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nic_t_dlr's review against another edition
3.0
I got interested in this book because of an excerpt that I saw on Wordpress. It was from the chapter where she explains pain to her daughter using the metaphor of glass people. I was really intrigued (and it also made me admire her honesty and skill at handling conflict as a parent) so I immediately downloaded the book! It took me awhile to finish, and now I know more about CSF leaks, and how terrible it is to suffer from such a rare and misunderstood condition. I liked how this book makes the topic accessible to a mainstream audience, and overall I liked how this was written, so I am giving this 3.5 stars.
katkinney's review against another edition
4.0
A detailed memoir of illness, orphan illness, and the helplessness and hopelessness that come when your body is incapacitated, and doctors can’t figure out why. My favorite parts were the ones detailing CSF Leak (spontaneous intracranial hypotension—where fluid leaks from the spine and causes constant fluid shortage in the brain) is a rare disorder that occurs in only 1 out of every 20,000 people, and so it often goes undiagnosed and misdiagnosed for years while patients worsen, are accused of malingering, and the disease progresses, causing severe headache, confusion, cognitive impairment, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound, and inability to be upright for more than a few minutes. This memoir is very detailed at times, and painful to read, but an accurate depiction. A great book for "Leakers" in all of its detail and the reminder that there are others out there experiencing the same thing.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
sparklefarm's review against another edition
4.0
Andrea Buchanan writes unguardedly, allowing her readers access to her experiences. The narrative is at once singular and incredibly relatable. Highly recommend.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
5.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-book-55.html
FULL DISCLOSURE: I am friends with the author and love her dearly. That said, this is still an amazing and engaging memoir about the author's struggle to deal with—and be treated for—a brain leak. It is also about divorce, motherhood, family, medicine, biology, history, chronic illness, memory, and the stories we tell—not to mention, a super incredible woman. I rarely read nonfiction but this had me totally gripped, and not just because it was about someone I know. It's well written, moving, and deeply honest. And some parts are very funny, too. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I am friends with the author and love her dearly. That said, this is still an amazing and engaging memoir about the author's struggle to deal with—and be treated for—a brain leak. It is also about divorce, motherhood, family, medicine, biology, history, chronic illness, memory, and the stories we tell—not to mention, a super incredible woman. I rarely read nonfiction but this had me totally gripped, and not just because it was about someone I know. It's well written, moving, and deeply honest. And some parts are very funny, too. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A.
vgmsonnet's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Part memoir, part medical mystery, part philosophical meditation of self and pain and recovery, The Beginning of Everything is surprisingly page-turning. Whether she’s writing about her illness, her recovery, music, or motherhood, Buchanan’s writing is beautiful and thought-provoking. Highly recommend.
hummus's review against another edition
5.0
Full disclosure: I know the author personally. This was...a beautiful book. I wasn't sure what to expect going in - I don't often read nonfiction - but this was a powerful read. Andi has a wonderful, empathetic voice and makes the science of CSF leaks so accessible, and then in the next paragraph you can see the love she has for the people around her just pouring off the page. It's a niche topic, in a way, but also it's not at all, because it's about navigating the medical system as a woman in pain, advocating for yourself, advocating for your children, coming to terms with the facade that is our conception of our mind...just really powerful overall.
toner1014's review against another edition
2.0
My heart goes out to this author and I can’t imagine writing this book after having navigated rebuilding my brain. But the book was scattered and I had a really hard time staying focused. Repetitive in many places and could have used a more coherent thru-line.
anndouglas's review
5.0
I have been looking forward to reading this book since before it was a book. Andrea Buchanan shared a piece of writing with me a few years ago -- an essay describing the health challenges she was in the process of working through at the time. I told her that it was the best thing she had ever written (which is really saying something, because she's an extraordinarily talented author) and I told her that the essay needed to become a book. This past week, I had the opportunity to read the resulting book and I loved it for so many reasons. I loved it as a writer (because the book is beautifully written and brilliantly structured). I loved it as someone who lives with a chronic illness (because the book spoke to so many of the issues that I have grappled with during my own health journey). And I loved it as Andi's friend (because I am so proud of her for writing such a raw and honest memoir). There's just so much about this book to love. Thanks, Andi, for writing it.
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