My Mother, Munchausen's and Me

Ten years ago, Helen Naylor discovered that her mother, Elinor, had been faking debilitating illnesses for over two decades. Elinor’s diaries reveal not only the inner workings of her twisted mind and self-delusion, but also shocking revelations about Helen’s childhood.

Thread Publisher, Claire Bord, said, ‘When I read the opening lines of Helen’s story – There was a time when I loved my mother. It’s shocking – unnatural – to imply that I stopped loving my mum. But nothing about our relationship was normal – I felt a chill down my spine. This heartbreaking, brave and intimate account opens with Helen as a lonely little girl and her journey to discovering that everything she knew about herself, her identity and upbringing was based on a lie. Helen’s writing is outstanding and brings you right into the heart of her experience so that you’re living and breathing it with her. I was reminded of Jeanette Winterson’s Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? as I was reading Helen’s remarkable memoir.’