Hyperion Signs Book Deal With Brooke Shields

Posted on May 28, 2004

Hyperion has announced plans to publish a book by actress Brooke Shields in which she will discuss her experience with post-partum depression. The book, to be titled Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Post Partum Depression, is scheduled for publication in Spring, 2005.

In her new book, Brooke will share her experience as a new mother. Following the birth of her daughter, she fell into a deep and troubling depression that lasted months. She'll discuss how it affected her family, friends, marriage and daughter, as well as her self-image. In recovering from the depression, she found that many new parents, male and female, biological and adoptive, suffer from this same depression. Brooke will use her own experience as a catalyst to show that it's not unusual and the best way to combat it is to recognize early signs and to seek the various methods of help.

"By sharing my experience," Brooke Shields said, "I hope to shed light on a real, yet often hidden or ignored problem that affects women of all walks of life in varying degrees. I also hope that by being honest about the fear, shock, and shame I felt, it will help others avoid the pitfall of post-partum depression and open up a community of support."

The announcement was made by Hyperion president Bob Miller, who negotiated the deal with Brillstein-Grey Management and John Kimble. Executive editor Mary Ellen O'Neill will be the editor for the book. Hyperion retains North American, first serial, and audio rights.

Bob Miller said, "Women with post-partum depression not only struggle with the debilitating effects of this illness, they also must struggle with the shame they feel for not living up to society's expectations of maternal bliss. By speaking out honestly about her experience, Brooke Shields will make it safer for millions of women to share their own stories -- and to get help when it is needed."

Hyperion, which was founded in 1991, publishes general-interest fiction and non-fiction hardcover, trade, and mass-market paperback books for adults and includes the Talk Miramax, ESPN Books, ABC Daytime Press, Hyperion East, Theia, and Hyperion AudioBooks imprints. Hyperion is the adult trade book publishing unit of ABC, Inc.