Head Heart and Hipbones: Fighting and Surviving Anorexia

by Gillian Entwistle

Why would a bright teenage girl from a loving home, with everything going for her, wilfully fixate on starving herself to death?

Gillian Entwistle’s compelling memoir recounts her near-fatal struggle with anorexia nervosa and her arduous journey towards recovery. This brutally honest account traces her uncontrollable slide into the grip of this toxic mental illness, from its insidious onset in adolescent insecurities, through years of obsessive self-starvation, to the miseries of physical collapse and forced hospitalisation.

The author powerfully depicts the emotional toll of the illness, not least its devastating impact on her family. She conveys how it feels to be possessed by denial and self-delusion, the exhausting internal conflicts, and the darkest moments of shame, anger, guilt and despair. Finally, she describes how, with extensive support, she was able to survive and reclaim her life.

Head Heart and Hipbones is an absorbing personal story. Though often painful, it is also rich in self-awareness, vitality and humour. It will give hope to those battling to find a way through this terrible affliction, and enable those on the outside to understand it better.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Mental Illness

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2021

Reviews

[Marlene Leach · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's adequately written but I guess I just didn't relate much, other than the obvious. Basically she develops anorexia because she has a fear of growing up. Her family is loving, supportive and well off, she has no social issues and tons of loving friends, teachers that go out of their way to save her, and clearly money and insurance aren't an issue at all as she can stay years in what's a hell of a lot nicer treatment center than I've ever seen, lol. No one ever gives up on her, it's just a long festival of love devoted to saving her from the trauma and hardship of growing up as a well-loved well-off intelligent, popular white girl. She seems a perfectly pleasant person, and I wish her well, but... there was nothing here that really pertains or relates to me other than the 3 girls who died - I DID relate to all of them, lol, but this wasn't their story.

[A]

This worthwhile book details the author’s agonizing battle with anorexia nervosa, and I am grateful to her for now having a better understanding of this crippling addiction for thinness. It is a fast read that starts off very engaging and heartbreaking, where we get a clear sense of the author’s destructive relationship with food and how this has impacted her life. But around the middle, the story becomes more like a teenager’s diary, with details of her antics and somewhat mundane day-to-day activities. Towards the last few chapters, she changes pace and skims through the major events of the last few years, with a hopeful ending.
Thanks to the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is between leaving you heartbroken and hopeful. Gillian’s descriptions about her eating disorder are clear and show how grave her situation really was. She does not hide what happened, how she was unable to deal with it, lost control to anorexia, and how this eating disorder influenced her so much that she needed a long time of treatment in and outside hospital. And the subtitle is actually not even exaggerated. When you read her story it is so easy to see that her fight against anorexia was nothing but a fight for survival.
So, if you have reason to read something about anorexia, or if you just want to educate yourself, this is an awesome title to do so. 5 out of 5 stars

[Isabella V Clark ⚡️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to give it 2 1/2 stars if I could. I really respect how honest this account is, but my pessimism is attached to the usual paradigm that so many anorexia memoirs follow. The diet gone wrong to descent into hospital to magical wake-up call. This one deviated in the sense that Gillian articulately admits to her ongoing struggle and for that, I applaud her authenticity. A worthwhile read but perhaps not my favourite anorexia memoir.

[brenda swindlehurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written

A fantastic read, I couldn't put it down , well done to the author on having the courage to put your own experience into words

[Miss V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fab

Very honest and thought provoking. So nice to read a truthful account that does not come across as patronising. Worth a read.

[Morgan Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic book about a girl with anorexia. Can be slightly triggering with details at times. Good read.

[Melissa Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read!
Raw, real, heartfelt, relatable and so inspirational. The mention and citing of P!nk made it even better!!

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-constructed memoir of tenacious anorexia, but what strikes me most is how much of the book takes place relatively far in the past—when anorexia was newest to Entwistle, when she was at her most physically vulnerable, when she spent time in hospital. It's not an unusual approach (not by far), but I'm reminded of how few, proportionally, narratives there are of longer-lasting anorexia, and how few (again, proportionally) narratives of anorexia as an adult. To that end, I wished there had been less emphasis on the dramatic moments (and occasional dramatic numbers) and more emphasis on what it is like to live with a chronic and/or managed illness.

[N.S. Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review first appeared on my blog - https://nsfordwriter.com - on 6th April 2023.

A brutally honest memoir, Head Heart and Hipbones is an account of how the author battled against anorexia nervosa. It mainly takes place twenty years ago, when she was diagnosed with the disorder and ended up being admitted to hospital. However, at the end, she tells us that she is still fighting it. The outlet of writing has really helped her understand herself and her condition. Her book is an achievement to be proud of because the psychological aspects in particular are carefully considered.

Gillian was from a loving family and at the age of seventeen was looking forward to studying at college, but her need to control her diet was taking over everything until it was clear she needed help, as her life was in danger. The book follows the ups and downs of her journey, including long-term stays in hospital, where she formed bonds with the other women on the ward which helped her get through her time there. It’s such a well-written and clear-eyed account that I’ll always remember reading it and won’t hesitate to recommend it to readers who want an understanding of what it’s like to suffer from and be treated for anorexia. As there are many details about her thought processes at the time, wanting to be very thin and how she hid or restricted her food (for example), the book will not be suitable for absolutely everyone.

In summary, a courageous memoir that will have you rooting for Gillian.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hauntingly honest account, with a gripping balance of light and shadow.