A fascinating look at a bizarre, forgotten epidemic from the national bestselling author of The American Plague . In 1918, a world war raged, and a lethal strain of influenza circled the globe. In the midst of all this death, a bizarre disease appeared in Europe. Eventually known as encephalitis lethargica, or sleeping sickness, it spread worldwide, leaving millions dead or locked in institutions. Then, in 1927, it disappeared as suddenly as it arrived. Asleep , set in 1920s and '30s New York, follows a group of neurologists through hospitals and asylums as they try to solve this epidemic and treat its victims-who learned the worst fate was not dying of it, but surviving it. "Molly Crosby has provided a brilliant and deeply moving account of the fearful years between 1915 and 1927, when this mysterious, worldwide pandemic struck, giving us vivid, intensely human portraits..." - Oliver Sacks , author of Awakenings "Here's medical curiosity combining history, mystery, and riveting storytelling..." - Publishers Weekly "The engaging story of the outbreak of a bizarre disease...Crosby is a fine storyteller, peppering her case studies with facts about the history of neurology and details about 1910s New York." - Kirkus Reviews "Harrowing..." - Discover magazine "...a moving nonfiction account of a complicated disease." - Dallas Morning News This is a "forgotten" epidemic, lost amid the history of World War I, the massive flu pandemic of 1918, and the colorful 1920s, but for me, it was a more personal story.  My grandmother was 16-years-old when she contracted "sleeping sickness" or encephalitis lethargica.  She slept for 180 days and was never able to finish school.  She survived, but with lifelong consequences.  Hers was one of the better outcomes.  As I learned in researching and writing this book, there is a far darker history to this tragic, unsolved medical mystery. Molly Caldwell Crosby is the national bestselling author of three books. Previously, she worked for  National Geographic  magazine and as a freelance writer. She lives in Memphis with her husband and two daughters. Visit her website at mollycrosby.com.