Shape of My Own [Hardcover]

Grace Bowman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2006

A bright, beautiful teenager, popular with her peers, Grace Bowman lived a perfectly ordered, ordinary life. Until one day, aged 18, she went on a diet. That didn't stop. Then couldn't stop. That trapped her in a secret world of eating-related happiness and unhappiness'. And saw her weight swiftly drop to below six stone. A grippingly honest account of life with anorexia nervosa, "A Shape Of My Own" is Grace's heartbreaking, shocking and, finally, inspirational story. A memoir that is in part insider's expose and in part survivor's testimony, it explains the struggle for self-discovery, and chronicles the devastating battles waged for control over mind and body. Breaking secrets, Grace shatters the myths surrounding this widely misunderstood illness, helping those bound within the rules of anorexia to find a way out, and those on the outside to understand more. "A Shape Of My Own" also has resonance beyond the world of eating disorders. For in daring to tell the truth, Grace reveals her extraordinary story to be a common one, reflected in the shape of many of our lives. And the powerful insights she brings to overcoming addiction make this an invaluable narrative for all those looking to find hope and renewal in the acceptance of change and growth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Poignant and timely...the most honest account of the illness yet published Glamour Bowman describes her descent into anorexia with clinical skill; if you haven't understood it before, you will now ... brave, revealing, and shocking -- William Leith Guardian A brilliant new memoir Sunday Telegraph Powerfully written, beautifully articulated, gripping. Bowman emerges as stubborn, brilliant, vulnerable, talented and a superb writer. She has readability by the bucketful Independent on Sunday 'Moving ... uniquely eloquent ... a must-read' Elle 'Dignified [and] lucid ... dedicated to debunking myths' Daily Mail 'A truly memorable account ... Very powerful' **** OK --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Grace Bowman was born in Durham city in 1977; from the local comprehensive school she went to study at Queens' College, Cambridge, and now lives in North London. This is her first book.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (March 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670916188
• ISBN-13: 978-0670916184
• Product Dimensions: 18.9 x 8.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,313,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest memoir of anorexia i have read thus far, April 14, 2009

By 

L. Wallace "enigmatic literature connoisseur" (Wasatch Mountains, UT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shape of My Own (Hardcover)

This has to be my ultimate favorite memoir of a young woman's gripping battle with anorexia. It has been weeks since I read this book, but I wanted to give me some space between reading it at writing my review. The author's writing style is unique and creative. She at times writes in third person as well as first person and at other times she even stops the story to interject very honest and helpful explainations. Her ability to describe her inner thoughts and conflicts at the same time as painting a picture of her outside interactions and experiences is amazing and very important.
To be honest, I cannot say enough good things about this book to accurately explain how enraptured I am about this book. I think it is written in an extraordinary poignant way to the point of being one of the most important memoir's in the field of eating disorder literature. Ms. Bowman has captured what it is like to be consumed by an eating disorder and at the same time try to navigate in the world and attempt to interact with your loved ones, doctors, acquantances, and society as a whole all while trying your hardest to hide your inside thoughts, feelings and reasons for your disturbing behavior.
How do I express the impact this book has had on me and my life? I will be turning 40 years old shortly and I have had restrictive anorexia, purging anorexia since age 11. I have been in and out of hospitals and treatment centers, i have had therapy for more years than i ever should have. I should be recovered now with all the help I have had, but I am not. Somehow, Ms. Bowman has accomplished what has only been some sort of unreachable dream of mine. I would never have imagined someone writing such a gripping and accurate portrayal of having a severe eating disorder and what it is like inside the mind of the sufferer and outside trying to live in a world that refuses not to be judgemental. Ms. Bowman captures somewhat it is I am trying to say on page 240 of her book, "That is the odd thing about anorexia: it is seen to vanish when the body is mended. It moves from body-side to inside, and perhaps it is more dangerous when it cannot be seen." I found this to be the absolute truth in my life, which may be one reason why I am still wearing my anorexia on the outside, even though I have had times when it wasn't so much seen, but instead the discrepancy between my body and my mind's identity was so vast that I had to do what it took to be able to feel more congruent.
I wish I had the bravery, resiliency, and the strength of Ms. Bowman to recover. She is a remarkable and talented woman. I am honored to have had the experience to read her story and read her thoughts. I highly recommend this book and give thanks to such a tenacious young woman for writing it.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extremely powerful memoir by a courageous woman..., August 7, 2009

By 

Melissa Galligan "Melissa G" (Melbourne, FL) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thin (Paperback)

"Thin" is a memoir about a woman suffering from anorexia nervosa. Unlike so many other memoirs or autobiographies on the subject, Ms. Bowman doesn't glorify or glamorize this disease. She writes with an unflinching style, much like Marya Hornbacher did with her infamous "Wasted," and perhaps gives the reader an even deeper insight (than Hornbacher did) into what goes on in the mind of an anorexic. I found myself unable to put this book down. It is also a book filled with hope. Ms. Bowman "found" a cure (or at least a way to cope) within herself, and despite seeing several professionals in the mental health field, made the ultimate decision to go it alone and I absolutely applaud her bravery. There is one caution I would give about the memoir, and that is its 'triggering' nature...but I believe ANY memoir that is honest is going to be triggering to the eating disordered population. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to understand anorexia, and absolutely recommend it to the "experts." (Though the experts are typically too wrapped up in their own egos to take advice from one who is suffering, even one as insightful as Ms. Bowman.) Also, I must take issue with the title of the book, which is too trite and meaningless for the content. I see that the original was called "A Shape of My Own" which is much more apt, and I wonder if Ms. Bowman had anything to do with the change--my guess would be that she did not. I applaud you, Ms. Bowman, and want you to know your book touched me in ways I cannot express.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Luminous, surreal... This is much more than a biography..., December 27, 2009

By 

Ella Levine (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thin (Paperback)

I agree with the other reviewers and wanted to add that I have read over 20 memoirs of Eating Disorders and this is in my Top 2. It is never boring and doesn't just "tell what happened"...as some memoirs do. It has this luminous quality to the writing...almost surreal, so that it is a true work of art in writing...almost poetic. It paints pictures in your mind using words and phrases that almost left me spellbound. This author is a true writer. She took me on a lyrical journey and I was so consumed with her style of writing. She most certainly needs to write more books!