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utahmomreads's review against another edition
5.0
Harriet Brown's daughter Kitty is fourteen years old when she and her husband realize that something is very wrong. Kitty refuses to eat and is losing weight rapidly. When Kitty ends up in ICU, they understand that the problem is severe and Kitty is diagnosed with anorexia.
Instead of sending Kitty to a live-in rehabilitation center, Harriet and her husband decide to try Family Based Therapy (FBT) also known as the Maudsley approach to help Kitty overcome the anorexia demon that has taken over.
Brown has thoroughly researched eating disorders and includes all the current medical understanding of the disease. Using scientific evidence and her own experiences with anorexia, she details how Family Based Therapy, (essentially putting the parents in charge of refeeding the sick child) can have positive effects on the recovery of the child. In several instances of the book I was reminded of one of the basic truths of parenting -- that children (even teenagers) desire and need parents to set strong rules and boundaries for their children. Parents love their children and should be trusted more to make the right choices in regards to their children's health.
Though the fight is hard and Kitty has relapses, they are successful in helping Kitty gain weight and lead a productive life.
This memoir is well written and very readable. It can be a valuable resource for families struggling under the grips of this horrible disease. It offers what they need most -- hope.
Instead of sending Kitty to a live-in rehabilitation center, Harriet and her husband decide to try Family Based Therapy (FBT) also known as the Maudsley approach to help Kitty overcome the anorexia demon that has taken over.
Brown has thoroughly researched eating disorders and includes all the current medical understanding of the disease. Using scientific evidence and her own experiences with anorexia, she details how Family Based Therapy, (essentially putting the parents in charge of refeeding the sick child) can have positive effects on the recovery of the child. In several instances of the book I was reminded of one of the basic truths of parenting -- that children (even teenagers) desire and need parents to set strong rules and boundaries for their children. Parents love their children and should be trusted more to make the right choices in regards to their children's health.
Though the fight is hard and Kitty has relapses, they are successful in helping Kitty gain weight and lead a productive life.
This memoir is well written and very readable. It can be a valuable resource for families struggling under the grips of this horrible disease. It offers what they need most -- hope.
yiddish_anarchist's review against another edition
1.0
Horrid. I got chills remembering my own childhood. I hope this child gets a good therapist in adulthood.
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
1.0
i first read this memoir because the therapist i was seeing at the time mandated that i read it--but i was 15 then and focused almost entirely in my reading on the small sections where we got to hear "kitty" speak. however, this scathing review, which i came across while importing books into gr most recently, alerted me to many of the flaws of this book, and harriet brown's take on her daughter's eating disorder more generally.
also, this work falls into the category of "someone i know is sick and i'm upset about it"--which is never fun.
misspudding's review against another edition
4.0
This book takes the parent approach to eating disorders. Pretty interesting and useful information.
elainewlin's review against another edition
5.0
I used to have an eating disorder, orthorexia (an obsession with healthy eating), that remained relatively hidden. I appreciate that the author took the time to share such a personal story, and I found it a touching account of how having an eating disorder affects the people around you.
I notice that more cynical reviews blame the mother for the daughter's problem. Family circumstances and environment do contribute to the development of eating disorders, but it's not entirely fair to villainize the mother. These problems are hard to notice and fix, and ultimately, only the daughter can cure her own eating disorder.
I notice that more cynical reviews blame the mother for the daughter's problem. Family circumstances and environment do contribute to the development of eating disorders, but it's not entirely fair to villainize the mother. These problems are hard to notice and fix, and ultimately, only the daughter can cure her own eating disorder.
c_mittas's review against another edition
5.0
Great
I'm a recovering anorexic. I loved this. took because it was so real and I could so easily connect with kitty. every thing that takes place in this book is something that I myself have gone through and still endure . everyday that voice is there...but you just have.to try to.ignore it .. . great book
I'm a recovering anorexic. I loved this. took because it was so real and I could so easily connect with kitty. every thing that takes place in this book is something that I myself have gone through and still endure . everyday that voice is there...but you just have.to try to.ignore it .. . great book
jdemarest's review against another edition
5.0
I really appreciate the way Brown blends her personal narrative with a thoughtful roundup of scientific studies to illustrate the effects of eating disorders on the body, both physically and mentally. While no ED story is ever going to be a single truth, this could be very helpful for friends and family to better understand what it’s like. As always, if you do struggle with an eating disorder yourself, exercise caution when reading, and don’t put yourself or your wellbeing at risk.
blbdennis's review against another edition
5.0
This book written by the mother of a teenager with an eating disorder, is one I have recommended to families touched by this disease. It is a harrowing, heartwrenching journey of trying to help someone who doesn't want to be helped. This book is for the caregivers the ones fighting that ED voice that has taken over their child's life and to be frank is trying to kill their child. If you know someone supporting a loved one with an eating disorder this book is well researched but written as a novel to reach out to those struggling to keep their loved ones alive.
stinamirabilis's review against another edition
1.0
I'm going to begin with the one aspect of this book that was actually good: Harriet Brown's journalistic background. It was clear that she consulted a huge variety of sources, and particularly the information on the neurochemical and biochemical processes in an eating disordered individual made for very interesting and informative reading, something that I think most other eating disorder memoirs lack.
Unfortunately, that's pretty much the only good point.
Before even beginning this I felt a bit squeamish at the idea of a woman writing a memoir about her experiences of her daughter's eating disorder. I can't really think of a better way to make something so completely about oneself, when really the focus should be on the daughter. She spends so much time reassuring the reader that she's not like "those other mothers" of children with eating disorders, insists that she isn't overbearing and controlling and helicoptery as is so often the case in families with eating disordered children - and then goes on to demonstrate exactly how ridiculously overbearing she is. Her daughter Kitty, is fourteen years old - not an adult, sure, but certainly not a small child either, and yet that is exactly the way Harriet treats her. She is depicted as a baby. If this book had been written by my mother about me, I'd be mortified.
Harriet also insists over and over that Family-Based Treatment is the best option for eating disorders, and I strongly disagree, particularly for those helicopter mums, which Harriet so clearly is, in spite of her insistence to the contrary.
Just, basically, I am mortified by this entire book. So much secondhand embarrassment.
Unfortunately, that's pretty much the only good point.
Before even beginning this I felt a bit squeamish at the idea of a woman writing a memoir about her experiences of her daughter's eating disorder. I can't really think of a better way to make something so completely about oneself, when really the focus should be on the daughter. She spends so much time reassuring the reader that she's not like "those other mothers" of children with eating disorders, insists that she isn't overbearing and controlling and helicoptery as is so often the case in families with eating disordered children - and then goes on to demonstrate exactly how ridiculously overbearing she is. Her daughter Kitty, is fourteen years old - not an adult, sure, but certainly not a small child either, and yet that is exactly the way Harriet treats her. She is depicted as a baby. If this book had been written by my mother about me, I'd be mortified.
Harriet also insists over and over that Family-Based Treatment is the best option for eating disorders, and I strongly disagree, particularly for those helicopter mums, which Harriet so clearly is, in spite of her insistence to the contrary.
Just, basically, I am mortified by this entire book. So much secondhand embarrassment.
hbrown's review against another edition
4.0
This book was really beneficial for me to read. I could really relate to the family in the book, in fact it was scary how much I could see myself and my family in that situation. To my joy, this book was not very triggering to me. It was actually the opposite, it was quite inspiring and motivating. The book was well written and I devoured it in a day. Would recommend to those suffering from or the families of those suffering from anorexia.