Find out what Mumsnetters thought of The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse

I have struggled to know how to write this review as 'enjoyed' doesn't seem the right way to describe reading this book. However, it was so easy to read and I learnt and now understand so much more about this awful disease. I really connected with the characters and couldn't put the book down.

I am a great believer in thing happening for a reason and a few weeks after reading this book a friend disclosed she has anorexia. I felt so much more comfortable and able to discuss it with her having read this book and for that I need to thank Amanda Prowse.

I will be looking for other books she has written.

Thank you

So sorry - I knew this was the last day to put on my feedback and I only finished the book at the weekend, but I didn't realise it had to be in by mid day until just now.
But anyway just to let you know that I found the book quite upsetting to read but glad I did read it and really wanted to keep reading it. It gave a real insight into this subject and very helpful to read when you have teenagers. I found the family dynamics very interesting.
Thank you for the opportunity to read it - a new author for me.

Sounds a very emotive and modern day book with an insight into what a lot of parents and children are going through in this day and age.

Sounds like a good perspective on such a serious issue.

I am a big Amanda prowess fan and this does not disappoint an emotional read on a very delicate storyline

I have read a few books on this subject, as my best friend still suffers with this awful illness, its close to my heart. Sometimes I have hated him, loved him, despised him, but always always want to support him. I was given this book by a friend on here to read as they know what we have been going through, as its not just the person with Anorexia who suffers, but the entirety of their family and friends.
I have seen things I wouldn't have believed, and reading The Food Of Love made me feel less alone.
Amanda Prowse has written this beautifully, and despite being very hard to read at times, I have already ordered another of her books called 'What have I done?' and am looking forward to reading it.

Another helpful book on the sad difficult subject of Anorexia is Dying to Be Thin: Understanding and Defeating Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia–A Practical, Lifesaving Guide
by authors Sacker, I. M. and Zimmer, M.

A really interesting read about the effects of an eating disorder on the sufferer and the people surrounding her. It felt very real and was easy to relate to. The focus on the family dynamics and the far-reaching effects really makes you think more closely about this topic. It makes you really feel for the family and want to root for them, foibles and all.

This is a very emotional read for me as a close family member has struggled with an eating disorder for the last 9 years. This book is brilliant as it shows that this isn't just an illness that hurts the sufferer but that affects the whole family. Xx

very insightful and moving storyline.

Sounds interesting. As the mother of a young daughter I am concerned about the unrealistic portrayal of female bodies in the media and the link to eating disorders.

I love this book. I've known someone with an eating disorder and it captures perfectly what families go through and that the person with the disorder is not the only victim. The deceit involved in order to hide it from parents is brilliantly shown as lexi develops a real fear of food. The book is about not only Lexi's problems but how the family try and cope with those problems and how it is beginning to tear them apart. You also see a sibling, in Charlotte, pushed to one side in a way as the family focuses on her sister. The mother misses a concert and other things in Charlottes life because she is always having to deal with lexi's problems. A very good story with some real poignant moments.

I won a copy of this book. I haven't read any by this author before but I enjoyed it. It was well-written and the amount of speech in the book meant it almost read like a play in parts. Flowed well.

I thought it was very good. Loved the ending!

Eating disorders have been part of my family life, and I also have friends who have struggled with them for years. They ruin lives. It's great that these topics are being brought to the forefront of conversations by books like this, and this book sounds engaging and insightful.

What an emotional read

This book pulls on so many relatable chord-strings for me. It made me realise the hell my mum must have gone through with me as a teen. Wonderfully written and very poignant!

This book was very emotional to me. It portrays the story so realistically and really made me more aware of eating disorders and the toll this has on the family. It had made me more aware of this situation. It is a big battle and hope this disease goes away. With media and everything it is hard for people as they want to be thin. So sad.

This is a very important subject that needs exploring and talking about openly with no shame - books like the enable that to happen and I look forward to reading it.

An enjoyable and though provoking read - interesting to read about this issues from the parents view. Not a nice subject matter but Amanda Prowse handled it really sensitively

I really enjoyed this book. I found it easy to get into and I didn't feel it dragged at all as I read it.

Having had my own teenage struggles with eating disorders it was interesting to read things from a parents view, especially as I'm a parent myself now; the only book I had previously read on the subject was from an anorexics point of view.

I could really feel Freya's frustration and struggle, although I think I would've fought harder to get Lexi professional help had I been in her situation.

It also shows anorexia for what it truly is - a vile, selfish, disease. Whereas when I was younger I would be emulating Lexi, reading this book I just found myself feeling frustrated, and willing her to get better at the same time.

A thoroughly enjoyably, thought provoking read, I'll be on the look out for more by Amanda Prowse to read.

I'm afraid that I really didn't enjoy this book having had such high hopes for it. It started badly as I have a completely irrational hatred of the name Lockie and I just couldn't get into the over descriptive writing; it was as if I was reading a film or TV script where every little detail was already supplied for you.

Both the characters of Lockie and Freya irritated me with Lockie making fun of people but Freya particularly. I couldn't understand how a supposedly educated woman, a food writer, could be so ignorant of eating disorders and dismissive of other people's concerns about her children. I couldn't relate to her inability to do what both her daughters needed from her and the conversations between the family just seemed so unnatural and flowery. I was unsure of why the Rendletons had been introduced as they didn't add anything to the story, I'd expected Mrs Rendleton's diminishing health to link in with Lexi's but they were hardly mentioned again.

I have only ever heard good things about Amanda Prowse and I will try another book by her as I thought the subject choice for this novel was really good and well researched.

The Food of love is a poignant book about how a family deals with an anorexic daughter. It's extremely well written and portraits the illness as it is which makes for difficult reading,. My feeling wa that there's too much written from the mother's view point.

I had no idea what this book was going to be about. I didn't even read the back of the book to find out. (I enjoy reading books that I may not have chosen myself). I got into it quickly and when I realised the story was about a teenager with an eating disorder I felt interested to read more but also a little anxious (a bit scared even) as I have a 14 year old daughter myself. I found though that I became hooked on reading and wanted to get to the end as soon as possible. It made me think more about teenagers and eating disorders. I also liked the style of the book and would read more from this author. I think it particularly struck a chord with me as I have 3 children and I have know adults with anorexia. I'm not sure there are a lot of people who would choose to read this unless they feel connected in some way to the topic - though of course they should! As much as possible should be done to make people aware of the symptoms of this awful condition. Well done to the author for raising awareness.

I found this a very compelling read. An intense novel of a family's trials dealing with a daughters battle with anorexia. The book goes through a spectrum of emotions as the story is a rollercoaster of ups and downs. The Father coming across as the family rock while the Mother turns into a hysterical mess and sibling rivalry comes to the fore. Makes you think hard about the media and the obsession with body image they impress upon young women and the damage it does to the victims and families.