Good Girls
Hadley Freeman"At times, there is an oddity about this book, a curious sense of separation between the suffering younger self and the aloof older self, but Freeman is a brave, illuminating and meticulous reporter and uses her experience wisely... What her book most brutally brings home is the way that anorexia insidiously slides into mental illness." - Kate Kellaway, The Guardian UK
This is how the Anorexia Speak worked in my head: 'Boys like girls with curves on them' - If you ever eat anything you will be mauled by thuggish boys with giant paws for hands 'Don't you get hungry?' - You are so strong and special, and I envy your strength and specialness 'Have you tried swimming? I find that really improves my appetite' - You need to do more exercise
"Freeman evokes the mental processes of anorexia extraordinarily well, and her candour will make a great many people feel less lonely. Because she focuses on her own experience in Good Girls, she mentions male anorexia only in passing. But that doesn’t invalidate what she offers... It’s impassioned, a sort of manifesto, and we should take it to heart." - Catharine Morris, Los Angeles Review Of Books
In this astonishing and brave account of life with anorexia, Hadley Freeman starts with the trigger that sparked her illness and moves through four hospitalisations, offering extraordinary insight into her various struggles.