The Invisible Girl: A father's heart-breaking story of the daughter he lost

by Peter Barham (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2005

  $3.25

  A few years after packing for London, teenager Debbie Barham was writing the funniest lines for the top names in British comedy. But her genius belied a darker, destructive side that slowly span out of control. By 26 she had died of anorexia. This powerful memoir is her father's search to understand his daughter and make sense of her troubled end. In this poignant memoir of his daughter's short life, Peter Barham sets out to discover the powerful force that drove Debbie to anorexia, whilst inspiring her to write some of the best lines in British comedy. Drawing on her copious e-mails and scripts, and featuring contributions from some of the UK's most famous comedians, including Rory Bremner, Clive Anderson, Ned Sherrin and Bob Monkhouse, Peter takes you from the heady excitement of Debbie's mid-teen years to her troubled, solitary end. 'The Invisible Girl' is a father's remarkable journey to discover what went wrong in the mysterious and very private world of his daughter. It is a powerful and moving story that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

• Used

  Paperback
  2006

  $3.25

  A father's powerful and poignant memoir. Peter Barham lost his daughter, Debbie, to anorexia at the age of 26. Debbie was a talented BBC comedy writer whose death shocked the media world. The story centres around the 9 months Debbie lived with Peter and his moving search to know more about his daughter and make sense of it all after her death. A father's poignant memoir of the nine months he nursed his anorexic daughter and his struggle after her death to make sense of it all and to know his daughter more fully. Peter Barham left his wife while Debbie was just a toddler and had little to do with her until the day she turned up on his doorstep, weighing just 4 stone. For 9 months he gave Debbie a home -- terrified at times he would find her dead in the morning. Debbie was a successful comedy writer for such luminaries as Clive Anderson, Rory Bremner and Ned Sherrin, the frail girl never stopped working. But at times she didn't have the strength to lift her head from the pillow. Then one day, when Debbie felt stronger she left, leaving a note. Debbie died of anorexia in her mid twenties, a reclusive inhabitant of a London docklands flat. The book opens with Peter's harrowing visit to it, after her death, when he finds that Debbie had sent herself helium balloons via an internet mail order company the day before she died which bore the get well message, 'Chin up Debs. It can only get better.'

• Used

  Hardcover
  2006

  $3.25

  A father's powerful and poignant memoir. Peter Barham lost his daughter, Debbie, to anorexia at the age of 26. Debbie was a talented BBC comedy writer whose death shocked the media world. The story centres around the 9 months Debbie lived with Peter and his moving search to know more about his daughter and make sense of it all after her death. A father's poignant memoir of the nine months he nursed his anorexic daughter and his struggle after her death to make sense of it all and to know his daughter more fully. Peter Barham left his wife while Debbie was just a toddler and had little to do with her until the day she turned up on his doorstep, weighing just 4 stone. For 9 months he gave Debbie a home - terrified at times he would find her dead in the morning. Debbie was a successful comedy writer for such luminaries as Clive Anderson, Rory Bremner and Ned Sherrin, the frail girl never stopped working. But at times she didn't have the strength to lift her head from the pillow. Then one day, when Debbie felt stronger she left, leaving a note. Debbie died of anorexia in her mid twenties, a reclusive inhabitant of a London docklands flat. The book opens with Peter's harrowing visit to it, after her death, when he finds that Debbie had sent herself helium balloons via an Internet mail order company the day before she died which bore the get well message, 'Chin up Debs. It can only get better.'

• New

  Paperback
  2005

  $16.70

  A few years after packing for London, teenager Debbie Barham was writing the funniest lines for the top names in British comedy. But her genius belied a darker, destructive side that slowly span out of control. By 26 she had died of anorexia. This powerful memoir is her father's search to understand his daughter and make sense of her troubled end. In this poignant memoir of his daughter's short life, Peter Barham sets out to discover the powerful force that drove Debbie to anorexia, whilst inspiring her to write some of the best lines in British comedy. Drawing on her copious e-mails and scripts, and featuring contributions from some of the UK's most famous comedians, including Rory Bremner, Clive Anderson, Ned Sherrin and Bob Monkhouse, Peter takes you from the heady excitement of Debbie's mid-teen years to her troubled, solitary end. 'The Invisible Girl' is a father's remarkable journey to discover what went wrong in the mysterious and very private world of his daughter. It is a powerful and moving story that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.