An Apple a Day

A Memoir of Love and Recovery from Anorexia

By: Emma Woolf

Narrated by: Emma Woolf

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

I haven't tasted chocolate for over ten years and now I'm walking down the street unwrapping a Kit Kat. Remember when Kate Moss said, 'Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels'? She's wrong: chocolate does.

At the age of 32, after ten years of hiding from the truth, Emma Woolf finally decided it was time to face the biggest challenge of her life. Addicted to hunger, exercise and control, she was juggling a full-blown eating disorder with a successful career, functioning on an apple a day. Having met the man of her dreams (and wanting a future and a baby together), she embarked on the hardest struggle of all: to beat anorexia. It was time to start eating again, to regain her fertility and her curves, to throw out the size-zero clothes and face her food fears. And, as if that wasn’t enough pressure, Emma took the decision to write about her progress in a weekly column for The Times.

Honest, hard hitting and yet romantic, An Apple a Day is a manifesto for the modern generation to stop starving and start living. This compelling, life-affirming true story is essential reading for anyone affected by eating disorders (whether as a sufferer or carer), anyone interested in health and social issues – and for medical and health professionals.

©2012 Emma Woolf (P)2012 Audible Ltd

Didn’t feel finished

I was engaged reading her own struggles as it related to fertility since I’ve read many memoirs about eating disorders and this was a feature I haven’t seen discussed. However it seems like I’m missing the other half of her story. Spoiler but the book ends with her body being “normal” for fertility and packing to move in with her partner. I was interested in hearing how the move went since we heard how difficult she assumed it would be. I’m not sure how her life really unfolded but maybe hearing about trying to conceive would be nice.

A phenomenal read

This story was captivating, interesting, relatable, and raw (WITHOUT evoking any feelings of a how-to guide on anorexia). I appreciated when Emma detailed how the extremely painful breakup with Laurie affected her; I related to that experience. I personally do not suffer from an eating disorder, but I do tend to restrict my eating and obsess over maintaining thinness. Emma’s story helped me see how dangerous it would be for me
to lean into those obsessions. This gave me the insight to chill out on my restrictive eating. I really just want to say thank you to Emma for an amazing piece. I loved every minute of it. The relationship she shares with Tom is aspirational to say the least! I will be googling to see how everything ended up!

Eloquent Insight

I avoid personal acvounts of eating disorders because I rarely feel like they accurately depcit what is is like beyond what people assume. The author has put words to my lived experience. She truly brings to life what it is like living with anorexia and what others do not understand. Recommend to anyone wanting some insight of a loved one or friend who may struggle.

The open and honest voice.

amazing book with great guidance, her raw experience was a breath of fresh air to hear

Can relate in many ways and yet lucky I couldn't

Would you consider the audio edition of An Apple a Day to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print, but did find it refreshing to have it read by the actual author.

What was one of the most memorable moments of An Apple a Day?

Having the points in the story where I knew just what certain feelings felt like or just how the brain works when having a ED.

Have you listened to any of Emma Woolf’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The Idea of not being able to just have a baby because of an illness that needs to be fixed was moving. Luckily for myself I never had issues with getting pregnant, or not able to because of my on and off ED issues.

Great read

Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability. Powerful story and inspiring words of recovery from something not talked about.

Triggering

What did you love best about An Apple a Day?

How honest the author is. I enjoyed her voice as well, though it does have a "sticky" quality that grates after a while.

What other book might you compare An Apple a Day to and why?

Biting Anorexia - they are both candid diary type stories about the struggle back to health.

Which scene was your favorite?

When she was describing her own fascination with Posh spice. Who wouldn't identify with her thoughts on the glamorous supermom persona Posh has adopted. Also, how she describes her and Tom's trip across the western states of the US. To see America from the point of view of an an eating disordered English woman was interesting.

Any additional comments?

It is obvious from the author's point of view that she was still firmly in the grips of anorexia while writing this. Some of her interpretations of situations or other people's advise show a deep need to hang on to her disease. I came to really root for her though, and will surely listen to it again.

Hungry for more.

Candid and illuminating. Sincere and well read. I would love to read more and to know how Woolf is doing. Very intimate and revealing.

Surprisingly Offensive

I've read dozens of memoirs about eating disorders, and I've never read an anorexia book with so much fat shaming. I kept expecting her to revoke or apologize for her wording. Throughout the book, she talks about lard thighs and fat bums and saddle bags, all the while saying how disgusting it all is. She claims that no woman wants an extra ten pounds added to their bottom, but that is absolutely false. I was recently in Mexico where I saw several women with butt implants. She mentions Naomi Wolf's "Beauty Myth", but it certainly doesn't seem like she's actually read it. Naomi is constantly repeating how normal and healthy female fat is. Of course I understand that many women see fat as "disgusting", but if you're writing a book on anorexia, claiming to want to help people, you should never use that kind of harmful, hurtful language. All the while she's claiming that anorexia isn't about being thin. I sincerely hope that in her next edition of this book, she leaves those words out, or at the very least, apologizes for them. I was going to read her other book next, but I don't think her harmful, abusive language would be good for my mental health. I'm so disappointed. (I gave 4 stars because the writing itself and narration is well done.)

Loved this

I am an eating disorder therapist who has heard and read multiple accounts of people suffering with eating disorders. This is certainly my favorite and will be my go to when helping parents understand their child's eating disorder, and helping the anorexic verbalized their struggle. Loved this book.