Sick Girl - by Amy Silverstein (Paperback)

About the Book

An incredible journey into the life of a young heart transplant patient, "Sick Girl" is extraordinary both for its gripping story of a medical miracle and for its unique and forceful narrator.

Book Synopsis

The hardcover publication of Sick Girl garnered tremendous attention, generated impressive sales, and ignited controversy. Both inspiring and provocative, reactions to the book ranged from inflammatory posts on a U.S. News & World Report blog, to hundreds of letters from readers, to a full-page review in People. Amy's force, candor, and her refusal to be the thankful patient from whom we expect undiluted gratitude for the medical treatments that have extended her life, have put her at the center of a debate on patient rights and the omnipotent power of doctors. At twenty-four, Amy was a typical type-A law student: smart, driven, and highly competitive. With a full course load and a budding romance, it seemed nothing could slow her down. Until her heart began to fail. Amy chronicles her harrowing medical journey from the first misdiagnosis to her astonishing recovery, which is made all the more dramatic by the romantic bedside courtship with her future husband, and her uncompromising desire to become a mother. In her remarkable book she presents a patient's perspective with shocking honesty that allows the reader to live her nightmare from the inside--an unforgettable experience that is both disturbing and utterly compelling.

Review Quotes

"Amy Silverstein is not an easy patient, with good reason. She has lived nineteen long years with a transplanted heart, much longer than any doctor could have predicted. And she has, arguably, done more with a transplanted heart than anyone else, including the publication of this remarkable book. It documents her fears, frustrations, anger, and perseverance. She recognizes that the world expects a simpering bundle of gratitude. In her compelling memoir, Sick Girl, Amy delivers a searing insight into the battle to stay alive. And yet, there is also love and humor, and a radiant courage."

"Silverstein is an inspired storyteller. Her engaging language and sharp insight make Sick Girl both compelling and moving. Few of us undergo a heart transplant at twenty-four, but we can recognize our own stories in this incisive, unflinching look at life, love, and extraordinary courage."

"Spectacular ... Heart transplant patients live along the jagged edges of the abyss that most mortals fear. By bravely peeking over the edge, Amy Silverstein shares with us the brutal reality of being a 'survivor.'"

"Truly compelling, Sick Girl sucked me in from the get-go. Amy Silverstein's story is amazing and inspiring."

About the Author

Amy Silverstein was the author of Sick Girl, which won a Books for a Better Life Award and was a finalist for the Borders Original Voices Award, and My Glory Was I Had Such Friends. She earned her Juris Doctor at New York University School of Law, served on the Board of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS), and was an active speaker and writer on women's health issues and patient advocacy. She lived in New York.