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Rachel Richards
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Hungry for Life: A Memoir Unlocking the Truth Inside an Anorexic Mind Paperback – November 17, 2016

by Rachel Richards (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 384 ratings
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In this painfully moving memoir, take a firsthand look at anorexia through the eyes of a young girl. Even in kindergarten, Rachel Richards knows something isn't right. By leading us through her distorted thoughts, she shines a light on the experience and mystery of mental illness.

As she grows up, unable to comprehend or communicate her inner trauma, Rachel lashes out, hurting herself, running away from home, and fighting her family. Restricting food gives her the control she craves. But after being hospitalized and force-fed, Rachel only retreats further into herself.

With a driving perfectionism, she graduates college with honors. But at sixty-nine pounds, Rachel is a shell of nervous and obsessive behaviors that have controlled her life. Years of self-harm and self-loathing have fueled the inner battles between good and evil, health and sickness, and life and death.

Acting on stage offers her moments of freedom from the skewed perceptions she's constructed over the years. But her dream of a career in theater is not enough to save her. What is the secret that will finally unleash her will to recover?

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  1. Print length
    360 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    November 17, 2016
  4. Reading age
    13 - 17 years
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1537551051
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1537551050
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The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Several years ago, I made a quick decision to begin scribbling down my story. I wasn't sure why at the time, though it was partially an attempt to make sense of my turbulent past, and a quest for catharsis. But in retrospect, I believe what compelled me to write was the frustration over feeling misunderstood with regards to my illness. I was driven by a burning need to cut through all the misconceptions and assumptions surrounding anorexia, and reveal the complexity and seriousness of this mental disorder.
Self-starvation does not define anorexia, but is merely a symptom, albeit a deadly one. An eating disorder is a beast that resides deep within, destroying a person slowly from the inside out. Research has shed light on anorexia, but studies cannot accurately depict an individual's mind as she struggles with her disorder. What is going through her head when she decides to stop eating, to study compulsively, to shut out her family and friends, to injure herself, and to live in isolation? My book reveals it all.
What can you do when a person you love is withering away right before your eyes? It is essential to understand the mind of the sufferer in order to know how to help. We must resist the impulse to go with our gut, because our instincts are often misguided when it comes to this issue.
If you or someone you know suffers from an eating disorder or is a concerned parent, is anxious about weight and dieting, has an addiction, or wants to learn more about the mystery of how an eating disorder develops and the multifaceted and complex road to recovery, I urge you to read my story. And please never hesitate to contact me with your thoughts or questions.

About the Author

After years of struggling with an eating disorder, author Rachel Richards turned her life around and now helps others in pain.

Returning to school after earning her BFA in theater from Hofstra University, she graduated from the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences and started her own private practice in Manhattan as a licensed and board-certified massage therapist. She hosts a popular YouTube channel and has written many articles on health and self-care, which can be found at www.Rachel-Richards.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 17, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1537551051
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1537551050
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 17 years
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.16 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 384 ratings

About the author

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Rachel Richards

Rachel Richards

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Author of the Amazon bestseller Hungry for Life: A Memoir Unlocking the Truth Inside an Anorexic Mind, Rachel Richards has always been fascinated by psychological disorders and integrative health. When she’s not writing, Rachel is a licensed massage therapist with a private practice, and hosts a hugely popular YouTube channel dedicated to teaching self-massage and wellness. Rachel lives in Manhattan with her husband and young daughter—whose vivid fantasy world inspired Glass Half Broken.

Watch the author's talk at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA_H2E3jCPs

Hear her interview on Speak Up Talk Radio: http://www.speakuptalkradio.com/rachel-richards-speaks-up/

Check out her author interview: http://itswritenow.com/64188/author-interview-with-rachel-richards-of-hungry-for-life/

Read her articles in Recovery Warriors magazine: https://www.recoverywarriors.com/author/rachel-richards/

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
384 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this memoir to be a well-written and searingly honest account of anorexia, providing valuable insights into the psychology of the illness. Customers describe it as a poignant and inspirational read that is quick to read. They appreciate the author's courage in sharing her story.

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28 customers mention "Heartwarming story"23 positive5 negative

Customers find this memoir heartwarming, describing it as an enlightening and beautiful story that is inspirational to read.

"This novel is heartbreaking, uplifting, and informative. Rachel at a very young age is being bullied and tormented...." Read more

"There's the emotional side to this story, which is heart-breaking. There is the literary side of a very well written memoir...." Read more

"...The answers to one’s many questions were amazingly woven right into the story...." Read more

"...This is a poignant and insightful story. Thank you Rachel...." Read more

25 customers mention "Insight"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides wonderful insights into the psychology of anorexia, describing it as enlightening and incredibly interesting.

"This is A very informative and enlightening look into the world of an anorexic. What a horrible and devastating disease." Read more

"This novel is heartbreaking, uplifting, and informative. Rachel at a very young age is being bullied and tormented...." Read more

"...It goes beyond anorexia - the basics here apply to all of us." Read more

"...Thank you Rachel. The research on anorexia and associated issues found in the appendices are also informative and helpful." Read more

18 customers mention "Readability"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, with one mentioning they savored every word on each page, and another noting it was a quick read.

"...This book is important reading for anyone who has suffered from the disease, as it does not glorify it or attempt to romanticize it in any way...in..." Read more

"Hungry For Life is a very compelling read. In today's "Foodie- culture society, it is hard to not be at least a little food centered...." Read more

"...Very hopeful book from someone who recovered from this disease to become a mother and find happiness at the end of a long struggle." Read more

"MS. Richards tells her story in a compelling way that kept me riveted to the book...." Read more

14 customers mention "Writing quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the memoir, describing it as well-crafted and told with searing honesty, with one customer noting the author's attention to detail.

"...Well written, mind opening, and an honest account of life with mental illness." Read more

"...There is the literary side of a very well written memoir...." Read more

"...She has a way of articulating certain things that provoked ‘Aha’ moments in me and I really appreciated that...." Read more

"...Told with searing honesty and brave insight, it dispels the myth of anorexia being the result of adolescent dieting "gone too far," or a..." Read more

5 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one noting the author's incredible bravery in sharing her struggles.

"I am totally impressed with Rachel's courage and candor in revealing her inner journey through the wilderness of anorexia...." Read more

"...This story rings with truth, it embodies her struggles and it allows her strength to absolutely shine. Well done, Rachel...." Read more

"A very well written memoir by a brave girl/ woman...." Read more

"...The author was incredibly brave to bare her painful past so intimately and frankly in hopes of helping others dealing with eating disorders...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Tammie P
    5.0 out of 5 stars good book
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This is A very informative and enlightening look into the world of an anorexic. What a horrible and devastating disease.
    Helpful
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  • Karin K. Whitehead
    4.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This novel is heartbreaking, uplifting, and informative. Rachel at a very young age is being bullied and tormented. Her young mind is processing coping skills in a self harming way, I was surprised at how young she was and had developed this horrid disease. I myself grew up in a home of overweight parents and two brothers; I was teased for being a runt, in my mind I felt obese. Thankfully I never went through this process. I did have two niece's that did, so reading this story but very close to home. Well written, mind opening, and an honest account of life with mental illness.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • teacher
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    There's the emotional side to this story, which is heart-breaking. There is the literary side of a very well written memoir. And as a teacher there is the strong reminder that children process information differently than adults and we sometimes forget that. If they don't know something, they will often fill in the blanks. They assume they know, since to them, they do know so much more than they did the months or years before. This book will appeal to educators, therapists, parents and young people who may be dealing with problems or have friends who are going through difficult issues. It goes beyond anorexia - the basics here apply to all of us.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • J. C.
    5.0 out of 5 stars More than a Memoir
    Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Thank you for sharing your story, Rachel. Like the title states, you went above and beyond by delving deeply into research in an attempt to find answers.
    From start to finish, I remained engrossed. It never turned into a text book. The answers to one’s many questions were amazingly woven right into the story.
    I highlighted many pages but my favorite “take-away” is to “feel what it’s like (to be so-and-so in character); don’t overthink”.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Read
    Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I am totally impressed with Rachel's courage and candor in revealing her inner journey through the wilderness of anorexia. Telling her story from the inside out allows the reader to better understand the tenacious grip of this disorder and the pain, fear and confusion that goes along with it. Anorexia falsely starts as a comforting friend and insidiously transforms into a hideous foe which has a life of its own. How can a young and inexperienced person fight against such a foe? Rachel takes the reader through her long and horrific battle to her eventual decision to choose life. This is a poignant and insightful story. Thank you Rachel.
    The research on anorexia and associated issues found in the appendices are also informative and helpful.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Jessica Kinsey
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the Read
    Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    When I started reading this book I was very annoyed with the lead, I felt she was extremely whiny and wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it through an entire book of that...but I did and I am glad I did. Once she began growing up and became more aware of herself there were moments when I put the book down and sat in quiet reflection. She has a way of articulating certain things that provoked ‘Aha’ moments in me and I really appreciated that. It illicited feelings of solidarity and removed me from a certain loneliness that I hadn’t realized was there. I appreciated this book. There were moments where I struggled wanting to read it but there are gems within it.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Jandjdm
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ended abruptly
    Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Not my favorite. Rachel is constantly pessimistic. The book is mostly gloom and doom and when she finally gets her happy ending she doesn't even explain or elaborate on anything. It's like she just quickly wanted to end the book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Melissa Galligan
    5.0 out of 5 stars An informative, timely, and important read...
    Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Rachel's account of her years-long struggle with anorexia nervosa is both horrifying and hopeful. Told with searing honesty and brave insight, it dispels the myth of anorexia being the result of adolescent dieting "gone too far," or a teenager's attempt to look like a supermodel. Rachel is quite succinct in her explanations of what was going through her mind when her anorexia was developing, and her bid for control over a world that was perplexing and sometimes hostile towards her as she was growing up. This book is important reading for anyone who has suffered from the disease, as it does not glorify it or attempt to romanticize it in any way...in fact, Rachel describes anorexia and her experience with it in mostly negative terms--isolating, terrifying, and deadly. Her climb out of the darkness was slow and painstaking...but I found myself rooting for her and feeling like I knew her. I love autobiographies, and this one is excellent, especially if you or anyone you love suffers from this confounding and heartbreaking illness. Thank you, Rachel...sharing your story was brave and serves to shed much-needed light on this misunderstood affliction.
    8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Book Reviews
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly written, totally insightful
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Brilliantly written, totally insightful. This is the best book exploring the mind of an eating disordered person that I've ever read, and I've read a few. A compelling story that takes you through the life of Rachel and her inner demons as she descends into Anorexia and comes out the other side through eventual recovery. The only thing that strikes me as unexpected, is that she had quite a privileged life, and abundant opportunities which she embraced. I've tended to think that eating disorders are more likely to affect people who lack priviledge and opportunity, but it just goes to show how it can affect people from all walks of life.
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  • Lynn
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I read this book in bite size chunks due to my hectic life and would normally lose interest half way through, but I kept going back for another chunk whenever I could. I am so glad I did, because the protagonist Rachel, and her journey through this horrible illness is so visible and achingly real, it is easy to feel every trial and emotion she has through her eyes. You cried with her. You laughed with her. You identified with her even, because of the many problems she had, everyone can identify with at least one,
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  • Jeanette
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This book was very thought provoking and definitely gives a very good insight to anorexia. Would definitely recommend reading it
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  • Dame DJ
    4.0 out of 5 stars God help the famillies who suffer in silence.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I just bought the book as I admire those who go on and write their story-its brave to see the words in print and go back over their lives reliving it unedited. We all edit the past far too much. I had a touch of anorexia as a teenager but had kids and grew out of it as it might have taken hold. God bless the long-suffering parents and family who have to watch and suffer.
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    Dame DJ
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    God help the famillies who suffer in silence.

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2017
    I just bought the book as I admire those who go on and write their story-its brave to see the words in print and go back over their lives reliving it unedited. We all edit the past far too much. I had a touch of anorexia as a teenager but had kids and grew out of it as it might have taken hold. God bless the long-suffering parents and family who have to watch and suffer.
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  • jreader
    5.0 out of 5 stars No holds-barred look at a life with anorexia. If ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    No holds-barred look at a life with anorexia. If anyone out there thinks it's just about wanting to be a little bit thinner think again. Taking the risk of "reliving" those destructive and negative thoughts must have been terrifying for the author. Read this in a few hours and couldn't put it down.
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