From early childhood, Julie Gregory was continually X-rayed, medicated, and operated on in the vain pursuit of an illness that was created in her mother’s mind: Munchausen by Proxy, the world’s most hidden and dangerous form of child abuse. Sickened is her story. Readers of Educated, The Glass Castle and The Memory Palace will want to read this.

‘An appalling, fascinating story, expertly told’ – Sunday Times ‘It blazes with truth and anger - a true story of survival and achievement against the odds’ – Sunday Telegraph ‘Extraordinary - shocking and moving’ – Woman & Home ‘Horrifying but compelling’ – Cosmopolitan ‘Gripping right from the start and I struggled to put it down’ – ***** Reader review ‘A brilliant read’ – ***** Reader review ‘Beautifully written’ – ***** Reader review ‘Unputdownable’ – ***** Reader review

******************************************************************************************* THE TRUE STORY OF A LOST CHILDHOOD

A young girl is perched on the cold chrome of yet another doctor’s examining table, missing yet another day of school. Barely twelve, she’s tall, skinny, and weak. It’s four o'clock, and she hasn’t been allowed to eat anything all day.

Her mother, on the other hand, seems curiously excited. She’s about to suggest open-heart surgery on her child to ‘get to the bottom of this.’ She checks her teeth for lipstick and, as the doctor enters, shoots the girl a warning glance. This child will not ruin her plans…

Sickened is the story of one girl’s fight for survival…