Felixstowe dad's novel flips perspective on mental health

Iain Maitland published Dear Michael, Love Dad in 2016 to huge acclaim, with critics praising the book for helping to tackle the stigma surrounding men’s mental health.

The book takes the shape of a series of letters Iain wrote to his son, who was living away from home at university in Norwich. 

Unbeknownst to his family, Michael was struggling hugely with clinical depression and severe anxiety. 

This was a theme Mr Maitland revisited in Out of the Madhouse in 2018, which documents Michael’s time in hospital.  

Mr Maitland's first book, Dear Michael, Love Dad was published in 2016. Image: Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

Since then, Mr Maitland has become known for his best-selling psychological thrillers, and now has a string of titles to his name. 

For his upcoming novel, The Old Man, His Dog and Their Longest Journey, Mr Maitland is returning to the theme of mental health – this time, from a new perspective. 

• READ MORE: Laxfield named one of the greatest villages in the UK
• READ MORE: Wickham Market man reunited with his family in America

The main character, Ian, is in his early 50s and struggling with redundancy, illness, and the prospect of becoming a grandfather. He decides to take a short walk from his home in Felixstowe with his loyal dog, Bernard.  

Mr Maitland said that this latest novel is semi-autobiographical. Image: Vellum Publishing (Image: Vellum Publishing)

However, this walk turns into Ian’s longest journey yet, both physically and mentally, and culminates, and culminates with him standing on the cliffs at Hunstanton in Norfolk, facing his “final reckoning”. 

“There’s such a lot of focus on teenage mental health, and quite rightly so,” said Mr Maitland. “There’s an acceptance that parental figures will always be there, rocksteady, and we’ll always have the answers, which is rarely the case. 

“At times, you need to take a step back and say, I need a bit of time for myself, because I’m taking the weight of the world on my shoulders.” 

The Old Man, His Dog and Their Longest Journey will be released on June 9.