Eating With My Mouth Open Sam van Zweden, by New South

Courageous, powerful, honest and elegantly crafted language in this story of the author’s relationship with her body. At three Sam’s dance teacher told the class to repeat, “I am beautiful,” of which Sam was in no doubt. As an adult she was unable to look in the mirror. “Somewhere in between these two awarenesses of my body, I came to see it only as a liability.” She grew up on Phillip Island with her chef father and morbidly obese mother. Overdosing in the school library, Sam self-harmed, starving and bingeing. “This isn’t a recovery story. I haven’t arrived, nor do I expect to.” From her father she learned to love the comfort and creativity of food, from her mother to hate it; the pair sharing diets. “No matter how I try to dump my body, it just keeps coming back, because I live here.” A landmark exploration of how food historically and culturally shaped women. It shines with hope that one day body discussion will empower.