Fasting Girls

The author of the book ‘Fasting Girls’ is Joan Jacobs Brumberg. It is a comprehensive history of women’s food refusal dating back to the 16th century. It analyzes the evolution of anorexia nervosa from medieval self-starvation, and Victorian fasting girls, to modern dieting practices. The book sustains compassion for victims and their families, offering insights into this complex, modern, and characteristically female disease.