Waiting on Wednesday: Lonely

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases.

I love a good memoir, and the most interesting ones usually involve a person who has gone through a particular struggle. Some of my favourites are Marya Hornbacher's Wasted and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This year I've read quite a few I enjoyed including Madness: A Life Bipolar, The Two Kinds of Decay and The Year of Magical Thinking. In 2011 I am looking forward to reading Lonely: Learning to Live with Solitude by Emily White, a book which combines science and memoir about an often felt but rarely discussed issue; what happens when you feel completely disconnected from the world, even when everything in your life seems good.

Despite having a demanding job, good friends, and a supportive family, Emily White spent many of her evenings and weekends alone at home, trying to understand why she felt so completely disconnected from everyone. In this insightful and soul-baring memoir, White recounts her struggle to comprehend and overcome her chronic loneliness, a debilitating condition that she contends deserves the same attention as depression and other mental difficulties. Interweaving her personal story with cutting-edge scientific research—as well as incredibly moving accounts offered by numerous lonely men and women—White provides a deep and thorough portrait of this increasingly common but too often ignored affliction.

Lonely will be published by Harper Perennial on January 18, 2011. You can learn more about the book on Emily White's website. I am actually on a book tour for this book which I am very excited about so I will definitely be reviewing it in the new year and I can't wait to delve in. Also, isn't the cover just simple and perfect?

How do you feel about memoirs? What are you waiting on this Wednesday?