Spaces in Between, The

by Caroline Jones, Antonia Beamish (Reader)

By the time she was 18, Caroline Jones had lived in five different African countries as well as Pakistan. Her father worked for the UN, and the family followed him to countries in or on the border of civil wars and famines. It was a childhood full of adventure, but it was also transient and impermanent.

At 16 she went to boarding school in England and then on to Oxford University. At 17 Caroline developed bulimia, a disease that became like a lover to her, her map through darkness. She suffered for 14 years before finding a therapist who would ultimately help her along the road to recovery. Now, aged 39, she is happy, healthy, and married with two children. The story of her illness is interwoven with memories of her childhood and visits to Africa as well her family and relationships.

The Spaces in Between is an engaging, frank and inspiring memoir which transcends its specific subject to be a perceptive and thought-provoking look at the behavioral traps into which so many of us fall. There are lessons in it for all who have wrestled with self-destructive behavior and struggled to find compassion for themselves.

Genres: Nonfiction

MP3 CD

First published February 1, 2016

About the author

Caroline Jones was named Health Journalist of the Year in 2014 by the HMFA and was formerly Woman's Editor of the Daily Mirror.
Caroline lives in London with her husband Colin, daughter Mia, and dog Rufus.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of me does not even want to think about trying to review this book - but I must. This book deserves a review from me.
Dear Caroline! Goodness me, I wonder if you know how marvelously illuminating and inspiring this memoir would be when you wrote it.
Considering the topic and issues this memoir deals with, I am sure it will cause extremely different responses from all its readers, however, for me - this book actually is the beginning of the end. Somehow you managed to put into words half of my life that I have never been able to describe to myself let alone anyone else. Despite having never met you or even heard of you before reading this, after reading it I feel like I am somewhat connected to you. You have managed to help me in a way no one else has yet by sharing your experiences and putting into words what most of us are unable to even form into thoughts.
Thank you for sharing your story with us and I will be forever grateful for having stumbled upon your book.
To anyone who has suffered, is suffering or knows someone who has suffered or is suffering from bulimia - this is for you!

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book largely revolves around Caroline’s struggle with an eating disorder, it isn’t depressing like you might expect. Instead, the beautifully-written book is thoughtful, interesting, and ultimately hopeful.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book probably saved my life. Thank you, Caroline.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I started reading this book with the purpose of educating myself further on the topic of eating disorders through a first person account of the experience, I was swept away by the vivid depictions of life both in Africa and England. I could feel the writer’s longing for those childhood memories in Africa and Pakistan. She had to swap the African nature and heat for a life in muddy, rainy, mossy England, eventually coming to find the wonder and joy in this too. I also found it helpful to see a different side of eating disorders - when they develop in a relatively healthy family system.

“There is a part of myself I cannot afford to enter, I don’t want to enter, a sore, anemone part of myself, so I will avoid it. And I will not let on about it, nobody need know.”

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful, moving and resonant

I read this gorgeous book in a couple of days - read it curled up on the sofa, standing up by the hob, brushing my teeth, falling asleep... I couldn't put it down, utterly compelled to find out what happened next to this most lovable and relatable narrators.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up.

[Paul Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writes with clarity and honesty about something that (hopefully) few of us will have to endure.
I read this thinking I might learn something about eating disorders - I did, and a lot more.
Found it easy to place myself right in the key moments; her background in TV coming to the fore?

[Aamina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa I really don't know how to review this.
Powerful but in a quiet way.

there doesn't always have to be a reason why a certain thing is happening to you. You may be searching for answers your whole life and trying to justify and find a reason you feel a certain way. What I'm to say is this book finally ingrained in me that there doesn't have to be a cause for your feelings.

Caroline Jones had lived in five different African countries by the time she was eighteen. She had a wonderful childhood living in beautiful places yet she developed a secret illness; bullimia, her destructive behavior gradually grew out of control.

She corageously recounts her struggles with unflinching honesty. If you are suffering with an eating disorder or with self compassion if you feel anything like this at all please read this book. I hope it provides answers for you. I hope it allows you to start your journey of recovery too.

Will edit later. These are just my mindless thoughts for now.

[Ivan Pope]

Loved loved loved this. Beautifully and elegantly written without digging at the nasty stuff but revealing a lot of the reasoning and the problems inhernent in this disorder. But also a very human story.