reviews

This book is compelling testimony of one man’s courage in dealing with a life that has been comprehensively wrecked by severe M.E. The whimsical format and offbeat humour create a vivid picture of the reality of a raw talent constrained by prolonged illness but never defeated. stranger and stranger is well named. It is by turns funny, intriguing, sad and just strange but it is above all a triumphant demonstration of Robert’s inner strength. Do read it and be educated, entertained and enlightened about this horrible illness.

Sir Peter Spencer
CEO Action for M.E.

Robert McMullen has put his finger on what it's like to be chronically ill and housebound with a misunderstood illness and uncertain diagnosis. The arrival of a mystery email sparks an exchange that illuminates a dark place but takes up his available energies and has an emotional cost. Like the illness ME itself, the story takes unexpected turns – the quizzes, challenges and quotations are delightful, and the outcome is a most surprising one, leaving a questioning reader.

The author's newly added afterword in which he writes about his diagnosis for the first time is very clear and eloquent. It reflects the "on the ground" experience that I hear when people ring the charity.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it as a sensitive and absorbing portrayal of a sojourn.

Dr Neil C. Abbot
Operations Director
ME Research UK

This is a great story... I am seriously impressed and don't have one single negative thing to say.

Lisa Jewell
The Sunday Times bestselling author

To be perfectly honest, when I began reading this book, I thought it was some sort of love story and I wasn’t happy. It turned out to be a fairly great read! It’s a story of one man who puts a book review online and a woman who emails her compliments. They continue to email. While it has the email exchanges between two strangers, the narrative is one that can tug at one’s heart as well as be humorous. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What has this got to do with CFIDS/ME? Well, the author got sick while at college and had to move back in with his parents. The story, itself, has nothing to do with ME and, yet, everything to do with ME if the reader knows this fact. One example is when the author writes, “If I could just feel how I used to feel, I think I might well find near ecstasy…”

The book was published in 2005 and the newest [e-book] edition has an [afterword] where the illness is identified. The story isn’t all e-mail exchanges and, when I first began reading, I felt it was not going to be an enjoyable read. Instead, I didn’t want to put the book down, despite a lot a peculiar British terms. I recommend it highly to all those reading this newsletter even though this was my last thought when I began to read the book.

It’s one story that stays with you long after you read the final page.

National CFIDS Foundation
The National Forum, 2012

More reviews will be added to this page shortly. Readers are encouraged to leave their reviews on Amazon.

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