A real-life neurological mystery—and a captivating story of reinvention—by the author of The Daring Book for Girls.
While crossing the street one morning, Andrea Buchanan lost her mind. Triggered by a sudden coughing fit, she began to choke. She had a lot weighing on her that day. A sick son. A pending divorce. The guilt of failing as a partner, as a mother.
By the time Andrea could draw a deep breath again, a small tear had ripped in her dura mater, the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord. What followed was months of pain and confusion as her brain—no longer cushioned by a healthy bed of cerebrospinal fluid—sank to the bottom of her skull. Her "brain fog" was so extreme she could not make sense of even the most basic concepts. At a time in her life when she needed to be as clear-minded as possible, she could not think.
The mind-brain connection is one of the greatest mysteries of the human condition. In some folklore, the fluid around the brain is where consciousness begins. In this luminous memoir, Andrea seeks to understand: where was "I" when I wasn't there? This is not just the fascinating account of a brain disorder that pushes the limits of medical understanding; it's a life-affirming story of one woman's journey back to her own mind.
'I found The Beginning of Everything to be unputdownable, emotionally gripping, and devastatingly honest. It plunged me into the shock and aloneness of this sudden capsizing of a life, and the agony and confusion that followed; but ultimately it delivered me to a new understanding of body and mind and new hope. I felt deep sympathy throughout, and almost joyful relief at the end.' —Rachel Simon, author of The Story of Beautiful Girl
'Andrea J. Buchanan's The Beginning of Everything explores the abrupt derailment of her ability to function and to think, due to an under-diagnosed disorder that can happen to anyone. The story of her difficult journey through diagnosis and treatment, and her inspiring self-designed rehab, is compelling for patients, caregivers, and readers alike.' —Connie Deline, MD, Spinal CS F Leak Foundation
'Andrea J. Buchanan writes of being an unreliable narrator, but you will trust her with your life as she guides you through her perilous journey and shares her stunning meditations on mind and self and pain and time. The Beginning of Everything is truly 'music emanating from a broken place,' a breathtaking, life-affirming, gorgeously composed marvel.' —Gayle Brandeis, author of The Art of Misdiagnosis and The Book of Dead Birds
'This is a fascinating account of her [Buchanan's] path to discovery of her true self, allied with the description of a little-known condition afflicting people all over the world' —Good Reading