My Good Bright Wolf is an account of the author's virtually lifelong struggle with an eating disorder, and it is an astonishing book. Her gift for vivid and emotional prose won't be in any doubt to those (like me) who are fans of her previous work, both fiction and non-fiction alike, but this was almost on another level in its visceral depiction of mental illness and anorexia. Not an easy read, but an important and luminous one.

Adored!

Moss is the type of writer I aspire to be. Such a unique way of writing a memoir not that given her previous work I expected it to be anything but unique.

Loved the way in which she explored her life, thinking, experiences through the works of literature which have shaped her. As a fellow bookworm this was both inspired and inspiring.

Moss’ work is fairly dark in places. She is an unhinged and unreliable narrator of her own story. She plays with the idea of memory and the way we remember and reshape our lives as we grow.

I could relate with her level of self awareness and critical nature on a personal level that was both comforting and terrifying.

Her honesty regarding her struggles with anorexia were commendable in its bravery. It was intimately distance, striking a fine balance between telling her story whilst maintaining her privacy.

I hope she finds some peace in this world.

I have reviewed My Good Bright Wolf for book recommendation and sales site LoveReading.co.uk. I’ve awarded it a LoveReading Star Book and it will also sit as a Liz Pick of the Month for October. Please see the link for the full review.

Thank to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Your very bones took up too much space"

I am a big Sarah Moss fan so when I saw she had written a memoir I was thrilled. As expected it didn't disappoint. It's hard to describe how I felt about this book, it is a difficult read because a lot of it is relatable but you are also fully aware this story is uniquely the authors. Nevertheless l couldn't put it down and devoured it over a few days whenever I had a spare moment I would pick up this book. The insight into someone's illness was rare but refreshing. I found the scene in hospital particularly poignant.

This was excellent and I'm so glad I could read it ahead of publication (I will definitely be picking up a physical copy). Its one of the best memoirs I've read and I can't wait to read more from Sarah Moss!

I don’t often read memoirs but I enjoyed Sarah Moss’s novel Summerwater a few years ago so was curious to learn more about her. I found it compulsive and felt a little voyeuristic reading it, while admiring the daring required to lay bare private thoughts and experiences; as Moss herself puts it, ‘like bleeding in public’. Some parts are written in the second person, others the third, perhaps to make it bearable. In both modes she is harsh; perhaps less accusatory in the third person but still not what could be described as kind to herself.
At the heart of the book is Moss’s dealing (or not) with an eating disorder. We are near contemporaries so I am familiar with the rhetoric of bargaining food intake against exercise taken and intermittent fasting being the magic bullet to control weight but, blessedly, with support and common sense at home. It’s distressing to read in parts but that seems fitting: writing about eating disorders should be disturbing.
Throughout, there is a tension between what Moss the narrator tells us and the offstage voices of others challenging her memory, accusing her of fabrication. Larkin’s pronouncement on parents sprung to mind; the family narrative is that she is fat, that she is a liar. While in one sense her upbringing was privileged – a stable nuclear family, financially secure – in others it was shocking. In that context, what could be read as abandonment without proper funds or provisions is perceived as freedom from shame and criticism. The lack of empathy in intelligent, educated parents and some healthcare professionals seems particularly cruel; a legacy is that Moss remains distrustful of ‘home’. It’s astonishing to me given what she has dealt with, and continues to do so, how successful a life she has forged and how much she has achieved. My Good Bright Wolf might be a difficult read in places, but for the content only – the writing is as brilliant as ever.

My Good Bright Wolf is an incredibly lyrical and powerful memoir from Sarah Moss. It is far from an easy read, detailing as it does her in some ways unorthodox childhood, her complicated relationship with food which began in those years and re- emerged with a vengeance during the Covid-19 pandemic and her continuing struggle to deal with the issues and baggage she carries with her. It did take me a little while to get into the style of the book, but even then I could see and appreciate the skill and beauty of the writing and by the second half I was fully captivated by not only the author's journey but also the unique way she chose to share it. As a book lover and avid reader I also loved the choice to discuss several books that had an impact on her, for good or ill , and this was a nice unexpected bonus.
There are many issues within this book which will resonate with readers , the relationships we have with our bodies and our minds are unique and constantly evolving and that is something that is really explored in this compelling and memorable book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I love Sarah Moss’s writing and although this memoir was a challenging read, the beauty and skill of the writing shone through. My Good Bright Wolf tackles some really harrowing subjects and delves deeply into Moss’s struggles with her mental health. This is not a comfortable read, but it is moving and thought provoking and the reader becomes fully invested in wanting things to turn out well for her.

I have previously read 2 of Sarah Moss’ books, The Fell and Summerwater. So when the Publishers offered me a chance to read My Good Bright Wolf, I was excited to start it. It is a memoir, not my usual genre. It took me a quite few pages to become acquainted with the style of the book, it was not what I was expecting. It isn’t an easy book to read, there were some emotionally very difficult parts in it, almost harrowing, of Sarah’s childhood and lack of parental love. How the family would set off for a long day’s hiking with plenty of water, but little food. Her parents, Owl and the Jumblie Girl, showed a marked lack of understanding bringing up their children. Sarah was frequently told by them that she was fat, this in turn led to her eating disorder. She mentions many occasions when she deprived herself of food, over exercised and tried to control her body. To survive, she lost herself in books, such as Jane Eyre and Little House on the Prairie.
This is not an easy read, but I couldn’t put it down. My thanks go to Piccador, NetGalley and Sarah Moss for an arc of this book.

Honest, raw, intellectual, intelligent and searingly human. A book I needed to read in short bursts, but I found the truth in the exploration of memory and the shaping of a mind and body profoundly illuminating. I especially enjoyed the ‘readings’ of the literature that fed this brilliant author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

My Good Bright Wolf by Sarah Moss

Oh my goodness , what a book . Such an honest insight on Sarahs life .
She lays it all bare , her parents , her struggle with an eating disorder and her mental health it's all there.
Brilliant.

This is not an easy read. It's a story of how Sarah Moss grew up and developed anorexia, showing how the voices in our heads can have so much influence over our lives, even when they're twisted and slowly destroying. It shows how her parents' attitudes to what was of value, and their own prejudices, were internalised by her and how she sought reward for having willpower, being good and not eating. It also shows how things which she loved, like hiking, were part of this cycle and could be used.

The writing is beautiful, the style makes it slightly removed as it isn't first person, which contributes to the way she sometimes questions her memory of events. Is the ending hopeful or not - I couldn't really tell. It was a compelling read, despite being difficult.

An interesting conceit, the narrative voice, which I wasn't at first sure about. But the propulsive narrative thrust that makes the fiction such an addictive joy eventually kicked in. Would definitely recommend -- with a brief warning.

I love Sarah Moss’s novels and her memoir was just as good.
To say it’s raw and honest is something of an understatement.
We move from her childhood - written like a devastating fairytale - to her battles with food and hunger. This aspect of her memoir is unflinching, sad and hard to read.
And of course this is also about books and being a reader and feminism and is beautifully, beautifully written.
This powerful and painful life story will stay stay with me for a long time.

An extraordinarily powerful and moving read. This memoir by Sarah Moss was compelling from start to finish.

The author is the first to admit that she had many advantages growing up but with self esteem issues that led to illness much of her life has been a battle that had her waging war on herself. Raw, real and very brave, this isn't an easy read its journey telling of the good, the bad, how it was, how she thought it was and what was lacking.

This memoir gave me much to reflect on, the books that meant something to Sarah growing up were the same ones I read but our upbringings couldn't have been more different. Read it and weep - this is one you won't forget reading.

I am not sure I enjoyed this book but it is very thought provoking and well written.
Playing on the idea of memory and how shared memories can differ between family members, it tells the story of a comfortable childhood that results in the writer developing an eating disorder. I found the book very uncomfortable to read but the details of a seventies childhood were uncanny similar to my own. Children don't have control over their lives and this shows through this section of the book.
I enjoyed the sections discussing literature and books. Really interesting.
I found the recurrence of the eating disorder in the writers adulthood hard to read. I did finish the book though and would urge others to do so. The list at the end of the book of further reading and listening is great.

Many thanks to the Picador team, @netgalley and @panmacmillan for this advance copy in return for my honest review.

Sarah Moss is a go-to author for me and her new memoir does not disappoint. In an often searing account of her early years, Moss describes her difficult relationship with her liberal parents who have a very light handed approach to parenting. Food is a luxury commodity and Moss is often left hungry. She develops an eating disorder in her teens as her relationship with her parents becomes more fractious.

This is a visceral often uncomfortable read. I admire the authors honesty in describing the extent of self loathing she felt for her body and how this affected her on an ongoing basis throughout her life. At times hilarious, Moss plays with the concept of reality v contested memory. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 4 stars from me!

Published 29 August 2024. This is a very powerful memoir about the author's relationship with anorexia. She writes about herself and her parents who she refers to as the Owl and the Jumbly Girl and as a parent, I could find love there. Their style of parenting is to give their daughter a life of freedom where there was no real expectations. Holidays were outdoors, hiking, mountain-climbing with very few supplies because , of course, she wasn't going to waste away. There was no processed food - no 'muck' in the house and even from a young age our author could sew and knit and make her own clothes. But she was always told not to over-eat. The Owl constantly snaps at her mother for getting fat, and snaps at our author if he sees her taking too much. And so she takes control the only way she knows how - by not eating. Throughout there is an almost parent voice telling her that her memories are wrong. And, although she is terrified of dogs, she calls upon a wolf to be her comfort. There are really hard to read sections in here, and even as an adult her need to take control resurfaces. I also enjoyed her deep dives into the book that meant a lot to her - Jane Eyre, Swallows and Amazons to name two - I enjoyed the way she applies feminist analysis to them. She says this is not a 'misery memoir' because she had the ballet lessons, a comfortable home and a parent who had a good job. Nevertheless, her struggles with her body image and food do make this a book that should not be taken lightly.

While I cannot say that I liked every sentence and all aspects in this book, this was a thought-provoking, honest and well-written book.
Moss’ style is meticulous and appeals to me, and the themes and topics she reflects on in this memoir (not an easy read) are important.

A brave, honest and very powerful memoir about hunger and food , mental health, feminism, books, thinking and reason. I love Moss’s novels and this is as great and poetic as ever.
Thank you Picador/Netgalley UK for the ARC.

I am a huge fan of Sarah Moss's previous novels. My favourite of her books, Ghost Wall and Cold Earth, wonderfully capture the complexities of human relationships and underlying darkness. Reading her memoir, My Good Bright Wolf, helps to understand how Moss developed not only as a person but a writer of such fiction. As with all her work, the writing is mesmeric and beautifully evocative. Whether she's describing her childhood home or a Swiss village, it is easy for the reader to imagine themselves there along with Moss.

I also particularly loved the sections of the book where Moss looks back at the books that influenced her as a child. Like Moss, I grew up adoring children's classics such as Swallows and Amazons and Little Women and can still enjoy them as comfort reads, whilst acknowleding their problematic elements. I loved how she is able to examine these books both from her childhood perspective but also through the critical eye of an adult reader. Unfortunately, I don't think she is quite as successful at retaining perspective when she looks at her troubled relationship with her parents. She does try to acknowledge that they may well remember things differently but there is still a palpable hurt and bitterness as she recounts much of her childhood. Although elements of their behaviour was undoubtedly cruel, the use of nicknames depersonalises in a way that I didn't feel particularly comfortable with (especially her brother, who she refers to as Angel Boy).

The latter section of the book was incredibly powerful and I think Moss succeeds here in keeping a calmer, more objective gaze as she describes the re-emergence of her eating disorder in adulthood. She movingly captures her own mental struggles during this time as well as the sometimes unreasonable and infantilising attitude towards hospitalised patients, particularly during the Covid outbreak. Moss's skills as a writer really come to the fore here and it is impossible not to be moved by her account of this period of her life.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.