Cold Vein

by Anne Tonner

For the last three years Chloe has been slowly dying. Although she is sixteen, she weighs as much as an eight-year-old. We have tried everything the medical system has to offer – psychologists, psychiatrists, family therapists, dieticians, drugs … but nothing has worked. And now here we are, she and I, flying to the other side of the world in a last ditch effort to save her. Anorexia is a difficult thing to get people to understand. Usually they will look at me incredulously. Sometimes they will come right out and say what I know they are thinking: Why can’t you just get her to eat?

Anne Tonner is a high achieving human rights lawyer and used to facing battles and winning. But when her 13-year-old daughter Chloe stops eating and is diagnosed with anorexia, she is confronted with the mother of all enemies, one that is completely unfathomable and seemingly incurable. Anne and her family throw everything they have at facing the ‘demon' they name 'Cold Vein'. But some three years later Chloe is still desperately ill and the family is in tatters. In a last ditch effort they travel across the world to attend a ground breaking- clinic in Stockholm, knowing that this might be the only chance Chloe has to survive.

Beautifully and engagingly written, Anne’s depiction of the devastating effects of anorexia is honest, tough and compelling. Ultimately uplifting, this story will shed light on one of the most insidious and dangerous mental conditions afflicting modern society today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2017

Reviews

[Angelique Simonsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was engrossed from start to finish.a very powerful story 😮

[Kate Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this memoir of a mother battling her child’s nearly-fatal anorexia years ago, just after my daughter was diagnosed and I was searching for stories and hope. It’s stayed with me ever since. I remember reading with horror about how sick Ann’s daughter was, how they dragged her back to health, only to see her relapse at 16; and thinking that surely that wouldn’t be us? Chloe was near death when her parents got her from their home in Sydney into the Swedish clinic that saved her life. How many times have I wished and prayed for a place like that in Australia…especially since our daughter eventually relapsed as well?
One image that Ann writes about it is a kind of vision she has of her daughter in the future, in her 20s, looking healthy and happy and confident. In the end, her vision comes to life. It did, and does, continue to give me hope, so Thankyou Ann (if you read this).
Australia has finally opened a residential treatment centre for anorexia, and our daughter is there right now. So hopefully we’re on the same trajectory.

[Maree French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold Vein, by Anne Tonner – an absolute must read for surviving...
Anorexia – the insidious disease capable of controlling its victims - almost as if it were a living entity!
Deserving of the name, Cold Vein, (given by Anne’s daughter, Chloe).
For Anne, the discovery that Chloe was dying in plain sight, was shocking and life changing.
Whilst reading, I imagined a cross road with every direction leading to a dead end, and sadly, this is what most people find. Anne lays bare the lack of information, or real help, the daily challenge and exhausting efforts, and the sacrifices of an entire family – to save Chloe. Her frank description of such deeply emotional events prove her to be a truly strong and caring woman.
Also, Anne’s matter of fact and inadvertent humorous self-analysis is brave and endearing.
The other three children offer tremendous support in the background – because that’s the spot delegated to them by Cold Vein – and their actions show great maturity and an unbreakable bond with their desperately ill sister.
With a family like this – it is no wonder Chloe eventually found the will to crush the most powerful of enemies. She also gave her blessing for her story to be told. This is a suspense story that catches you from the flip of the first page; but it also offers life-saving information for those faced with this terrible disease.
Highly recommended.

[Annabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intense. Honest. Raw.

[Emma Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave a really good understanding of what it is like for a family with a child suffering from anorexia.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest and devistatingly sad. A valuable insight into the disease of anorexia.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-opening, confronting, but beautifully written.
It was wonderful to see anorexia from the parental side and to learn about the extensive damage it does to the whole family... not just the person suffering from the condition.

[Miki Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put down this book.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful insight into a deadly disease and the impact of all those surrounding it. I was enthralled from start to finish.