Something is afoot within me that I do not understand, the breaking of a contract that I thought could not be broken, a slow perverting of my very substance'
Anna was living a normal life. She enjoyed her job; she was ambitious and worked hard; she was falling in love. Then the unthinkable happened. What started out as a mild intolerance to artificial light, preventing her from sitting comfortably in front of a computer screen for long periods, suddenly developed into something much more serious.
Anna was diagnosed with an extreme case of photosensitivity, an allergy to light in all forms. At the best times, she can venture cautiously out of her front door at night, avoiding high-strength streetlamps. At the worst, she must spend weeks on end in one blacked-out room, living in complete darkness, losing herself in audiobooks and elaborate word games.
This is the astonishing story of Anna's descent into the depths of an extraordinary illness, of the many supposed cures she has tried and of how, in the face of overwhelming despair, she has learnt to live in with her condition, supported by her steadfast husband and loving family.
