The Episode Audiobook By Mary Ann Kenny cover art

The Episode

A True Story of Loss, Madness and Healing

Pre-order: Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Episode

By: Mary Ann Kenny
Pre-order: Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Pre-order for $30.54

Pre-order for $30.54

Confirm pre-order
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

It could happen to anyone.


One fine April day, Mary Ann Kenny’s husband died suddenly while jogging near their family home. In the months that followed, Mary Ann – who had no history of mental illness – began suffering from depression, and then from a terrifying succession of physical and psychological symptoms, including the delusion that her young children had been harmed by her medications.

In this gripping memoir, Mary Ann details her descent into psychosis, her hopitalization, and her inspiring journey back to health and happiness. Drawing on her detailed medical files and on her own recollections, she has created a day-by-day account of what it is like to lose touch with reality while dealing with grief and living in the dreadful knowledge that everything you care about in life is under threat. And The Episode tells the inspiring story of how Mary Ann recovered from her illness, came to terms with her trauma, and spoke truth to the health service about the limitations of medical psychiatry. It reminds us that anyone could end up in Mary Ann’s situation, while also showing that recovery and happiness are possible even after severe mental illness.

Written with the pace of a thriller and the insight of a great psychological novel, The Episode is a brilliant act of personal reclamation and an essential read for anyone who is interested in the workings of the mind.

'A must-read: it hits you right in the heart' Katriona O'Sullivan, author of Poor

'A deeply moving, often terrifying account of grief, illness, and recovery, this vivid memoir carries the reader so close to its unfolding events that it quickens the breath.' Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat

''The Episode
is a deeply insightful, clear-sighted and immersive account of grief and psychosis. It would be harrowing if not so beautifully written. I've never read anything quite like it.' Patrick Freyne, author of OK, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea

© Mary Ann Kenny 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Educators Medical Mental Health Mood Disorders People with Disabilities Psychology

What listeners say about The Episode

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.