I don’t normally give book recommendations, but after reading Hadley Freeman’s book, Good Girls, A Story and Study of Anorexia, I was blown away! It isn’t just another story about a girl with an eating disorder (which are also important and needed), but it is really a story of evolution of the understanding of a personal journey as well as one about eating disorders. It is covered with great insight and depth. The book is painfully honest, poignant, and candid, but also incredibly insightful and wise.

From understanding the triggers of what precipitated the onset of her anorexia nervosa, to the various hospital stays, therapists, doctors, and peer’s perspectives, Freeman offers facts, opinions, scientific research, and much personal observation. She is non-judgmental in how she presents the old thinking and the new. It is a deep dive into the consciousness and mind of someone struggling with anorexia nervosa, their journey through it, what that looks like, and how it can manifest in other areas of the person’s life. It was extremely relatable and allows the reader to feel the struggle right along with her.

I personally enjoyed the evolution of the research and the interaction between various treatment providers and interventions. It allowed the reader access to a patient’s perspective, but also that of the provider. Freeman interviewed top people in the field of eating disorder research and practice, and she shares not only her own experiences with them, but also interviews others that had been in treatment with her years before and their evolution and form of recovery. She touches on all areas of illness; the triggers, the onset, the evolution, and the road to recovery.

Fortunately, Freeman’s story has a happy ending in that she is now living a healthy, productive, and content life, but her journey was painful, heavy-going, and lots of hard work. I think it conveys just how insidious, devious, and stealthy eating disorders can be, but it also shows the side of the families who suffer along with their child or their sibling. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about eating disorders, or just wants to read an extremely well-written and compelling book!