In her new book THAT WAS WHEN PEOPLE STARTED TO WORRY, published in hardback and ebook by Icon Books, Nancy Tucker brings together the experiences of sixty young women aged 16-25 to present the wide scope of mental illness and the impact it has on everyday life. Nancy’s writing is frank, funny and compassionate, offering readers the opportunity to better understand what it is to live with an unwell mind. Nancy’s book is also out in audio with Audible UK.
‘In the waiting room, I see a lot of people who I could tell had real, serious Problems. They deserve to be here. I don’t. I’m a fraud. A lazy wreck seeking an excuse for her incompetence. I’m useless.’ Abby, 24
THAT WAS WHEN PEOPLE STARTED TO WORRY examines modern perceptions of mental illness, placing women’s lived experience at the centre of that narrative. Nancy encourages readers to examine their preconceptions of these conditions with tongue-in-cheek ‘guidebook’ sections, and throughout these chapters we hear Nancy’s own voice and experiences, creating a compelling and cohesive narrative.
Through these stories of women pushed to the very edge, Nancy reveals something universal about what it means to grow up a woman, and shines a light on perspectives recognisable for anyone who has been affected, directly or indirectly, by mental illness. The result is a book that is unique: in turns funny, disturbing and deeply moving; sensitively handled, and intimate without being
Nancy’s first book THE TIME IN BETWEEN (Icon Books, 2016) explored her own struggle with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. In the Sunday Times Christina Patterson praised the memoir as ‘astonishingly good’ and in The Psychologist Sara Gilbert wrote it was ‘an illustration of the complexity of an eating disorder.’
Nancy Tucker is a 22-year-old writer and student, currently studying for a degree in Experimental Psychology at Pembroke College, Oxford. Nancy’s first book, THE TIME IN BETWEEN (Icon, 2016), explored her own struggle with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Nancy aspires to eventually apply her understanding of mental illness to a career in clinical psychology, and has a particular interest in the treatment of binge eating disorder and personality disorders.
You can read an extract from Nancy’s new book from The Observer here.
Praise for Nancy Tucker:
‘A startlingly affecting, starkly written account of her anorexia. This isn't just another anorexia misery memoir — it's a work of literature’ — Jacqueline Wilson
‘I found Tucker’s account of her illness clear-sighted, eye-opening, moving and wise.’ — The Bookseller
‘THE TIME IN BETWEEN is a tremendous achievement’ — New Statesman
‘THE TIME IN BETWEEN is stylish an incisive and Tucker weaves her tale of fear and food, confusion and calories grippingly and with skill.’ — Joanna Moorhead, The Guardian
‘A haunting first-person account of Tucker’s struggle with anorexia as a child… Her writing is distinctive, engaging and slightly spiky.’ — Helen Nianias, The Independent