Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery

Winner of the Association of American Publishers' 2026 PROSE Award for Excellence in Biological and Life Sciences, Slip is a memoir and reported work by journalist and University of Texas-Austin professor Mallary Tenore Tarpley that examines eating disorder recovery through personal narrative, interviews, and scientific research. Tarpley chronicles her own experience with anorexia, beginning after her mother's death when she was eleven years old. She was admitted to Boston's Children's Hospital a year after developing the disorder and has continued to navigate recovery into adulthood. Beyond her personal story, Tarpley conducted interviews and surveys with hundreds of patients, doctors, and researchers to provide broader understanding of eating disorder treatment and recent developments in the field. The book presents a framework centered on the concept of a "middle place" between sickness and full recovery—a space where setbacks occur but progress remains possible. Tarpley argues that "full recovery" from an eating disorder is complicated, and this insight forms the foundation of her approach to understanding the recovery process.