My Mother, Munchausen's and Me: A true story of betrayal and a shocking family secret

My mother pretended to be sick for thirty years' – As seen on This Morning

There was a time when I loved my mother. It’s shocking to imply that I stopped loving her because mothers always love their children and always do their best for them. Mothers are supposed to be good. But my mother wasn ’t good.

Ten years ago, Helen Naylor discovered her mother, Elinor, had been faking debilitating illnesses for thirty years. After Elinor’s self-induced death, Helen found her diaries, which Elinor wrote daily for over fifty years. The diaries reveal not only the inner workings of Elinor’s twisted mind and self-delusion, but also shocking revelations about Helen’s childhood.

Everything Helen knew about herself and her upbringing was founded on a lie. The unexplained accidents and days spent entirely on her own as a little girl, imagining herself climbing into the loft and disappearing into a different world, tell a story of neglect. As a teenager, her mother’s advice to Helen on her body and mental health speaks of dangerous manipulation.

With Elinor’s behaviour becoming increasingly destructive, and Helen now herself a mother, she was left with a stark choice: to collude with Elinor’s lies or be accused of abandoning her.

My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me is a heart-breaking, honest and brave account of a daughter unravelling the truth about her mother and herself. It’s a story of a stolen childhood, mental illness, and the redemptive power of breaking a complex and toxic bond.

What readers are saying about My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me :

‘ An absolute roller coaster ride of emotions!!!! ... heartbreaking … clear your schedules as you won't be able to put it down . It will leave you absolutely shocked … If you read one biography this year make sure this is the one!!! ... I LOVED it .’ Bookworm86

‘I cannot even. Absolutely blew my mind … cried buckets of tears .’ NetGalley reviewer

‘ Wow just wow … fascinating… heart wrenching … absolutely unreal … My heart absolutely broke for Helen… incredibly moving .’ Booksandcoffeewithlexi

‘ Absolutely amazing. I was hooked from the first page! … gave so many insights and relatable experiences… such a good book!’ Goodreads reviewer

‘A fascinating account.’ The Times

‘ I devoured this book in a couple sittings as I was captivated right from the beginning ... gripping .’ Goodreads reviewer

‘I seriously don't know where to start... I'm absolutely staggered … astounding and heartbreaking .’ Book.lover67

‘ My heart broke ... I was hooked throughout this entire read …emotional and eye opening.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘ Genuinely left me flabbergasted …. It was a complete page turner … really opens your eyes.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘ Wow. I did not want to put this down …consumed much of my thoughts in the past few days … what a powerful story.’ Bitesbooksbrews

‘ Eye opening … difficult to put down … wonderful .’ Little Miss Book Lover 87