Lonely: Learning to Live with Solitude

by Emily White

In a boldly honest and elegantly written memoir—the first on this topic—Emily White reveals the painful and sometimes debilitating experience of living with chronic loneliness. In the vein of popular favorites such as Girl, Interrupted and Manic, Lonely approaches loneliness in the way that Andrew Soloman’s The Noonday Demon approached depression, and lifts the veil on a mostly ignored population who often suffer their disorder in silence.

352 pages, Paperback

Published January 18, 2011

About the author

I used to practice environmental law, and am still passionate about protecting animals and wild spaces.

My work as a lawyer informs my work as a writer. I love to research a question endlessly. With Lonely, I spent years reading everything I could about long-term loneliness. With Count Me In, I read everything I could about connection and belonging.

Count Me In is a "bigger" book than Lonely. That's because I touch on so many subjects -- such as faith, neighborhood, home, and volunteering -- that feed into connection and belonging. Writing the book was an adventure, and an awful lot of fun. I'm looking forward to feedback.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting concept to look at loneliness as a condition that is more than a symptom. It does drag on at times trodding over the same ground.