Blog contests are great. I love them. I won another book through the monthly blog contest at LDS Publisher (all you have to do leave a comment and you get entered into the contest). This time I won A Future for Tomorrow, by Haley Hatch Freeman.
I'll be honest, I was suspicious of this book. It's non-fiction, and immediately that made me think, 'Dry, documentary-type.' Also, the subject is Haley's battle and victory over anorexia. I had the opinion that this topic has been over-written, over-dramatized, and over-done. I've read a number of books on the subject and doubted that Haley's book had anything new or important to add.
I was wrong. Haley's book, written in the first person, is as tense and dramatic as a thriller novel. And though the information she gave might not have been new, she portrayed it in an engaging, personal, and interesting way. In fact, the journey she took as a young girl into an eating disorder and how she clawed her way out of that pit will have you biting your nails, wondering how on earth this will work out. (I mean, you know it's going to, since she survived enough to write the book. Though that would be an interesting plot twist.)
The only thing I really didn't understand was why she had the first part of the book in backwards chronological order. She explained it in the preface, that she wanted to reader to see the depravity of the situation and view all of the decisions that led to it. But I found it disconcerting. I loved the narrative of part one, but couldn't wait for it to end so I could read the events in the order they occurred. Maybe it was just me. Go figure.
All in all, it was a great book. I recommend it for all, even if you think you know everything about surviving from an eating disorder. And kudos to Haley. It took a lot of guts and courage to come forth and bare her soul like that, open for judgment and ridicule alike.
Sequel Stats:
today's goal: 23,561
actual: 23,581 (+2,020)
tomorrow's goal: 25,581
6 comments:
Good to know such a book exists. Thanks for yet another marvelous review, Tamara!
I've been known to misjudge books myself. Of course I'm always thrilled when I'm wrong and then pursue trying to covert the rest of the world to reading it. Isn't that funny? In the end, I'm one of the books biggest advocates!
I saw this book and was intrigued, as I too suffered from eating disorders for several decades. Back when it wasn't well-known and I had no idea how common it was. I thought I was the only one.
Did you know there's online sites now on how to become anorexic? I've never looked at them, because it's like an addiction. You can't think about it too much or you can get back into it easily.
I would love to read this book.
Karen, you're kidding! There are sites like that??? how awful!
I remember reading once that they have support groups for all eating disorders. But while the bulimics did really well, anorexics usually ended up in a competition with each other when they saw that other women had lost more weight than they had. the groups ended up being detrimental rather than helpful.
Thank you Tamara for reviewing my book. I've enjoyed your blog.
Karen- I would love to share my story with you. I can mail you a signed copy of my book if you want. Just e-mail me at afuturefortomorrow@gmail.com
also everyone is welcome to my blog afuturefortomorrow.blogspot.com
Also, about the sites you mentioned encouraging anorexia, yes they are out there and are sickening, they are called pro ana sites and there has been a lot of work to get them banned. An effort I strongly support.
Haley, thanks, I will contact you. Maybe we can trade books.
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