Tick Boom: A Biography of Lyme Disease, the Growing Epidemic Lurking in Plain Sight

At once a breathtaking work of investigative journalism and a searing personal testimony, Tick Boom tells the comprehensive story of a disease that hides in plain sight, but plagues many: Lyme disease.

Amanda M. Fairbanks could barely read the words in front of her. She could not remember what she was meant to be typing, and for the life of her, could not imagine how she’d written anything before. She felt she had little grasp on anything at that moment except for one thing: she was sick. Months would go by with her condition only worsening until finally one healthcare provider saw what all of the others had missed. She was exhibiting all the systems of Lyme disease. Though the diagnosis was hard-won, Amanda is hardly alone in her experience. Over 500,000 Americans receive a Lyme diagnosis every year. But even with these staggering numbers, in the fifty years since the discovery of Lyme, little progress has been made.

A compelling hybrid of urgent medical investigation and an intimate portrait of those suffering in silence, Tick Boom reveals an emerging health crisis, and what’s at stake if we don’t stop it. Through case studies and interviews with researchers, historians, scientists, and physicians, Fairbanks walks readers back through the discovery, contentious debate, and new frontier of Lyme research. At its heart are the stories of the sick, the disbelieved, those who are still suffering. In riveting prose and with a keen sense of empathy and urgency, Tick Boom illuminates the world of a disease that hides in plain sight, but ravages individuals and families behind closed doors.