Don't Kill the Birthday Girl

Tales from an Allergic Life

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Health, Ailments & Diseases, Allergies, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Don't Kill the Birthday Girl by Sandra Beasley, Crown/Archetype
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Sandra Beasley ISBN: 9780307588135
Publisher: Crown/Archetype Publication: July 12, 2011
Imprint: Broadway Books Language: English
Author: Sandra Beasley
ISBN: 9780307588135
Publisher: Crown/Archetype
Publication: July 12, 2011
Imprint: Broadway Books
Language: English

A beautifully written and darkly funny journey through the world of the allergic.

Like twelve million other Americans, Sandra Beasley suffers from food allergies. Her allergies—severe and lifelong—include dairy, egg, soy, beef, shrimp, pine nuts, cucumbers, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, swordfish, and mustard. Add to that mold, dust, grass and tree pollen, cigarette smoke, dogs, rabbits, horses, and wool, and it’s no wonder Sandra felt she had to live her life as “Allergy Girl.” When butter is deadly and eggs can make your throat swell shut, cupcakes and other treats of childhood are out of the question—and so Sandra’s mother used to warn guests against a toxic, frosting-tinged kiss with “Don’t kill the birthday girl!”

It may seem that such a person is “not really designed to survive,” as one blunt nutritionist declared while visiting Sandra’s fourth-grade class. But Sandra has not only survived, she’s thrived—now an essayist, editor, and award-winning poet, she has learned to navigate a world in which danger can lurk in an unassuming corn chip. Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is her story.

With candor, wit, and a journalist’s curiosity, Sandra draws on her own experiences while covering the scientific, cultural, and sociological terrain of allergies. She explains exactly what an allergy is, describes surviving a family reunion in heart-of-Texas beef country with her vegetarian sister, delves into how being allergic has affected her romantic relationships, exposes the dark side of Benadryl, explains how parents can work with schools to protect their allergic children, and details how people with allergies should advocate for themselves in a restaurant.

A compelling mix of memoir, cultural history, and science, Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is mandatory reading for the millions of families navigating the world of allergies—and a not-to-be-missed literary treat for the rest of us.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A beautifully written and darkly funny journey through the world of the allergic.

Like twelve million other Americans, Sandra Beasley suffers from food allergies. Her allergies—severe and lifelong—include dairy, egg, soy, beef, shrimp, pine nuts, cucumbers, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, swordfish, and mustard. Add to that mold, dust, grass and tree pollen, cigarette smoke, dogs, rabbits, horses, and wool, and it’s no wonder Sandra felt she had to live her life as “Allergy Girl.” When butter is deadly and eggs can make your throat swell shut, cupcakes and other treats of childhood are out of the question—and so Sandra’s mother used to warn guests against a toxic, frosting-tinged kiss with “Don’t kill the birthday girl!”

It may seem that such a person is “not really designed to survive,” as one blunt nutritionist declared while visiting Sandra’s fourth-grade class. But Sandra has not only survived, she’s thrived—now an essayist, editor, and award-winning poet, she has learned to navigate a world in which danger can lurk in an unassuming corn chip. Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is her story.

With candor, wit, and a journalist’s curiosity, Sandra draws on her own experiences while covering the scientific, cultural, and sociological terrain of allergies. She explains exactly what an allergy is, describes surviving a family reunion in heart-of-Texas beef country with her vegetarian sister, delves into how being allergic has affected her romantic relationships, exposes the dark side of Benadryl, explains how parents can work with schools to protect their allergic children, and details how people with allergies should advocate for themselves in a restaurant.

A compelling mix of memoir, cultural history, and science, Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is mandatory reading for the millions of families navigating the world of allergies—and a not-to-be-missed literary treat for the rest of us.

More books from Biography & Memoir

Cover of the book Elsa Schiaparelli by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Molecules of Emotion by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Tony Baxter by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book I Think I Grew up Better Than You by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Lyman Bostock by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book El secreto de San Isidro by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Caithness to Patagonia by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Groucho Marx and Other Short Stories and Tall Tales by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Mar-a-Lago by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Twelve Patients by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Joseph. My Ma (Mother) Died Again This Week. Part 2. by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book All I Can Be by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book OCD, Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Related Depression by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Biographic Clinics (Barnes & Noble Digital Library) by Sandra Beasley
Cover of the book Integrated Basketball at the Little Big Horn by Sandra Beasley
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy