Book summary

In this remarkably candid and sometimes heartbreaking memoir of her several unsuccessful attempts to become pregnant (agonizingly, she is informed of one pregnancy's failure seconds before she has to go on stage at an awards show), her eventual success, and its unexpected aftermath, actress and model Brooke Shields is at first joyful at the birth of her baby girl, Rowan. However, she is soon overcome by crippling postpartum depression, a condition that leaves her all but incapable of looking after the child. DOWN CAME THE RAIN, the story of her long, slow climb back to normality, is refreshingly free of self-pity. Shields is buoyed by the support of her husband, comedy writer Chris Henchy, and the invaluable help of her baby's nurse, who ministers to Shields as much as to her child. RAIN's ultimate message is that the many millions of women suffering symptoms like hers are not alone, as evidenced by the numerous stories of similar experiences and messages of support Shields has included here.

Media reviews

"This brave memoir doesn't shy away from Shields's most difficult moments, including her suicidal thoughts, clearly showing the despair postpartum depression can wreak."