Written in alternating chapters, a mother and teenage daughter go through the anxiety and fear of anorexia while being helped by an interesting therapist. It is a very poignant portrait of the illness, of a mother-daughter relationship and a life’s journey. The author has written several books on parenting and brings her understanding and compassion to this sensitive novel.
Sixteen-year-old Jo makes lists to manage her world, but somehow she still feels out of control. But she has found one way to cope: watching what she eats – or rather, what she doesn’t eat. And she’s losing weight… but not quickly enough.
Lizzie, Jo’s mum, doesn’t make lists. She’s too busy being a single mum, hating her ex-husband’s new wife and trying to keep an eye on Jo – who seems to have stopped communicating with her altogether.
When Jo is diagnosed with anorexia, Lizzie is desperate with worry and their lives spin out of control. Jo needs help and she needs it now.
Beneath Jo and Lizzie’s fears and frustrations is a funny, warm and insightful story about a mother and her daughter who go on a journey to find themselves – and each other.
Clare Shaw has written several books on parenting, including The 5 Minute Mum: Time Management for Busy Parents, Help Your Child be Confident and Talking and Your Child. Clare and her husband live in Essex with their two teenage daughters.
