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American Breakdown: Our Ailing Nation, My Body’s Revolt, and the Nineteenth-Century Woman Who Brought Me Back to Life
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52
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
59/100Critics
44/100Scholars
Author:
Jennifer Lunden
Publisher:
Harper
Date:
May 9, 2023
A literary, historical exploration about the way in which our industrialized lives have made us sick--from diarist Alice James and the 19th century neuraesthenics to current day chronic and stress-related illnesses--that seeks to answer the question: who gets sick, and why?
What The Reviewers Say
In the telling, American Breakdown expands from a depiction of the ills of health care into a sweeping critique of late-stage capitalism.
The author has woven a complex story of industrialization, environmental degradation, capitalism, and the crumbling state of healthcare in the United States.
This is an important book not only about perseverance and determination but also about practical things (such as paying for medical bills one can’t afford), and especially about gender bias in health care..
Throughout, Lunden deftly interweaves her story with that of James.
