Sheila Himmel: Hungry October 15, 2009

Unbeknownst to food critic Sheila Himmel -- as she reviewed exotic cuisines from bistro to brasserie -- her daughter, Lisa, was at home starving herself. Before Sheila fully grasped what was happening, her fourteen-year-old with a thirst for life and a palate for the flavors of Vietnam and Afghanistan was replaced by a weight-obsessed, antisocial, hundred pound nineteen-year-old. From anorexia to bulimia and back again -- many times -- the Himmels feared for Lisa's life as her disorder took its toll on her physical and emotional well-being. 'Hungry' is the first memoir to connect eating disorders with a food-obsessed culture in a very personal way, following the stumbles, the heartbreaks, and even the funny moments as a mother-daughter relationship - and an entire family - struggles toward healing.