About 24 million Americans suffer from eating disorders. They are among the most difficult psychiatric conditions to treat and have higher mortality rates than most other forms of mental illness. Clare and Elena Dunkle know these statistics well. This mother and daughter pair has just released companion memoirs, documenting Elena’s struggle with anorexia nervosa. Written for young adults, “Elena Vanishing” traces the story as Elena moves in and out of treatment, her disease threatening her life. “Hope and Other Luxuries” recounts the same events from the perspective of a mother, desperately battling for the health of her child. We hear their stories and more about the disease from an expert.