Kindle Edition Amazon Amazon Hungry for Life Category:  Memoir Publisher: Rachel Richards ISBN-10:  1537551051 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 315 Copyright: 2016 ISBN-13: 9781537551050 Price: $3.99 (eBook) Gripped by the life threatening clutch of anorexia, a young girl battles her eating disorder while struggling to unravel the mystery behind her illness. By leading us through her distorted thoughts, she shines a light on the experience and mystery of mental illness. In this painfully moving memoir, take a firsthand look at anorexia through the eyes of a young girl. Even in kindergarten, Rachel Richards knows something isn't right. By leading us through her distorted thoughts, she shines a light on the experience and mystery of mental illness. As she grows up, unable to comprehend or communicate her inner trauma, Rachel lashes out, hurting herself, running away from home, and fighting her family. Restricting food gives her the control she craves. But after being hospitalized and force-fed, Rachel only retreats further into herself. With a driving perfectionism, she graduates college with honors. But at sixty-nine pounds, Rachel is a shell of nervous and obsessive behaviors that have controlled her life. Years of self-harm and self-loathing have fueled the inner battles between good and evil, health and sickness, and life and death. Acting on stage offers her moments of freedom from the skewed perceptions she's constructed over the years. But her dream of a career in theater is not enough to save her. What is the secret that will finally unleash her will to recover? If you or someone you know suffers from an eating disorder or is a concerned parent, is anxious about weight and dieting, has an addiction, or wants to learn more about the mystery of how an eating disorder develops and the multifaceted and complex road to recovery, this book is a must-read!       Excerpt Prologue Pay attention! I admonished myself as I slumped in the metal folding chair that pressed painfully against my spine. My blouse and monster-sized black graduation gown failed to cushion my skeleton. I suppose from afar, I had a lot to celebrate. I was graduating from university with high honors, I was a gifted actress and singer, and I had my whole life ahead of me. Somewhere off in the sea of faces to my left were my mom, dad, sister Alice, and Aunt Barbara. I imagined them sitting in the crowd, not smiling and cheering like the rest, but silent and wearily shaking their heads. “I can’t believe we’re really graduating,” Jenny leaned over and whispered to me with tears in her eyes. The stadium was crammed with graduates and their proud families. On the other side of Jenny sat three more drama students and the five of us comprised the only graduates of the Hofstra University theater department, Class of 2000. Only five of us, and yet it was as if the commencement speaker had been selected just for us. Composer and lyricist Cy Coleman spoke about life, art, success … or at least I assume he did. I found it difficult to pay attention. I felt the room vibrate with pride and excitement, but I couldn’t feel a thing. The joy that comes with a momentous rite of passage could not penetrate my protective invisible barrier. I wished it could. Everyone looked so happy, so in the moment. Even at my own graduation, I was on the outside looking in. It was miserably dull, being a witness but not a participant. Not to mention the shame and remorse that I felt for failing to experience the commencement ceremony in the proper fashion. The way everyone else did. I checked my watch again. Had it really been only five minutes since I last looked? “Rachel Eve Moses.” Applause! I walked up to the podium to receive my diploma, my chicken legs feeling cold and unstable. I tried to use my acting chops to fake sincerity as I hugged and shook hands with faculty members. And then it was over. Another important life event that passed me by. Now it was time for me to shine, right? To go out there into the real world and pursue my acting career. Here I am, world! I’m 21 years old, 5’4” tall … and 69 pounds.

Beautiful story. This is a quick read as you ...
Beautiful story. This is a quick read as you truly don't want to put this book down. It is a heartbreaking story of a very young girl growing up with a debilitating mental disorder causing life-threatening anorexia. It is heart wrenching but the author clearly has a sense of humor and knows how to tell her life story with ease.

Thoughtfully Told and Very Helpful Story
Wow! Thank you for sharing your story. Rachel Richards courageously takes readers on a journey through her disordered thinking from her youngest of childhood memories to her ultimate struggle to overcome the difficulties of a crippling eating disorder. Through her story, readers can really see how a person can think so differently under the throes of a mental disorder. Her story is amazing in many respects, including how she could continue to be so successful in her academic pursuits while barely taking in enough calories for basic survival. By detailing her thoughts and experiences, Rachel Richards helps others to gain a greater perspective for people who suffer from anything similar. Through raising awareness and understanding, Ms. Richards story is sure to help others. Very well done!

A Compelling Read
I am totally impressed with Rachel's courage and candor in revealing her inner journey through the wilderness of anorexia. Telling her story from the inside out allows the reader to better understand the tenacious grip of this disorder and the pain, fear and confusion that goes along with it. Anorexia falsely starts as a comforting friend and insidiously transforms into a hideous foe which has a life of its own. How can a young and inexperienced person fight against such a foe? Rachel takes the reader through her long and horrific battle to her eventual decision to choose life. This is a poignant and insightful story. Thank you Rachel.
The research on anorexia and associated issues found in the appendices are also informative and helpful.