Light

A Mother and Daughter Memoir of Anorexia

By: Nancy Y. Levine, Rachel Levine-Spates (As told to)

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Paperback | 26 August 2025

At a Glance

Paperback
204 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.19

Paperback

RRP $34.09

$33.75

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Up to one in ten will die from anorexia. But Nancy Levine and her daughter Rachel didn't know this when the disease slowly-then all too quickly-took root.

While studying abroad, Rachel begins a new passion: running along the golden beaches of the coastal Australian town Surfer's Paradise. Each day she feels stronger and can run further. She also gives up the typical college junk food diet of sweets, pizza, and french fries. Tanned and muscular, her family thinks she looks healthy and fabulous. They don't notice that running and her "healthy diet" are slowly controlling her life.

Light is a story of obsession and OCD, family history and stigma, and Rachel's battle with life-threatening anorexia. Once called the "sickest of the sick," Rachel fought to recover, with her mother and family by her side. Narrated by Nancy with excerpts and journal entries from Rachel before, during, and after treatment, this memoir explores how the deadly inner voice of an eating disorder is heard, treated, and finally silenced. Blending tough scenes with humorous ones, this unique and brave book celebrates hope and lasting recovery.

Industry Reviews

"A story of abiding love...sacrifice and survival."

-Lee Martin, author of Pulitzer Prize in Fiction finalist The Bright Forever

"An intimate look at anorexia's psychological underpinnings...tender and highly informative."

-Kirkus Reviews

"This book is a must-read for everyone who knows anyone struggling with an eating disorder, and for everyone who is struggling with an eating disorder themselves...This heartfelt, warm and honest book brings encouragement and inspiration that recovery is possible."

-Dr. Lorraine Platka-Bird, registered dietitian and certified eating disorder specialist

"In this beautifully written, insightful, and courageous book, Nancy Levine has given us a story of her family's struggle with anorexia. As a memoir, it's an engaging read, a window into the lives of interesting people as they cope with a dangerous illness. But more than that, this is an important book. Anyone dealing with anorexia, as a patient, family member, or helper, will find hope and inspiration in its pages."

-Dr. Bruce Chalmer, author of Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Family & Health Coping with / Advice about Personal, Social & Health Topics Coping with Eating Disorders Mind, Body, Spirit Complementary Therapies, Healing & Health Biographies & True Stories Biographies

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Light

A Mother and Daughter Memoir of Anorexia

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Coping with Eating Disorders

The Why

Healthy Habits For An Epic Life

Anorexia and other Eating Disorders

How to help your child eat well and be well: Practical skills for family-based treatment, compassionate communication tools and emotional support for parents of children and teenagers

Renourish

A complete and compassionate guide to recovery from eating disorders

Intuitive Eating, 4th Edition

A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach

All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Hot

2025 ABIA Small Publishers Adult Book of the Year

How to Eat Well for Adults with ADHD

A Practical, Non-Diet Guide to Feeding Your Body & Mind When You Have ADHD

8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder

Effective Strategies from Therapeutic Practice and Personal Experience

Overcoming Body Dysmorphic Disorder 2nd Edition

A self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques

Embrace Yourself

From the 2023 Australian of the Year

Dead Weight

On Hunger, Harm and Disordered Eating

Bite Back

A compassionate guide to navigating eating disorders

Teen Skincare

The Ultimate No Nonsense Guide

My Family is Back

1st Edition - Multi-Family Therapy for Eating Disorders

My Good Bright Wolf

A Memoir

Beyond the Body Bully

How to love the body you're in with this practical expert guide from the bestselling author of LIVING WITH IT, for readers of Lyndi Cohen, Taryn Brumfitt and Laura Thomas

Intuitive Eating for Chronic Dieters

The Workbook: A Hands-On Guide to Practicing Mindful Eating, Building Body Trust, and Making Peace with Food

What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat

Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Eating Disorders

Overcoming Binge Eating, Second Edition

The Proven Program to Learn Why You Binge and How You Can Stop

The DBT Solution for Emotional Eating

A Proven Program to Break the Cycle of Bingeing and Out-of-Control Eating

The Intuitive Eating Workbook

Ten Principles for Nourishing a Healthy Relationship with Food

8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder Workbook

8 Keys to Mental Health

The Anti-Cool Girl

The award-winning, bestselling brutal and hilarious memoir and the first Jennette McCurdy book club pick for 2023

Allen Carr's - Easy Way To Quit Emotional Eating

Set yourself free from binge-eating and comfort-eating

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