'Tis the season!
© Heather Mudgett.
In an effort to assist you with your gift shopping endeavors, I have put together a list of interesting and informative books that deal with eating disorders. For a friend or loved one, or even for yourself, these books are sure to expand your knowledge and understanding of eating disorders. Now, keep in mind that the titles I list below are just a few of the many that are available. For a more complete list, you can visit AMAZON.COM or BARNESandNOBLE.COM and do a quick search for "eating disorder," "anorexia," "bulimia," or "body image."
OK, let's start with a few NOVELS about eating disorders:
The Best Little Girl in the World and its sequel, Kessa, are by Steven Levenkron. Both follow the lives of a teenage girl who is struggling with anorexia. I read The Best Little Girl about 10 years ago, and remember being astounded that Levenkron was able to describe so well the confusion, sadness and despair that is a part of an eating disorcer. Levenkron is a doctor who specializes in eating disorders and similar disorders (including obsessive compulsive disorder and self mutiliation). His fiction writing makes for very easy and fast reading. In addition to the titles I've mentioned, he has written other fiction and non-fiction which is definitly worth looking into.
Hunger Point by Jillian Medoff follows the lives of two sisters who find family and social pressures lead them to eating disorders. Hunger Point is the author's first novel, and she does a commendable job of giving her reader a glimpse into the sad and painful life of a seriously dysfunctional family and two sisters who find their only outlet is their eating disorders. Her well written tale proves to be both humurous and tragic.
The Passion of Alice by Stephanie Grant follows the progress of Alice, a 25-year-old anorexia patient, during her inpatient treatment. Her issues, passions and relationships with others are vividly described and well explored. This is a complex and interesting story, which explores the concerns women have with their body image.
If you enjoy reading BIOGRAPHIES, here are a few that you might find interesting:
Wasted is Marya Hornbacher's memoir of anorexia and bulimia has been hailed by many as a no-nonsense look at the ugly sides of eating disorders. The New York Times Book Review calls it "A gritty, unflinching look at eating disorders....written from the raw, disintegrated center of young pain....Hornbacher describes [such phenomena] with a stark candor that captures both their pain and underlying purposes....She is wise beyond her years."
