15-year-old Francesca Dietrich, the protagonist of Steven Levenkron’s novel The Best Little Girl in the World, is what her parents consider to be a good child: she gets good grades; she’s well-mannered; she doesn’t do drugs or drink alcohol; and she’s blessedly quiet (as compared to her older sister Suzanna, who was always a trouble-maker when she stayed at home). However, the young girl hides a dark secret: Francesca (or Kessa, as she privately calls herself) is an anorexic.
Right from the first page, the author launches the reader directly into the madness of anorexia nervosa, and throughout the book demonstrates how it affects not only the anorexic herself, but also her family and even her therapist as they try desperately to save Kessa’s life.
In all honesty, though before I had read this book I knew a lot about anorexia nervosa, by reading this book, I found myself more able to sympathize with anorexics, and I was able to understand the general reason why they are the way they are. It was easier to see perhaps why someone would become anorexic. I was also able to see what happens once someone is diagnosed with anorexia, which, while perhaps not beneficial to me at all, was interesting in that it serves as general knowledge. Especially since while anorexia may be a common word now, aside from knowing what anorexia is in general, most people don’t know anything about it (in terms of treatment, anyway). Which is strange, since one would expect most websites providing information about anorexia nervosa (save maybe the pro-ana sites) to at least detail treatment for it. But alas, no information is clearly evident (which is common with all mental illnesses, unfortunately).
Either way, this is a good and, thankfully, short read that would be helpful to anyone interested in anorexia nervosa itself or just anyone wanting a better understanding of how mental illnesses in general affect patients and those people who care for them.
Come away my dear,
If Poseidon’s son you seek,
To hear his witty words,
To heed the truth he speaks.
Off to the seal-herder’s lair,
To look into the sea,
To learn the secrets of your life,
The fruits borne of your tree.
But be cautioned gentle seedling,
For there is never naught but sweet,
And in the semblance, if only joy shows,
Be wary of the treat.
For with all good comes bad it’s said,
And if the latter you see,
Do not dismay, my lovely linden,
Do not fret over misery.
And if there, in your window,
A baleful painting should appear,
Look away from so mortal an image,
Do not look on for fear.
For all is not written in stone, my love,
But in liquid, flowing and sleek,
Acheron’s depths can’t hold you in,
If your own path you seek.
20th February 2009: Can you tell I was going through a phase during which I couldn’t get over William Butler-Yeats?