From Hadley Freeman, bestselling author of House of Glass , comes a “riveting” ( The New York Times ) memoir about her experience as an anorexic and her journey to recovery. In 1995, Hadley Freeman wrote in her diary: “I just spent three years of my life in mental hospitals. So why am I crazier than I was before????” From the ages of fourteen to seventeen, Freeman lived in psychiatric wards after developing anorexia nervosa. Her doctors informed her that her body was cannibalizing her muscles and heart for nutrition, but they could tell her little else: why she had it, what it felt like, what recovery looked like. For the next twenty years, Freeman lived as a “functioning anorexic,” grappling with new forms of self-destructive behavior as the anorexia mutated and persisted. Anorexia is one of the most widely discussed but least understood mental illnesses. Through “sharp storytelling, solid research and gentle humor” ( The Wall Street Journal ), Freeman delivers an incisive and bracing work that details her experiences with anorexia—the shame, fear, loneliness, and rage—and how she overcame it. She interviews doctors to learn how treatment for the illness has changed since she was hospitalized and what new discoveries have been made about the illness, including its connection to autism, OCD, and metabolic rate. She learns why the illness always begins during adolescence and how this reveals the difficulties for girls to come of age. Freeman tracks down the women with whom she was hospitalized and reports on how their recovery has progressed over decades. Good Girls is an honest and hopeful story of resilience that offers a message to the nearly 30 million Americans who suffer from eating disorders: Life can be enjoyed, rather than merely endured.

'I'm getting a life's lesson about grace from my mother in the ICU. We never stop learning from our mothers, do we?'Unforgettable is a son's spirited, affecting, and inspiring tribute to his remarkable mother and the love between parent and child. When NPR's Scott Simon began tweeting from his mother's hospital room in July 2013, he didn't know that his missives would soon spread well beyond his 1.2 million Twitter followers. Squeezing the magnitude of his final days with her into 140-character updates, Simon's evocative and moving meditations spread virally. Over the course of a few days, Simon chronicled his mother's death and reminisced about her life, revealing her humour and strength, and celebrating familial love.Unforgettable expands on those famous tweets to create a memoir that is rich, deeply affecting, heart-wrenching, and exhilarating. His mother was a glamorous woman of the Mad Men-era; she worked in nightclubs, modelled, dated mobsters and movie stars, and was a brave single parent to young Scott Simon. Spending their last days together in a hospital ICU, mother and son reflect on their lifetime's worth of memories, recounting stories laced with humour and exemplifying resilience. Unforgettable is not only one man's rich and moving tribute to his mother's colourful life and graceful death, it is also a powerful portrayal of the universal bond between mother and child.

Commemorating Bette Burke-Nash: World Record Flight Attendant's Heroic Life Tale to be Published - A Tribute to Resilience, Motherhood, and Sky-High Spirit. In the pages of this book, readers are invited into the extraordinary life of Mary Elizabeth Burke-Nash, affectionately known as Bette. For nearly seven decades, Bette reigned the skies, earning her a Guinness World Record as the Longest Serving Flight Attendant(68 years). But her soaring spirit wasn't confined to the high-altitude cabin of an aircraft. Bette's life on the ground was a testament to her remarkable resilience, fierce bravery, and unwavering devotion to her severely challenged Down Syndrome son, Christian. This biography, crafted from hours of intimate interviews, the sharing of her intimate journaling of her life during the last two years of Bette's life, reveals the strength and courage of a woman who faced tremendous personal challenges. As a single mother Bette raised Christian for forty-nine years, with immeasurable love and determination. Her marriage, marked by emotional turmoil, abuse and violence, further tested her fortitude, yet she remained unwavering in her pursuit of a better life for her and her son. The book also illuminates Bette's indomitable spirit, her contagious enthusiasm, and her enduring belief in her faith and the power of kindness. Her story is not only a tribute to her life's accomplishments but also a testament to her remarkable character. Bette reached heights far beyond the planes she flew on - her legacy is one of resilience, motherhood, and a spirit that reached for the stars. This biography aims to honor Bette's memory and fulfill a promise made to her. In line with her philanthropic spirit, donations from book proceeds will be made to two of her preferred charities, including the National Down Syndrome Society. Bette's story is one of triumph over adversity, of love in the face of hardship, and of a woman who, in her own unique way, soared higher than the planes she flew on. Her tale is an inspiring tribute to all who have faced challenges and emerged stronger, a testament to the power of resilience and the enduring spirit of humanity.