COMMENTS FROM EARLY READERS OF SOONER THAN TOMORROW — A MOTHER'S DIARY ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS, FAMILY, & EVERYDAY LIFE

"I've read Sooner Than Tomorrow twice. Thank you. I'm enlightened and now know that I don't need to accept blame or blame anyone at all anymore. Mental illness just is. It's not my son's fault or mine or his doctor’s or anything. It just is. I pray that God hears me when I sometimes cry out overwhelmed. That's when I remember you and your son and your words of wisdom through experiences so similar to mine. I'm thankful for the many ways your book has changed me and the way I think and manage my life. Dede, I can't begin to thank you enough.” - Francie VanZandt — A Mother

"This is Dede Ranahan's very affecting account of what it's like to be aging and struggling to parent an adult son with mental illness. A spectacular memoir." - Ann Hedrick, Editor and University of California Faculty

"This story touches every emotion. You'll feel happy, wistful, sad, angry, infuriated, passionate, and sympathetic. I confess that there were times I became emotional. My heart aches for the author, her son, for my son, and for myself. Once I picked the book up, I couldn't put it down until the final word was read." - A Mother, Pat West Guinn, Lincoln, CA

"We hear the words, 'gun violence and mental illness' used together everyday. How often do we hear the words 'love and mental illness' used together? In your memoir, love and mental illness are inextricable." - A Grandmother, Wishes to remain Anonymous

"It's beautiful. I couldn't stop crying." - A Mother, Kathy Hayes, Prunedale, CA

"Wow!  Your book is wonderful. For one thing, you do what you say you're going to do — write about your life, day by day. I think the value of your story is exactly that. I love your humorous remarks and the dialogue with your granddaughters! The situation with your son tears my heart apart. On reading some of the days I could barely breathe. Your involvement with the mental health establishment and your support group add a very important connection to the larger world. I think even parents of "perfect" children, and most certainly mothers, will relate to your anguish." - A Mother, Mary Lyn Rusmore-Villaume, Portland, Oregon

"Inspiring, insightful, even delightful, in the face of overwhelming tragedy...a candid look at the challenges of dealing with mental illness in adult children." - A Sister, Rosemary Sarka, Santa Cruz, CA

"Dede's memoir was a pleasure to read, it flowed with ease from day to day. The story showed a mother's struggle with her son's mental illness, but throughout there were excerpts of humor, conversations with granddaughters Ayla and Regan, and family trips. I enjoyed reading Patrick's poetry and getting to know him. Dede showed love, kindness, and concern for her son in facing his daily life, which ended too soon." - A Mother, Irene Underwood, Grass Valley, CA

Finalist: 2016 San Francisco Writer's Conference Memoir Contest
Finalist: 2016 Writer's Digest Writing Competition
Finalist: 2017 New Millennium Writings 43rd Literary Awards Competition: Nonfiction
Finalist: 2019 Book Excellence Awards
Winner: 2019 Nautilus Book Awards - Gold