Love Bade Me Eat

By Alys Cavanagh

In this searingly honest-and at times unexpectedly humorous- account, Love Bade Me Eat tells the story of one woman's encounter with the Love that rescues her from the grip of chronic, life-threatening anorexia.

Raised in the UK, autistic, and a gifted young musician, Alys experiences a devastating breakdown at just fourteen while studying at two of Britain's most prestigious music schools. What follows is a decades-long struggle with severe and enduring anorexia, complex PTSD, self-harm, and a host of other mental health challenges.

By forty-four, broken and exhausted, her family fractured and her life defined by an endless cycle of psychiatric hospitalisations, Alys reaches a turning point. In her darkest moment, she has a life-changing encounter with The Shepherd. From that moment, a remarkable love story begins-one in which the many layers of her suffering are tenderly uncovered, leading her toward healing, restoration, and hope.

More than a memoir of illness and recovery, Love Bade Me Eat reveals the profound, life-giving truths that made transformation possible. It is a story for anyone who has wrestled with despair, longed for freedom, or yearned to meet, perhaps for the first time, the Love from which they came.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1764562011
• ISBN13: 9781764562010
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Ark House Press
• Length: 398 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"