Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

Susannah Cahalan

Nov 2012 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING CHLOË GRACE MORETZ

A “captivating” (The New York Times Book Review), award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is a powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her identity.

When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled as violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?

In an “unforgettable” (Elle), “stunningly brave” (NPR), and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that almost didn’t happen. “A fascinating look at the disease that…could have cost this vibrant, vital young woman her life” (People), Brain on Fire is an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance.

Ratings and reviews

Meh. Interesting subject matter, but the entire book just sounds like a highly privileged hipster white girl whining endlessly about how her friends don't understand her booboo. I am well aware that she was actually gravely ill, but Cahalan's style of telling her story fails to convey the the gravity of the situation and focuses more on "Poor me, nobody understands". I guess it's not fair to judge her too harshly, afterall she wrote for the New York Post, one of the worst, sleaziest rags in all of publishing.

A very intriguing and well written book dealing with the complexities of the human brain while under attack by its own immune system. Susannah Cahalan tells her extraordinary story in this book....it is emotional and inspiring!

Interesting book, brings much needed insight to this disease that still goes unknown to many healthcare professionals. Very well written was very much a page Turner.

About the author

Susannah Cahalan is an award-winning #1 New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and public speaker. Her 2012 memoir, Brain on Fire has sold over a million copies and was made into a Netflix original movie. Her second book, The Great Pretender was shortlisted for the 2020 Royal Society’s Science Book Prize. She has written for The New York Times, New York Post, Elle, The New Scientist, and BBC’s Focus, as well as academic journals The Lancet and Biological Psychiatry. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and twin toddlers.