First published 2018
Kurt Eichenwald begins his college years like any other freshman until he wakes up confused and injured on his dorm room floor one night. That moment marks the beginning of a secret battle with epilepsy that will shape every aspect of his life. Eichenwald chooses to hide his condition from classmates, professors, and employers, fearing the discrimination that could destroy his dreams of becoming a journalist. He navigates incompetent doctors who nearly kill him through negligence while searching desperately for effective treatment. The seizures threaten his education and career prospects repeatedly. Physical abuse and dark thoughts of suicide compound his struggles as he fights to maintain his facade of normalcy. His detailed diaries become both a coping mechanism and training ground for his future journalism career. A brilliant neurologist finally provides the medical care he needs, while family and friends offer crucial support. Eichenwald transforms his trauma into determination, using his confrontation with mortality as motivation to achieve the successful journalism career he envisioned. His story reveals how someone can rise from despair to accomplish goals that once seemed impossible while living with a misunderstood neurological condition.
Genres: medical, mental-illness, non-fiction, biography-memoir, health, disability
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: overcoming-adversity, personal-journey
416 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: medical-trauma, mental-illness