Picture a man, a grown-up child, alone in a boat, surrounded by so many people, in his car, swimming through a stream, looking down on Oceans, fighting his way through swamps, whilst laying in his hospital bed, kidnapped by out of work, eastern European actors, choosing which door, waiting for a red can of coke cola while the hearse returns his mobile.
Holding your hand, he will sit you down and lead you through a vast array of different time zones and parts of the world, none of the scenarios will remain the same, but all have a common theme, none of which are of his own doing, but all come from deep down in the depths of his own sub-consciousness.
There is light and dark, up and down, confusion and mayhem, there is no chance of survival but everything to fight for. He will transport you from the first cough to the last stand via the wards, the morgue, the woods, the roads, the streams and seas, the bays and rays of the sun.
Each experience is a battle to survive just a bit longer, against an unseen foe, that we all came to loathe and fear, but you will join in the achievement of taking everything on and trying for the win, despite having the odds stacked greatly against us.
***
This is the story of one persons unwanted, unrequested journey once induced into a medical coma, due to Covid19, and instead of his brain shutting down, as expected by the sedatives, it sprang immediately into an unending nightmare of experiences, yes, experiences, as that is exactly what he did, he believed he really was in each of these scenarios that he was plunged into.
The ‘dreams’, not an accurate description of them, but that is truly what they were, were weird beyond belief, horrific beyond compare, long and tedious, the boredom could be unrelenting but interspersed with the highs and lows of a full gambit of emotions.
These tales will remain front and centre of his memory for the rest of his days.
This memoir was published on 10 October 2025 is available now on Amazon and is also available on KindleUnlimited.
Curious to see what other readers think? You can find reviews and ratings on Goodreads, and follow the book tour via Zooloo’s Book Tours.
About The Author
At the age of 59, Alan’s life was irrevocably altered by 5 weeks in a Covid coma, forcing him to retire from train driving early and concentrate on his recovery and thinking about writing.
His early career as a Writer in the Royal Navy and then as a Sports Photographer has clearly influenced his writing style, giving him a journalists eye but with an irreverent slant to things.
He has taken what started out as therapeutic meanderings and his desire to write, quickly took over and turned his Cognitive Behavioural Therapy into his debut book
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sixweeksinjanuary
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sixweeksinjanuarybyalanpearson/
My Review
Between Consciousness and Survival: Six Weeks in January
Six Weeks in January is a memoir, but it doesn’t read like one in the traditional sense. It documents a very real experience, a COVID-induced coma, yet reading it feels like being gently, and sometimes uncomfortably, led through someone else’s inner world. These are not imagined dreams or retrospective interpretations, but experiences lived and believed at the time, and that truth gives the book its quiet power.
There is something both intimate and unsettling about spending so long inside another person’s subconscious. The settings shift without warning, time stretches and folds in on itself, and the logic of events often dissolves. As a reader, I found myself feeling disoriented, emotionally tired, and occasionally unsure of my footing – and then realising that this mirrored the author’s own lack of control. Rather than pushing the reader away, that shared vulnerability creates a strange sense of closeness.
What struck me most was the honesty of the telling. The author doesn’t try to smooth these experiences into a coherent story or impose meaning where there may be none. Moments of fear sit alongside long stretches of boredom; flashes of hope are followed by confusion or exhaustion. It feels deeply human in its refusal to perform or explain itself, and that makes the memoir feel trustworthy and sincere.
Reading this book felt, at times, like being allowed to witness something private. There were moments where I became aware of how rare it is to be given access to someone else’s inner battles in this way — not filtered through metaphor or hindsight, but shared as they were felt. The surreal elements may read like fiction, but the emotional truth underneath them never wavers. This is not a comforting book, but it is a compassionate one. Six Weeks in January offers a rare and personal insight into the psychological experience of severe illness and survival, and into the lingering imprint such experiences leave behind. It stayed with me not because of dramatic moments or clear resolutions, but because of the way it quietly asks the reader to sit with uncertainty, vulnerability, and resilience.
#AlanPearson #SixWeeksInJanuary
#ZooloosBookTours #BookReview
See About My Reviews and Review FAQ for full star rating explanations and review guidelines. This review may also appear on my social media channels and selected book platforms. All links were correct at the time of publication. Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book via Zooloo’s Book Tours. This review reflects my own reading experience. This review is original content. Please credit and link back if you wish to quote.
© 2026 MoMoBookDiary
MoMoBookDiary 
Leave a reply to Zooloo’s Book Tours Cancel reply