Press

“An authentically original voice, and perhaps more startlingly, an authentically original perspective.” —The New York Times Book Review

“At once a rigorous work of scholarship and a radical act of empathy.” —Esquire

O'Rourke “gives shape and color to the invisible life of patients whom society has failed. She offers hope for patient-driven change. Most important, she provides an account that many will be able to relate to—a ray of light into those isolated cocoons of darkness that, at one time or another, may afflict us all.” —Wall Street Journal

“O’Rourke boldly investigates the origin of her ills and possible cures. More crucially, she probes the cultural, psychological, and medical experiences of people with poorly understood or immune-mediated illnesses... The Invisible Kingdom couldn't be more timely.” —The Boston Globe

“O’Rourke’s book has ignited a necessary conversation, proving the pen to be as mighty as the stethoscope.” —Oprah Daily

“O’Rourke uses her experience to illuminate the facets of American society that often remain invisible to the rest of us: the blind spots in our scientific and medical paradigms, the shortcomings of our individualistic ethos, the way economic inequalities show up in our bodies, our culture’s tendency to pathologize suffering.” —The New York Times' The Ezra Klein Show

“O’Rourke is a poet above all else, and it’s with incredible, lyrical empathy that she not only shares her own story of and eventual diagnosis with late-stage Lyme disease, but puts it in perspective of an entire generation of patients who’ve been dismissed… A must read.” —Lit Hub

“Meghan O’Rourke’s book is a searing and thoroughly researched exploration of the pain and confusion that many of them go through in their quest to have their health issues taken seriously by the medical establishment—and, often, the world at large.” —Vogue

“The Invisible Kingdom will resonate with anyone who has gotten sick and been told by doctors that their ailments are ‘all in their head.’” —Bitch Media

“O’Rourke’s book is a reminder that there are plenty of people like her who know they’re sick—and are still searching for the reason why.” —GQ

A “personal and deeply moving exploration of life with chronic illness.” —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

“An affecting portrayal of how we view disease, experience illness, and search for healing.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“Emotionally compelling and intellectually rich.” —Kirkus Reviews

“With a poet’s sensibility, journalist’s rigor, and patient’s personal investment, O’Rourke sheds light on the physical and mental toll of having a mysterious chronic illness…Readers will be left in awe.” —Publisher's Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

Named a New York Times Bestseller, Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Vogue, Oprah Daily, Lithub and Kirkus and a Best Nonfiction Book of 2022 by Esquire

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