Some of Us Just Fall

Illness makes storytellers of us all . . .After years of unexplained health problems, Polly Atkin's perception of her body has always been fluid and disjointed. When she's finally diagnosed with two chronic conditions in her thirties, she begins to piece together what has been happening to her. Searching for a sense of belonging, she tries to find her place in the world even as her own body seems to be working against her.Some of Us Just Fall combines memoir, pathography and nature writing to trace a fascinating journey from Polly's childhood in Nottingham - a city built on caves - to her current home in the Lake District, where outdoor swimming is purported to cure all ills. Delving into the history of her two genetic conditions, Polly explores how these illnesses were managed (or not) in the past and how best to plan for her own future. Touching on medical misogyny and gaslighting, she discusses the illusion of a 'cure' in the context of chronic illness, particularly interrogating the validity of the nature cure.This essential book examines how we talk about, and deal with, bodies that diverge from the norm - and why this urgently needs to change.