Author: Catherine Gildiner
Genre: Nonfiction / Psychology / Memoir
Ideal For: Readers who love real-life emotional stories, psychological insight, and stories of quiet resilience
Some books break your heart. Others help you understand it. Good Morning, Monster does both—often on the same page. In this unforgettable work of narrative nonfiction, psychologist Catherine Gildiner shares the stories of five of the most remarkable patients she ever treated. Each one has lived through unthinkable trauma. Each one finds, over time, a way to fight for healing.
This isn’t a clinical textbook. It’s a collection of deeply human stories told with warmth, empathy, and honesty. It left me wrecked in the best possible way—and reminded me how incredibly resilient people can be.
Why I Picked It Up
I came across Good Morning, Monster after it started making quiet waves in therapist circles and book clubs. A therapist’s memoir told through five deeply personal case studies? I was instantly intrigued. And when I saw it described as “Educated meets Maybe You Should Talk to Someone,” I was all in.
Plot Summary (Spoiler-Free)
The book is centered on five real clients Gildiner worked with during her decades-long career as a clinical psychologist. She calls them “heroes,” and it’s easy to see why. Each chapter focuses on one person’s emotional journey: from childhood trauma to adult dysfunction and eventually, slow steps toward recovery.
We meet:
- Laura, a woman raised in extreme emotional isolation who builds a life entirely disconnected from her own feelings.
- Peter, a successful businessman whose father’s violent abuse casts a shadow over every relationship.
- Alana, who grew up parentified, mothering her own mentally unstable mother.
- Madeline, an academic with a secret past she’s buried so deeply she no longer knows who she really is.
- And Danny, a kind, sensitive man with learning disabilities and a heartbreaking vulnerability that makes him a target again and again.
Each story is told with care—never exploitative, always respectful. And each one will stay with you long after the final page.
Why It Works So Well
1. Unflinching, But Never Unkind
Gildiner doesn’t sugarcoat the pain. The abuse, neglect, and emotional trauma her patients endured are devastating. But she never writes to shock. She writes to understand. There’s no sensationalism here—just truth, told with grace.
She also brings in her own vulnerabilities—her biases, mistakes, and moments of growth as a therapist. It’s rare to see a clinician pull back the curtain this way, and it makes the book even more powerful.
2. Real-Life Resilience, More Moving Than Fiction
These aren’t just stories of suffering; they’re stories of strength. Watching each client move through years of trauma to find small, hard-earned breakthroughs is incredibly moving. There’s no perfect healing, no glossy epiphany—but there is change. And that feels more honest than any fairytale ending.
By the final chapter, you realise just how strong the human spirit really is—and how healing often looks like showing up, again and again.
3. Accessible, Compelling Storytelling
Despite the heavy themes, Good Morning, Monster reads like a novel. Gildiner is a natural storyteller, weaving background, emotion, and psychological insight seamlessly. You don’t need a psych degree to understand it—just an open heart.
You’ll Love This Book If You Enjoy…
- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb – for its intimate, therapist-narrated stories
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk – for a deeper look at trauma and healing
- The Seven O’Clock Club – for a narrative rooted in human connection and the courage it takes to look grief right in the eye—and to keep going.
- Educated by Tara Westover – for its portrayal of resilience in the face of extreme upbringing
- The Choice by Dr. Edith Eger – for profound emotional strength and trauma survival
Final Thoughts: Deeply Human, Deeply Important
Good Morning, Monster is the kind of book that doesn’t just touch your heart—it gently opens it. With empathy and clarity, Catherine Gildiner brings us face to face with five people who have survived the unthinkable, and reminds us that healing, while never linear, is possible.
This is a book I’ll recommend to everyone. This is especially for those who’ve been through hard things, who love someone who has, or who just want to understand a little more about how humans survive, cope, and grow.
It’s beautiful, emotional, and quietly heroic.
