These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.

This harrowing memoir from novelist Donald Antrim is a potent examination of survival, recovery and setbacks, coalescing into a piercing argument that suicide should be reframed as its own mental illness. Antrim begins by describing a day in 2006 in which he came close to suicide. He then moves forward and backward from this moment, unveiling all that led him to this point and what happened in its aftermath. Not only does Antrim bravely delve into his own experiences, he also creates an urgent and important call to change the dialogue around suicide.

Buy Now: One Friday in April on Bookshop | Amazon

If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. In emergencies, call 911 or seek care from a local hospital or mental-health provider.

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com.

EDIT POST