Past the Dark Field”- A Thought-Provoking Collection of Stories

Last September, I stumbled upon a book that had been gathering dust on my shelf for far too long. Its title, “Past the Dark Field” by Sheila van den Heuvel Collins, intrigued me enough to finally crack it open The book was published in 2019. Heuvel Collins published another fictional book about MAPs that same year. I don’t remember exactly where I learned about the book but I know it had to be from some MAP forum. Even though I brought it a year ago for some reason I forgot to pick it up to read… that was until recently. The book consists of eleven short stories about eleven different MAPs. All of them are “non-offending and anti-contact”. It deals with common issues MAPs go through. There is nothing sexually explicit in the book but it does deal with depression, suicide, death threats, and homicide. After reading this book I can definitely say that I’m glad I brought it because I really enjoyed reading it. I found it relatable at times and also heartbreaking at other points. Heuvel Collins’ writing style is both engaging and thought-provoking, allowing readers to delve deep into the minds and hearts of these individuals. I would love to see this book gain more attention, not just in the MAP community but in mainstream literature discussion groups. I honestly think it would be great if this book was read in high school but I’m probably going ahead with myself when I think like that. It would make for an interesting subject to learn about in school and discuss. This blog will provide a review of the book. A spoiler-free version and a spoiler-filled version. Hopefully it spark someone’s interest into checking out this book too.