I SWEAR

From the remarkable man whose life inspired the heartstopping film I Swear a book that offers extraordinary insight into what it s like to live with a severe form of Tourette s Syndrome a fascinating complex condition that s more common than most of us think 1 in 100 schoolchildren have the condition and yet is chronically misunderstood Born in the 1970s on the Scottish Borders John s was ten when his tics first arrived as if from nowhere Previously a happy popular football mad boy he was labelled disruptive rude and even mad As his condition progressed from blinks and jerks to involuntary rude and obscene shouting John was bullied rejected alienated from his family and a society that had no idea what to make of him Hospitalized and drugged for months it was only an extraordinary and transformative friendship and John s dogged optimism that turned his life around making I Swear an inspirational story of triumph over adversity Through John s eyes we see Tourette s not just as a medical condition but as a lens through which we can all better understand the importance of human connection And how essential as well as ultimately rewarding it can be to keep going and never give up