Brain on Fire

Memoirs don’t usually top my list of books to read because I usually find them to be boring and excessively long, however Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan was neither boring or excessively long. I really enjoyed reading her memoir. The memoir focuses on her struggle with her autoimmune disease, the process of diagnosing it and recovery. For those that don’t know, an autoimmune disease is essentially where your body attacks itself; causing immense damage. Detailing her downward spiral with this unknown disease, author Cahalan did a great job describing her symptoms and clarifying any confusing medical jargon. To be honest, I expected the memoir to be saturated with emotion and pathos. But contrary to my expectations, Cahalan wrote directly and kept everything to the point. I am glad that I read this book not only because of all the new things I learned, but also because it has helped me gain a sense of awareness towards the illnesses that patients battle and the ones with with nameless diseases.