2025 • The Atlantic
IN SEARCH OF THE BOOK THAT WOULD SAVE HER LIFE

2025 • The Atlantic
IN SEARCH OF THE BOOK THAT WOULD SAVE HER LIFE
AUTHOR Kristen Martin
This illustration was selected for the American Illustration AI44 competition.


In Bibliophobia, Sarah Chihaya recounts how her relationship with books intertwined with a mental-health crisis that led her to a psychiatric ward, where she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. In her memoir, Chihaya revisits the stories that shaped her, attempting to trace the roots of her collapse and chart a new path forward. The result is a nuanced and profound reflection on the complex desire to lose oneself in a story.