jane says, 'I love them all. They are all inspiring. My novel has a hero who has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's and I did that because in my opinion, they are all heroes. They are all fighting their own hidden battle every day of their lives. The profits of all money raised from this book are going to Parkinson's charities or projects. Money is the only way to bring about a long awaited cure. The novel has quite a lot of humour in it but it doesn’t shy away from the realities of living with an illness like Parkinson's. “People should know what the reality is like and yet I wanted it to be uplifting aswell. I hope I have done all my friends with PD justice.”
Through self publishing her novel “Say That Again”, Jane has met and connected with people living with Parkinson's all over the world. “The reaction to my novel has been fantastic, more than I ever thought possible. The reviews on Amazon Kindle have completely bowled me over. Many people can't believe I have written a novel about a man recently diagnosed with Parkinson's and I've received so many emails from Canada, the US, France, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and all over Britain thanking me and telling me how much they loved it. It's been quite overwhelming. People don't expect to be laughing out loud when reading it, so that comes as a great surprise, but many of the people in my classes who live with Parkinson's have quite a black sense of humour and I wanted to reflect that. I have been all over the country giving talks about the novel to various groups and it's been interesting to hear that many people think Parkinson's is 'just' a tremor and it's so much more than that. The symptoms are often hidden. Raising awareness is vital. What I wanted to get over most of all is, although the diagnosis of a serious medical condition is terrifying at first, people continue to live their lives in the best way possible, often with a strength of mind and determination I can only marvel at.”
As Nell says to Benedict in Say That Again, 'It will never diminsh you. Don't you dare give up.'
Jane is available to give talks to Parkinson's groups about exercise and Parkinson's and about her novel, (please see contact email below). She also gives other talks on exercise and ageing, the role of exercise for mental and emotional wellbeing, Yoga and Yoga Therapy for Parkinson's and MS and Yoga Therapy for stress and depression.
CONTACT
Other Books:
“Looking for you” Click here
“A Secret Sky” Click here
“You’re not alone anymore” Click here
“Is Food A Weight On Your Mind” - available on Kindle only
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system mainly affecting the motor system. Early in the course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement-related; these include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait.
Later, thinking and behavioral problems may arise, with dementia commonly occurring in the advanced stages of the disease, and depression being the most common psychiatric symptom. Other symptoms include sensory, sleep, and emotional problems.
Michael J. Fox