Staring Death in the Face

By Michael Prentice

This is a real-life account of a family dealing with anorexia of one of its own. Sarah nearly died. She could have died at any time as her body had begun to shut down. The local medical services said that they had never come across anyone with such a low body mass index (weight) as hers. Sarah was heard screaming out as her body began to close down at death’s door. But by the grace of God, she miraculously survived.

The events are chronicled by the author, Sarah’s father; plus there is a very poignant additional contribution portrayal through the eyes of her sister Olivia too — together these sections paint the picture of what this family had to endure and complement each other.

This is a book which I am sure you will find hard to put down and will educate you not only as far as the illness of anorexia is concerned but also in seeing how it can be transcended.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398476820

Michael Prentice

Michael Prentice lives in North Devon. He grew up here and has returned in recent years. Having spent a large part of his life away, attending Warwick University, living in the West Midlands; living and working in London for 12 years and a year respectively living in both the USA and in Spain – he has finally returned to roost! Michael is also currently having his next two books published by Austin Macauley – these are entitled Antiques Antics and Corruption in the Met and he is currently just completing his fifth book which is a novel entitled The Canterbury Express. So look out for these soon!

Book preview

Dedication

I dedicate this book to each of my family members – you know who you are and what we all had to go through individually and together. Our mutual support gave us the strength to endure this.

The book is especially devoted to Sarah for whom it will serve as an account of that part of her life which saw her grow up strong as a young woman.

The book also aims to serve as a helping hand to those who have to go through this... in the hope that it gives you strength.

I give thanks and praise to God for giving us the outcome that we so needed.

Copyright Information ©

Michael Prentice 2022

The right of Michael Prentice to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398476813 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398476820 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

20230814

Acknowledgement

It began in the summer of 2012. Only now have I been able to face writing this book, some nine years later.

1

Talented

Sarah, our daughter, was in year ten at school, she was 14 years old at the time. She was doing very well there, not just academically but in sports too, theatre and drama etc. I recall her first days of senior school where we had to drive her in instead of her taking the school bus, as she had broken her toes in three places after her over-exuberance in a village playground. A high-achiever, Sarah would always want to do well in all of her subjects and all that she did. Ever since primary school, she had wanted to and achieved very high and usually did.

She would attain a full set of straight A’s or A stars across all of her subjects. As a parent, attending her parents’ evenings at school was always rewarding and it made you so proud to hear that Sarah was often top of the class in just about almost everything she was doing.

During her final year of junior school, here in North Devon, she had been chosen for the part of Eliza Doolittle, the lead role in the school play My Fair Lady. She played the role fantastically and with an astonishing, real cockney accent. She received standing ovations from the Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe audience where it was performed. Other parents turned to us, as her parents, in the audience as the curtain went up giving us nods, thumbs-up and smiles of approval. I remember the head teacher running out speedily to go and find Sarah after the final curtain had lowered, saying, "Where’s Sarah? She