A deep look into a woman's life and coming to terms with her failures.

I enjoyed this book, its raw and honest. I guess I expected more in terms of "and here's how to get help", but in fairness this book wasn't marketed as Self-Help. This is Sara's story, and good for her for sharing it.


**I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Heartbreaking raw story of food addiction that affects every area of the authors life. As her food addiction goes untreated for most of her life she spirals into alcohol and drug abuse. Told with bravery and honesty this story is a true testament to Ms. Somers strength. Told from very early in her life, Ms, Somers chronicles her food addiction through her childhood into adulthood. Excellent book of addiction and survival , highly recommend.

What a book.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Wow. This was intense. If I’m being honest, it was really hard to get through this memoir about a woman who struggles with binge eating and alcohol because of the eating disorders that I’ve dealt with in my own life. Most of the time reading this, I was uncomfortable because it felt relatable but the author was also brutally honest about her own struggles and her own flaws. I wish there had been more instances in the book about her successes throughout instead of just at the end but I appreciated the raw honesty.

Saving Sara is an extremely detailed memoir of a woman’s struggle with food addiction. Born into an academic family, Sara Somers spent nearly fifty years battling her demons, whose names are sugar, grains, and simple carbs. Sara remembers incidents from as early as nine years old, going through her times as a camper (stealing food), counselor at the same camp (not a good fit), and always isolating herself while trying desperately to fit in and find love.

Like all addicts, she resolves again and again that THIS time it will be different, only to give in to her obsession with her next fix. Sara is close to my age, and I related to many of her experiences and struggles, particularly as she recalls that she “shot out of the academic cannon of undergraduate education in no particular direction with no skills except for bullshit,” then “…discovered that I was good at thinking about things, studying things, and then talking about them.”

Over the years, she “…had tried hypnosis, encounter groups, Ayds—a caramel-type candy that was supposed to make one feel full, alcohol, Weight Watchers, amphetamines, behavioral therapy, promised to friends, the Atkins diet, the macrobiotic diet, Slim Fast, and probably many more diets or programs that now elude me.” One essential thing she learned was that “Shame…taught me to be afraid of people who would actually help me and to trust people who would hurt me.” As she spent years in AA, she “…turned to alcohol when I tried to control the food” and finally accepted that food “was my bottom-line addiction.”

Essential to her finding her way was her acceptance that she “…equated asking for help with being weak, with being a bad person.” Many people will not understand her rigidity as she follows the greysheets program, meaning she weighs EVERYTHING she consumes, “not one-eighth of an ounce over or under.” My own feeling is whatever works for someone is THEIR solution, and Sara Somers has clearly found hers. It may not be for everyone, but will be of interest to food addicts or those interested in addiction and recovery in general. Thanks to She Writes Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. Three and a half stars.

A raw open honest memoir of food addiction .Sara shares her lifetime of addiction her struggles.A book that many women will relate to .Very moving eye opening a book that kept me turning the pages with compassion.#netgalley #saving Sara

This memoir is about addictions and the destruction that follows. Sara throughout her life was addicted to drugs, alcohol but mainly food. This is her story of how she coped and eventually finding her solution. This is also a story about a dysfunctional family and other relationships. This was a very interesting novel and a primer for others with addictions. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a memoir with a message. Sara chronicles her life from the beginning which is important to establish that overeating is a disease, and how it played out in her childhood, her formative years, and early and late adulthood. Sara is a great writer who draws you in with her storytelling. Highly recommend this book for anyone dealing with addiction, but it's also a great memoir.

When I requested "Saving Sara", I was thinking that I would be reading something in the campy style of "Go Ask Alice". I was very, very wrong about this - and I'm very, very happy about that.

"Saving Sara" is about a woman's struggles with food addiction - and her difficult journey to treatment/recovery. While I normally find stories that focus on a twelve step method to be formulaic; I can honestly say this book was the total opposite. Sara Somers is very candid about her struggles; brutally honest about her own flaws; and did a great job logically presenting everything. She certainly made me rethink many of my views on the twelve step concept.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book - I really appreciated the many lessons in this book!

“Saving Sara” by Sara Somers is a moving memoir about food addiction and disordered eating. Sara’s account is very familiar to me as I’ve dealt with similar issues. It was inspiring and I enjoyed it.