Pure, Rose Cartwright

Synopsis:

Rose Cartwright has OCD, but not as you know it. Pure is the true story of her ten-year struggle with Pure O , a little-known form of the condition, which causes her to experience intrusive sexual thoughts of shocking intensity. It is a brave and frequently hilarious account of a woman who refused to give up, despite being undermined at every turn by her obsessions and enduring years of misdiagnosis and failed therapies.

Eventually, the love of family and friends, and Rose's own courage and sense of humour prevailed, inspiring this deeply felt and beautifully written memoir. At its core is a lesson for all of us: when it comes to being happy with who we are, there are no neat conclusions.

‘And here, in the nebula of uncertainty, with a beautiful woman in front of me and a beautiful man in my arms, with my heart finally open to all the ambiguity and all the insecurity and all the doubts in the world, I feel pure.’

Review:

Pure was an incredible well written biography. Until reading this specific novel, I was not aware of Pure-O. Pure O, like any type of OCD could have damaging levels of effect on individual's lives. However, most aspects of Rose's experiences are highly relatable to anyone who has ever experienced any mental health difficulties.

This biography is written with so much raw material. While feeling the raw effects of her experiences, you can't seem to miss the hilarious aspects of her explanations or situations. It has a sense of fiction instead of a biography. Rose have lived her life doubting her sexuality, only to find out that she is complete and her mind has been playing tricks on her mind for years. She learned to accept and deal with her intrusive thoughts

While reading Pure, you can imagine yourself as Rose and imagine what your life could have been if you have experienced similar intrusive thoughts. This book was eye-opening. We need more books to educate people on mental health and make it a common topic to be able to talk about instead of a taboo area.

“ ‘All these things we talk about every week like imperfection, ambiguity, uncertainty, unhappiness, even - they’re all part of everyone’s life. You think getting better is synonymous with banishing those things, but it’s not, you’ve got to learn to accept them.’ ”

One of the best books, I have ever read in my life and I will forever appreciate Rose for sharing her experiences in such a raw format. Mental health is still a taboo to be discussed, but in the 21st Century we need more individuals like Rose to share their experiences and start a discussion.