Wishlist Wednesday: "Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness"

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop hosted by Pen to Paper where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added, that we can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves!

This week's wish is Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan.

A gripping memoir and medical suspense story about a young New York Post reporter’s struggle with a rare and terrifying disease, opening a new window into the fascinating world of brain science.

One day, Susannah Cahalan woke up in a strange hospital room, strapped to her bed, under guard, and unable to move or speak. Her medical records—from a month-long hospital stay of which she had no memory—showed psychosis, violence, and dangerous instability. Yet, only weeks earlier she had been a healthy, ambitious twenty-four year old, six months into her first serious relationship and a sparkling career as a cub reporter.

Susannah’s astonishing memoir chronicles the swift path of her illness and the lucky, last-minute intervention led by one of the few doctors capable of saving her life. As weeks ticked by and Susannah moved inexplicably from violence to catatonia, $1 million worth of blood tests and brain scans revealed nothing. The exhausted doctors were ready to commit her to the psychiatric ward, in effect condemning her to a lifetime of institutions, or death, until Dr. Souhel Najjar—nicknamed Dr. House—joined her team. He asked Susannah to draw one simple sketch, which became key to diagnosing her with a newly discovered autoimmune disease in which her body was attacking her brain, an illness now thought to be the cause of “demonic possessions” throughout history.

With sharp reporting drawn from hospital records, scientific research, and interviews with doctors and family, Brain on Fire is a crackling mystery and an unflinching, gripping personal story that marks the debut of an extraordinary writer. [Source]

My boss recommended this to me a few months back. I've read only a few memoirs and fortunately, the ones I've read are mostly good, if not great. Based on the blurb and the reviews I've seen so far, Brain on Fire is an intense and gripping memoir that I will most likely enjoy. So here's to hoping that I get my hands on it soon.

Have you read Brain on Fire? Have your own wishlist? Having a bad day? Don't hesitate to share your thoughts on the Comments section! :)