Nutritious Books (Good for the Body & Soul) - Week 13

Initially, I found this to be a difficult week due to the subject matter I chose.  I was saddened to think of the issues that some young adults face.  In all of the darkness I did however find a glimmer of hope and managed to make it through to the other side with a few lessons learned along with my literary friends.  I feel that having these resources available opens up potential discussion and exposure to these hidden issues.

Wintergirls by Lauri Halse Anderson

We meet Lia as her stepmother tells Lia of the death of her estranged childhood friend, Cassie, alone in a motel room.  Lia and Cassie both have had histories of eating disorders.  Lia realizes that Cassie, on the last day of her life, called Lia 33 times.  Lia struggles emotionally and physically to deal with this loss, the nightmares, and the hallucinations that continue to haunt her every moment of the day.  Her life and weight steadily spiral out of control along with her other destructive habits.

I found this book in my youngest daughters’ backpack.  She had used this book for a health project that focused on either social, emotional or physical issues that teens face.   After reading Speak by this author last week, I was intrigued to read this one as well.  The cover accurately portrays the meaning of “wintergirls.”  These fragile girls are frozen and afraid to be alone, caught between the world of the living and the world of the dead.  I don’t think that they are fully aware of how close to the edge that they come each day until they can’t go back.  This book helped me to further understand a college friend and roommate that I had long ago that epitomized Cassie and her struggles.  Thankfully my friend’s outcome was a much brighter one than Cassie’s.

Cut by Patricia McCormick

Callie is a 15 year old “guest” at Sea Pines, a residential treatment facility.  She cuts herself to feel and to punish herself for the incredible guilt she feels over the night her brother Sam had to be hospitalized.  While at Sea Pines, also known as Sick Minds by its guests, Callie shuts down and chooses not to talk.  Her daily road to recovery is bumpy and she must confront her fears while finding some supportive friends.

After mentioning to a friend that I was reading Wintergirls, she recommended reading this book.  The cutting and eating disorders are so scary to me.  I know of a girl now that is currently receiving inpatient treatment for repeatedly cutting herself.  My heart goes out to the girl and her family.  This is unfortunately not her 1^st time undergoing treatment.  Initially I had a hard time connecting with Callie because of her lack of verbalization.  I found that I could see her character through her eyes, but it wasn’t until she started to speak in therapy and with her friends that I could see into her soul as well.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

This book follows four 15 year old friends, Bridget, Carmen, Lena, & Tibby, as their summer’s lead them on different paths.  A pair of “magical jeans,” one’s that fit and flatter each girl’s shape, are sent from friend to friend during the summer.  The book nicely weaves each of the separate stories together along with letters to one another in between.  Two friends experience loss and two friends find love, but no matter what, they realize that they all have each other and the trust that goes along with their sisterhood.

After reading the previous dark and somewhat depressing books, I sought out this book because I just needed to read about something a little bit more upbeat.  I remember seeing this coming of age movie a few years ago and liking it.  Hoping that I would have a similar experience with the book, I was definitely not disappointed.  I liked this book because even at its darkest spots there was a lesson that you need to find away to deal with the bad because life goes on and in doing so, it’s okay to rely on your friends for support. 

Stick Figure by Lori Gottlieb

Lori is an eleven year old girl that is extremely intelligent, a tomboy, and tends to question authority.  That is until she let all of her mother’s rules and actions reform her beliefs of her own self-image.  Her mother and father only looked at how these changes impacted them; they never stopped to see how Lori felt.  Lori was eventually hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai for anorexia, but continued to lose weight.  Still no one listened and she felt that there was no one to trust.  The only control Lori had in her life was her eating, or lack thereof.  She even believed that she could gain weight from smelling the food.  It wasn’t until she was threatened with The Tube, that she tried to cut herself.  The list that she made to die greatly outnumbered the list to live.  Thankfully, a compassionate nurse saw her cut herself and made a big impact in Lori’s life.

While the subject matter is very dark, this “diary of my former self” was written with humor and heart.  The author found her actual diary from 1978 that chronicled her life during this period.  I found this book different than the other books on anorexia that I read.  I could understand what Lori was going through and seriously wanted to have her parents seek intense counseling.  I thought that the unknowing messages that the parents, mainly the mother, gave Lori were so destructive it was a wonder that there was a happy outcome.  I found this book at my library while looking for other books on the subject.  Having a kept a diary at that age myself, I found that I could appreciate the honest insight into how her eleven year old self viewed herself and the world around her.  I found myself rooting for Lori along her journey of self-discovery.