Patient: the True Story of a Rare Illness Book

Ben Watt's Patient is not the memoir one might expect from half of the pop duo Everything But The Girl. This is no star diary, no ordinary account of songwriting or performances, but a harrowing tale of Watt's battle with a rare life- threatening disease that ravaged his innards and left him with only three feet of intestine. This brush with death compelled Watt to write--the first thing he's "done apart from making records," and Patientchronicles the months of intense pain and idleness he spent in hospitals. Watt's prose, in a simple lyrical style that recall his songs, pulls the reader to his bedside as he alternates between drug-induced hazes and excruciatingly clear visions of his life. The disorientation and fear grow more palpable as his story unfolds. He likens his first major illness to a trip up a mountain: bearings are lost as vestiges of individuality and pride fall away in the fight for survival. Day and night become indistinguishable, and the line between awareness and unconsciousness blurs. Despite the nightmarish nature of his ordeal, Watt manages tender reflections on his family life and his relationship with fellow bandmember and girlfriend, Tracey Thorn. Read More