Loughborough woman’s near-fatal struggle with anorexia tops book charts
Added: (Mon Oct 18 2021)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
The compelling story of one woman’s near-fatal struggle with anorexia nervosa has just topped the book charts.
Gillian Entwistle admits she had everything to live for during her teenage years as she wilfully attempted to starve herself to death.
In the brutally honest Head Heart and Hipbones she recalls her uncontrollable slide into what she describes as ‘the grip of a toxic mental illness’.
Using entries from her diaries, the literature-loving graduate takes readers through her teenage years of obsessive self-starvation, the physical repercussions, and the slow, painful recovery.
Gillian, who lives just outside Loughborough, said: “During my darkest days of battling anorexia I found writing to be a comfort and filled endless notebooks and diaries during my time in hospital.
“Two years ago, I dug these out and at the same time I found many letters, notes, poems and pictures from friends and patients.
“It got me thinking again about the book I always promised myself I would write, so in the summer of 2019, I started writing my first lines of Head Heart and Hipbones.”
Since its release in the summer, Head Heart and Hipbones has reached number one in Amazon’s Memoirs chart as well as its Young Adult Biography listings.
Gillian’s incredibly powerful account has also attracted a long string of five-star reviews from captivated readers.
Reviewers have described Head Heart and Hipbones as ‘beautifully written’, ‘cathartic’ and ‘as powerful as therapy’.
Critic Angela Mogridge stated: “This book has totally opened my eyes into the complex, all-encompassing, terrifying world of eating disorders.”
Gillian’s eye-opening story conveys the denial and self-delusion she experienced for several years along with the internal conflicts.
She compellingly expresses the shame, the anger, the guilt and the despair.
And her absorbing story also depicts the emotional toll her illness had on her family, as well as the support that helped her to survive, and to eventually reclaim her life.
Gillian, who lists Virginia Woolf among her favourite authors, hopes her story will help others.
She explained: “As I've grown older I've enjoyed reading personal stories, those that explore human nature and life experiences.
“Although our journeys are unique, there is so much about our lives and the very nature of being human that unites us.
“Though often painful, Head Heart and Hipbones is also rich in self-awareness, vitality and humour.
“I hope it will give hope to those battling to find a way through this terrible affliction, and to enable those on the outside to understand it better.”
Gillian has created a Facebook page to support Head Heart and Hipbones, which can be accessed at www.facebook.com/HeadHeartandHipbones
For more information visit Amazon and search for Gillian Entwistle, where the Kindle and paperback versions of Head Heart and Hipbones are available.
Notes to the Editor
PublishNation was formed in London in 2011 to provide high quality services to writers at affordable prices.
Since its launch, the company has assisted in the publication of around 2,500 books in a variety of genres for clients throughout the world.
For more details on PublishNation, visit their website at www.publishnation.co.uk