55 pages 1 hour read

Meghan O'Rourke

The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2022

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O'Rourke chronicles her personal journey with chronic illness and autoimmune disease, detailing the mysterious and fluctuating symptoms she experienced over time. Frustrated by the skepticism and inadequate responses from medical professionals, O'Rourke embarks on a quest to understand her condition, critiquing the healthcare system and its treatment of such illnesses, while advocating for integrative and holistic approaches to care.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Meghan O'Rourke's The Invisible Kingdom offers an insightful and compassionate exploration of chronic illness. Readers praise its blend of personal narrative and thorough research, highlighting O'Rourke's eloquent prose. Criticisms include occasional over-complexity and a sense of repetition. Still, it stands as a powerful, informative read on an often misunderstood subject.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Invisible Kingdom?

Readers fascinated by the intersection of medical science and personal narrative will enjoy The Invisible Kingdom by Meghan O'Rourke. Ideal for those who appreciated The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee or Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan, it's a compelling exploration of chronic illness and the quest for diagnosis.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Book Details

Topics

Health / Medicine

Disability

Science / Nature

Themes

Identity: Disability

Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Genre

Biography