A son’s story of the debilitating illness, anorexia nervosa, that his single mother suffered from throughout his childhood. The mother and son formed a close bond and the boy’s description of their life together is filled with both joy and sadness.

Damian Cooper has written a straightforward, honest and loving account of his boyhood, set against a poignant parallel story of his mother’s excessive focus on body image, food, diet and exercise.

Told from a boy’s point of view – Damian’s freedom and developing sense of responsibility come to the fore as his mother’s illness worsens. She dies of the eating disorder anorexia when he is just 18 years old.

Set in Australia and New Zealand, Damian Cooper’s memoir is a true account of the early years of his life without reference to the medical terms of the eating disorder psychopathology. His story is told simply so that it is accessible to the average reader. All dates, place names and events in this memoir are factual. However, in accordance with the wishes of certain participants, many names have been changed in order to protect their privacy.