A Life Half Lived: A Mother's Memoir of Her Daughter’s Anorexia Struggle

by Sherri Jolie Fowler

My daughter, Monica, was a talented artist and a gifted equestrian. She loved to read. She had a photographic memory. She was funny as hell. For fifteen years, she battled the mental illness known as anorexia nervosa. As her body was slowly ravaged by malnutrition and her potential was stolen, her courage, humor, and spirit refused to be dimmed. A Life Half Lived is my honest, raw, and deeply personal account of those years, told from a mother's point of view. It is both a love letter to Monica's life and a resource for families facing the unimaginable. The book I once needed to survive the storm, now written to provide a lifeline for others walking in our shoes.

387 pages, Paperback

Published December 12, 2025

About the author

Sherri Jolie Fowler is the author of A Life Half Lived: A Mother’s Memoir of Her Daughter’s Anorexia Struggle. After spending sixteen years navigating the devastating realities of anorexia nervosa with her daughter, Monica, Sherri shares a deeply honest account of love, loss, and survival.

Through public speaking, writing, and advocacy, she hopes to bring greater awareness to eating disorders and to offer comfort and understanding to families walking a similar path. Sherri is committed to honoring Monica’s life by helping others feel less alone.