A groundbreaking, deeply researched and big-scope non-fiction examination of alternative therapies, conspiracy theories and medical misogyny with a tragic personal story at its heart – the death of a young woman.
Lauren went down the alternative medicine wormhole. Two years after her tragic death, her cousin resolved to examine what happened.
In October 2022, Lauren – an Australian woman in her mid-thirties – left for Malaysia to undergo an alternative medical treatment for chronic Lyme disease. She never returned.
Haunted by her cousin’s death, writer Hannah McElhinney retraces Lauren’s descent into the alternative medicine wormhole to investigate how she got there, and how easy it may be for others to do the same.
Amid society’s growing mistrust of the medical establishment, McElhinney argues it is women, marginalised communities and those with chronic health conditions whose pain and suffering is more frequently dismissed in clinics and ignored in research.
And when that’s the case, why is it so crazy to get a second opinion? Or a third? Or as many opinions as it takes until someone says ‘I know exactly what’s wrong with you, and I may have a cure’?
Both a deeply personal account and a wide-ranging exploration of medical misogyny, wellness culture and misinformation, Wormhole is an urgent and empathetic addition to the conversation about the future of health, wellness and modern medicine.
About the Author
Hannah McElhinney is the writer and creator of Rainbow History Class, a globally recognised social media channel and book that shares the queer and trans history we so rarely have the opportunity to learn. She wrote and directed the Webby-nominated docuseries TransAthletica, for which she won an Australian Directors’ Guild award, as well as its sequel, HOOPS. Hannah is the co-founder and chief creator of Snack Drawer, a social-first creative agency. She lives in Naarm/Melbourne with her wife and dog. This is her second book.
Industry Reviews
‘Wormhole is a forensic account of a family tragedy where the limits of medicine drove a woman to the dark corners of social media, with fatal consequence. Written with sharp wit, rare insight and heart-wrenching pathos, this book is not just about the author’s search for answers but how we all navigate the world as it is today and will increasingly become. I couldn’t put it down.’
– Dr Nick Coatsworth
'Wormhole is a propulsive journey through the darker recesses of the wellness industry, and a compelling examination of the systemic and structural injustices that leave chronically unwell people vulnerable to misinformation and exploitation. Hannah McElhinney's compassionate and moving telling of her cousin’s search for recognition, treatment and cure, and the loss of her life to an invasive alternative procedure, reveals the devastating cost of the medical establishment’s tendency to dismiss symptoms of chronic illness, especially when experienced by people inhabiting female bodies. An urgent and courageous book.'
– Elinor Cleghorn
'McElhinney turns detective in this page turning, true-life thriller that hits with a punch. Utterly essential reading in this era of new-age healthcare wormholes.'
– Jacinta Parsons
‘I loved this book - a forensic exploration of alternative medicine, the dangers of health misinformation and those who weaponise it, and the human side of loving someone who was vulnerable to the trap. Wormhole is a great read, and has never been more crucial than this political moment.'
– Hannah Ferguson
'What a read! Hannah McElhinney has written a gripping page-turner about health misinformation, the wellness industry and Western medicine’s strengths and weaknesses. With compassion, McElhinney traces her cousin’s fatal descent down the health conspiracy wormhole that led to a deadly and unneeded treatment in Malaysia. The book sensitively addresses the suffering of those with undiagnosed symptoms while confronting the dangerous rise of health conspiracy theories. McElhinney poses urgent questions about how society should respond to health misinformation while acknowledging medicine’s shortcomings in the way it treats patients with complex chronic diseases. I highly recommend this excellent read.'
– Gabrielle Jackson, deputy editor of The Guardian
