Food labels, calorie counts, ingredient lists, sugar levels, protein measurements — all different aspects of the food we put into our bodies every day. Given that eating disorders are prevalent for adolescents like me, this has always been a concern of mine. The struggle is making sure that I can find a balance of eating enough food to fuel my body, while still being able to sustain my lifestyle. Although this balance is something I continue to work on, I really began to understand the depths of a single person’s eating disorder after reading “Milk Fed.”

“Milk Fed” takes us through a story about Rachel, a 24-year-old living in Los Angeles who is grappling with an eating disorder that was deeply rooted in the habits her mother gave her at an early age. Rachel’s therapist encourages her to take a break from communicating with her mother. During this non-communication period, Rachel meets Miriam on one of her daily frozen yogurt runs. The story begins to unfold as Rachel starts to figure out the kind of love she wants to involve herself in.

Every page conveys Rachel’s struggle and triumph through over-powering romantics, physical hunger and faith.

This book changed the way I saw eating disorders. Each page makes your heart hurt while sucking you in to read more. As I was reading, all I could think about was if this woman was going to be okay. Is Rachel going to live? Is she going to recover? Is she going to speak to her mom again? My head was constantly flooded with thoughts regarding eating disorders, while getting a little bit of insight into what daily life looks like from someone struggling with an eating disorder.

I would recommend this book to an audience of learners who want to understand the depths of a certain eating disorder; an audience who wants to read a story of mature and complicated love; and an audience interested in a story of fractured relationships and the way they heal.