Join local author Jennifer Crystal for a reading and talk based on her new memoir, One Tick Stopped the Clock. This narrative of resilience and perseverance gives personal voice to the collective journey that millions of chronic illness patients face. Bitten by a tick at age 19 but not diagnosed with tick-borne illness until her late twenties, Jennifer fell from the pinnacle of post-college momentum to the precipice of despair. Sidelined from her dream job as a ski instructor in the Rocky Mountains, Jennifer fought not only for her health but also for validation and support. She struggled with the identity loss that occurs when you can no longer fulfill expectations or do what you love. One Tick Stopped the Clock blends medical mystery with wit, sensitivity, and a sharp understanding of the human experience, offering hope and inspiration.

Jennifer will talk about the damage that Lyme and other tick-borne illness can cause, as well as easy ways you and your family can protect yourself from ticks. She’ll also share tips for refocusing broken dreams and creating a new normal when you can’t go back but instead must move forward at a new pace. The presentation will be followed by a Q and A and book signing.

Books will be on sale by Book Ends Winchester.

A Concord-based writer and educator, Jennifer Crystal runs the Writing to Heal Immersive Program at Grub Street Creative Writing Center, where she also teaches other non-fiction classes. For more than a decade, she has written about the chronic illness patient experience for the Global Lyme Alliance, a column that has received mention in The New Yorker and CQ Researcher. She is a Senior Writer for Harvard Health Publishing, where she also served as the Patient Experience Representative for the Lyme Wellness Initiative. Learn more at www.jennifercrystal.com.