Horizontal Woman: The Story of a Body in Exile

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, well written account
Review: Berger writes a gripping story of a life gone out of control. Perhaps the most overwhelming part of her devastating injury is that she is failed by medical professionals--she has no official diagnosis--nothing to work toward, no hope, no meaningful treatment. Inspirational.

Rating:
Summary: Horizontaly boring!
Review: I choose to read this book to broaden my horizons. I work as a nurse, and being able to understand someone who has a chronic illness, and their coping mechanisms, was important to me. This book was a disapointment. I felt that the plot did not flow well, and I was often wondering at what point was this specific plot element going on. The author was very unclear about what her medical regimen was supposed to be, especially in the home envinronment. Some times she can walk or sit up, and other times she is confined to laying on the floor examining the carpet lint, and feeling sorry for herself. It's was never clear to me what her abilities/disabilities were. She instead, focuses on her pain without telling a very good story. This reads like someone's poorly written, whiney story that spans several years of life.