Ferndale Student’s Book Weaves Personal Experiences with Mental Health Resources
(Lara Mossa, July 9. 2020)
Ferndale, MI- Jada Charley has been journaling since she was in grade school. The University High School senior turned her passion of writing into a book.
“It gives me peace, and I like the way I put words together,” she said. “And it gives me a clear understanding of what’s going on.”
This spring, Charley self-published a nonfiction book called Tear-Stained Pages. The 88-page book is about teenagers going through different relationships and their mental health.
“I like that I finally opened up and that my words can help others,” said Charley who is a student at University High School in Ferndale Schools and a part-time pupil at Oakland Community College in Royal Oak.
She started working on the book in December when she was going through a breakup with a boyfriend. She based the book on many of her personal experiences but also talked to other teenagers and researched mental health to provide statistics.
“It really filled my heart,” she said of the project. “I was someone people naturally gravitated to for advice. Through this book, I could reach more people and help them get through what I was going through.”
To help her get through the breakup, Charley said she put more love into herself by exercising, getting a new job and doing self-care routines. After ending the three-year on and off relationship, she made a point of going more places and getting out more, she added.
“I was young when I met him,” she said. “It’s the first relationship I took seriously.”
Charley finished the book in May and self-published it through Amazon. For $20, the book is available on her website www.tearstainedpages.bigcartel.com.
This is not the first time she has completed a manuscript. Charley also wrote a fiction piece when she was 10, but that was never published. Called Taken, it was a story about a girl getting kidnapped, she said.
Describing herself as someone who likes helping people and is goal-oriented, Charley enjoys cooking and baking and plans to become a nurse. She also works two jobs – one at a fast-food restaurant in Detroit and another through the Growing Detroit Young Talent program, which provides summer job experiences for students.
“What I want people to get from my book is I want them to learn self-love and self-worth and healthy attachments,” she said. “I want them to know it’s okay to talk about their problems.”
Image: ©Makini Kweli/KiniBini Photography, LLC