All That Fills Us
by Autumn Lytle
Mel Ellis knows that her eating disorder is ruining her life. But she can’t bring herself to go to rehab so someone else can fix her mess. Broken and empty in more ways than one, Mel makes one last-ditch effort to make hers a story worth telling. She will walk her own road to recovery along the lesser-known trails of the North American wilderness.
Though she is physically and mentally unprepared to face the difficulties that lay ahead, she sets off on foot from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and heads toward Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. During the long journey, she meets strangers with their own stories, as well as ghosts from her past who can no longer be ignored. But though the land she travels threatens her success at every turn, it’s her own dark thoughts she’ll have to overcome in order to find peace in the life and the body she has been given. With pitch-perfect timing and delightfully witty self-awareness, debut author Autumn Lytle masterfully leads listeners on a journey down the hard path toward healing.
My Thoughts
Warning: This book is not an easy read. But it is so, so good! It resonates so deeply with me.
Eating disorders are something that are currently very close to my heart, because I have people in my life I care so deeply about struggling to find their way through.
I loved the story, loved hearing from Mel.
It is absolutely heartbreaking, yet oh so beautiful.
Mel has never been enough, and that’s always been all she ever wanted. To be enough. For her mom. Her boyfriend. Even herself. And that is how she somehow finds herself in this terrible, terrible place in life.
Her doctor warns her that she must be admitted to a rehab center to have any hope of recovering. Instead, she goes home to her apartment, pulls out her trusty maps, and heads out on the longest walk ever. She has determined to walk from Grand Rapids, MI to Mount Rainier, WA.
Yes, like I said. This story is not for the faint of heart.
I was privileged to see Mt. Rainier just two years ago, and I loved it (it was a highlight of our trip), so I can easily see the pull it could have on someone.
But the journey of desperation that Mel is on, only one step away from death at times…I was reminded how fragile life really is, and that we are all only a few steps away from making choices that could lead us in a bad direction.
For anyone who has someone in their life with an eating disorder, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It gives an excellent insight into the way that affects the brain.
I will remember this book for a very long time.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
AND…
the giveaway!
I have one paperback copy I’d like to send to one of my US readers. Leave a comment here to be entered. Tell me why you think you’d like this book.
Giveaway will remain open until Tuesday, May 24, 10:00 am.
All-of-a-kind Mom 
This sounds like a thought-provoking book! I think I’ve only read one or two books that had eating disorders as a main topic.
I hope you get a chance to read it!