“Hunger takes on new meaning in O’Brien’s memoir about love, longing, and an ever growling stomach. Many people have written about eating disorders, but a parent-inflicted eating regime is less-trod territory. In her debut memoir, the author tackles the uncomfortable truth of her mother’s obsession with healthy food. …Ultimately, this story isn’t just about food; it’s about the mother-daughter bond and how the desire to please one’s parents may never go away. O’Brien ably articulates this challenging relationship all children and parents struggle with, be it through food, favoritism, or failure to love. A book that makes the topic of hunger entirely satisfying.”

“This book was startling to me, as it describes a family I thought I knew, but evidently didn’t. Edgar Scherick was my friend and my guardian angel — a man who believed in my dreams and made my career. I loved Edgar, who I knew to be kind, thoughtful and, most of all, protective. What I didn’t know is that he also carried demons — that made him unpredictably angry and frequently volatile, at home. In her brave, painful and ultimately triumphant memoir, Christine O’Brien reconciles a complicated childhood — a life of privilege that was often held hostage by an explosive father, an obsessive and controlling mother, and the constant terror of feeling unsafe. It is never easy to untangle the knotty contradictions of a life lived, particularly when those memories recall the people we loved. But Christine has emerged from her harrowing journey with a story worthy of celebration — by women, by victims of domestic trauma and by anyone who longs for inner peace. A courageous and inspiring book.”

Booklist review calls Crave “compelling” and a “page-turner.”