{"product_id":"my-mother-munchausens-and-me","title":"My Mother, Munchausen's And Me","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAs seen on \u003ci\u003eThis Morning\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cb\u003eThere was a time when I loved my mother. It's shocking to imply that I stopped loving her because mothers always love their children and always do their best for them. Mothers are supposed to be good.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e But my mother wasn\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e't good.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\nTen years ago, Helen Naylor discovered her mother, Elinor, had been faking debilitating illnesses for thirty years. After Elinor's self-induced death, Helen found her diaries, which Elinor wrote daily for over fifty years. The diaries reveal not only the inner workings of Elinor's twisted mind and self-delusion, but also shocking revelations about Helen's childhood.\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\nEverything Helen knew about herself and her upbringing was founded on a lie. The unexplained accidents and days spent entirely on her own as a little girl, imagining herself climbing into the loft and disappearing into a different world, tell a story of neglect. As a teenager, her mother's advice to Helen on her body and mental health speaks of dangerous manipulation.\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\nWith Elinor's behaviour becoming increasingly destructive, and Helen now herself a mother, she was left with a stark choice: to collude with Elinor's lies or be accused of abandoning her.\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMy Mother, Munchausen's and Me\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e is a heart-breaking, honest and brave account of a daughter unravelling the truth about her mother and herself. It's a story of a stolen childhood, mental illness, and the redemptive power of breaking a complex and toxic bond.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cb\u003eWhat readers are saying about \u003ci\u003eMy Mother, Munchausen's and Me\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'\u003cb\u003eAn absolute roller coaster ride of emotions!!!!\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003eheartbreaking\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003eclear your schedules\u003c\/b\u003e as \u003cb\u003eyou won't be able to put it down\u003c\/b\u003e. It will leave you absolutely shocked ... If you read one biography this year \u003cb\u003emake sure this is the one!!!\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003eI LOVED it\u003c\/b\u003e.' \u003ci\u003eBookworm86\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'I cannot even. \u003cb\u003eAbsolutely blew my mind\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003ecried buckets of tears\u003c\/b\u003e.' NetGalley reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'\u003cb\u003eWow just wow\u003c\/b\u003e... fascinating... \u003cb\u003eheart wrenching\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003eabsolutely unreal\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003eMy heart absolutely broke\u003c\/b\u003e for Helen... \u003cb\u003eincredibly moving\u003c\/b\u003e.' \u003ci\u003eBooksandcoffeewithlexi\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'\u003cb\u003eAbsolutely amazing. I was hooked from the first page!\u003c\/b\u003e... gave so many insights and relatable experiences... such a good book!' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'A \u003cb\u003efascinating\u003c\/b\u003e account.' \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'\u003cb\u003eI devoured this book in a couple sittings\u003c\/b\u003e as \u003cb\u003eI was\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003ecaptivated right from the beginning\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003egripping\u003c\/b\u003e.' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'I seriously don't know where to start... \u003cb\u003eI'm absolutely staggered\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003eastounding and heartbreaking\u003c\/b\u003e.' \u003ci\u003eBook.lover67\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'\u003cb\u003eMy heart broke\u003c\/b\u003e...\u003cb\u003e I was hooked throughout this entire read\u003c\/b\u003e...emotional and eye opening.' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'\u003cb\u003eGenuinely left me flabbergasted\u003c\/b\u003e.... It was \u003cb\u003ea complete page turner\u003c\/b\u003e... really opens your eyes.' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'\u003cb\u003eWow. I did not want to put this down\u003c\/b\u003e...consumed much of my thoughts in the past few days\u003cb\u003e...\u003c\/b\u003ewhat a powerful story.' \u003ci\u003eBitesbooksbrews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n'\u003cb\u003eEye opening\u003c\/b\u003e...\u003cb\u003edifficult to put down\u003c\/b\u003e...\u003cb\u003ewonderful\u003c\/b\u003e.' \u003ci\u003eLittle Miss Book Lover 87\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Helen Naylor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42818369487026,"sku":"9781909770683","price":385.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0562\/9191\/8002\/products\/389463_63f1686c908851.15854213_9781909770683_18c2cadf-8c0a-4fe3-a2b7-b52f08d0015f.jpg?v=1677478852","url":"https:\/\/www.wordsworth.co.za\/products\/my-mother-munchausens-and-me","provider":"Wordsworth Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}