Local Lismore writer Amie Weekes, this week launches her debut memoir Anxiety is a Bitch … and so are Lunchboxes, a tale of modern mothering and mental health.

In a style that blends humour and raw honesty, Amie tells the story of a stress-free 101-day family road trip around Australia – a ‘Blockie’ as her family calls it – from the Northern Rivers through four states and two territories. 

On the trip, she contends with her unravelling mental health, her unattainable ideas of perfect motherhood and a fragile marriage as she traverses unsealed roads with insufficient bra support.

The book began as a humorous blog for family and friends during the Blockie, but morphed into a book over the course of ten years. Like a road trip in the vast Australian landscape, the process of writing a book has been a long and healing one.

“When I started, I was dealing with some pretty significant mental health issues. Writing was a way for me to understand what was happening and also find my way through it,” she said. 

“My friends told me I should write a book. But I am not a writer, I am a nurse. I did every writing course I could locally; I travelled to Melbourne and Sydney and did courses online. Somewhere along the way, ideas started to become chapters and then a book sort of formed word by word. And at a certain point, you just have to put yourself out there.”

Her short story A Harbour was published in The Gathering of Kindness Anthology, published by Hambone Publishing. Kindness is a subject close to Amie’s heart.

“We need to be kind to mothers! Mothering is so hard these days. I don’t know when it got so complicated.”

“A lot has been done to de-stigmatise mental health issues and dismantle the fantasy of the perfect mother, but there is still a lot we can do.”

Amie concedes a road trip might not be the answer for everyone; however, she suggests being kinder to ourselves and each other might be a good start.

Anxiety is a Bitch … and so are Lunchboxes is available through Amie's website, amieweekes.com.au, where you can purchase with PayPal or PayID or at The Bookwarehouse.

The book will be launched at The Hotel Metropole, 98 Keen Street, Lismore, this Friday at 6pm. All are welcome.