Thread acquires extraordinary memoir written by the daughter of a mother with Munchausen’s syndrome

Thread Publisher, Claire Bord, has acquired World English Language rights in Helen Naylor’s moving and astonishing memoir My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me from Caroline Hardman at the Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency.

Ten years ago, Helen Naylor discovered that her mother, Elinor, had been faking debilitating illnesses for over two decades. Elinor’s diaries reveal not only the inner workings of her twisted mind and self-delusion, but also shocking revelations about Helen’s childhood.

Claire Bord said,

‘When I read the opening lines of Helen’s story – There was a time when I loved my mother. It’s shocking – unnatural – to imply that I stopped loving my mum. But nothing about our relationship was normal – I felt a chill down my spine. This heartbreaking, brave and intimate account opens with Helen as a lonely little girl and her journey to discovering that everything she knew about herself, her identity and upbringing was based on a lie. Helen’s writing is outstanding and brings you right into the heart of her experience so that you’re living and breathing it with her. I was reminded of Jeanette Winterson’s Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? as I was reading Helen’s remarkable memoir.’

Helen Naylor said,

I began writing My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me to record the earth- shattering experiences of the previous few years and the trauma of my childhood, but never expected that it would lead to publication and the fulfilment of a life-long dream. I’m incredibly thankful to Caroline Hardman for helping me strengthen and clarify the complexity and am thrilled to be working with Claire and the Thread team to bring my story out of the shadows.

Thread will publish My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me in ebook, audio and paperback on 25th November 2021.

My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me

Helen Naylor

Published: 25 November 2021

Mothers are supposed to be good. But my mother wasn’t good.