Welcome to a One Woman Rebirth for Wellness. Yours.

Eldest and only daughters. 
Lifelong caretakers. 
Women living with autoimmune conditions.
You were made to be well and rise in this time.

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A portion of the author’s proceeds support the Society for Women’s Health Research.

  • “Sara Hirsh Bordo combines deeply suffered but ultimately triumphant personal history with the irrefutable science of mind-body unity to show that disease can arise from being too good for one’s own good and be overcome by reclaiming power and agency. This illuminating volume will liberate many women from self-suppression and its frequent consequence, physical illness.”

    — Gabor Maté, M.D., author of the international bestseller When The Body Says No

  • “Sara’s an Architect of Change.”

    — Maria Shriver, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist

  • “A brave and necessary work. Sara weaves together science, soul, and social commentary with clarity that is both urgent and compassionate. Her voice is one that demands to be heard—not just for her own healing, but for the millions of others whose stories remain untold.”

    — Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States

  • “Sara's book is the kind of support every woman deserves, the kind that doesn’t talk down to you or try to fix you, it reminds you that you’re not broken. It’s deeply human, and full of real tools you can use right away. If you’ve been searching for clarity, or a way forward, you’re going to feel so grateful you found it.”

    — Tamsen Fadal, author of the New York Times bestseller How to Menopause, and host of The Tamsen Show

  • “Finally someone has articulated what a lifetime of “being a good girl” is doing to women’s health. Sara’s book is more than essential reading for every woman with an autoimmune condition- it’s an invitation to understanding, validation, and healing.”

    — Liz Tenuto, founder of The Workout Witch and author of When the Body Speaks

  • “As Sara Hirsh Bordo makes clear in this riveting personal account, 'empowerment' and 'making a difference' can become their own kind of traps when not fueled by a holistic awareness, aligned with our authentic intuitions and deepest self— those inner GPS signals that our accomplishment-driven society is so expert at scrambling, especially in women. An inspiring yet sobering read, this book is full of wisdom that is both clear-eyed and hard-earned.”

    — Daniel Maté, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Myth of Normal

  • “[A] deeply validating exploration of how being raised to be “good” can quietly shape a woman’s wellbeing. With data-driven research and gripping stories from her own life, Sara shows how self-silencing and chronic care giving take a tremendous toll on women’s bodies. She guides us toward reclaiming ourselves as part of healing both body and soul—powerfully taking back what we need to thrive.”

    — Dr. Allison M. Alford, communication scholar and author of Good Daughtering

  • "Sara's unwavering commitment to elevating marginalized voices and unraveling the myths surrounding chronic illness makes her study an indispensable resource for anyone passionate about advancing women's health and wellness. Sara’s work is not just a triumph—it's a call to action, inviting us all to listen, learn, and advocate for a more equitable and compassionate healthcare landscape.”

    — Dr. Kimberlee Sullivan, PT, DPT, WCS, BCB-PMD

  • “I recognize myself and every woman in the pages of Sara’s book as she makes a compelling case that closing the women’s health gap must go beyond biological understanding into the society factors of being a girl. This book has the power to change the way we research women’s health and autoimmune conditions – an area in which 80% of patients are women – to truly advance women’s health outcomes.”

    — Kathryn Godburn Schubert, President & CEO, The Society for Women's Health Research

  • "AUTOIMMUNITY AND THE GOOD GIRLS drew me in and expanded my mind. Sara’s book will resonate long after the last page is turned, causing a ripple effect at the way you look at yourself, empowerment, the world, your relationships, and illness. Reading it felt like sitting in a women’s circle. If you are a woman, or you love one, read this book. You will emerge forever changed."

    — Amy Kurtz, patient advocate and author of Kicking Sick, and But You Look Fine

  • "Not only is Sara a beloved leader in our shared women and girls space, but her quality of writing is so accessible and beyond inspiring. I can’t wait for the I Am That Girl community to awaken to new heights within themselves because of what Sara is presenting in Autoimmunity and the Good Girls".

    — Alexis Jones, founder of I AM THAT GIRL movement, author of I Am That Girl and Joy Hunter

  • "Sara has the unique ability to empower others. I have seen it time and time again through her films and writing. She brings creativity and a deep understanding to every subject that is rare and compelling—giving us an irresistible call to action to make the world a better place."

    — Gay Gaddis, T3 Think Tank Founder and bestselling author of Cowgirl Power

  • "A majority of us walk through life holding our own flashlight. We do everything we can to make sure our light is bright and shining in the best way possible. When it comes to Sara, she has selflessly held the flashlight for women and girls like me, dedicating herself to light the way for others. Her wisdom, compassion, and courage is the guiding light we all need."

    — Lizzie Velasquez, award-winning global anti-bullying activist, influencer, and author of Dare to Be Kind

Book cover featuring an illustrated woman with black hair, red lipstick, and a serious expression. Text includes the title 'Autoimmunity & the Good Girls,' the author Sara Hirsh Bordo, and additional text about permission, health, and empowerment.

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Smartphone displaying a music player app with an album cover titled 'Autoimmunity & The Good Girls' by Sara Hirsh Bordo, next to wireless earbuds on a black background.

Audiobook Read by the Author

Weaving together memoir, exclusive expert interviews, evidence-based findings, and women’s personal stories, AUTOIMMUNITY & THE GOOD GIRLS™ is a rousing testament to the missing modality in women’s health—sovereign self-permission to speak up, to transform, and heal.

The inspirational, deeply researched wellness journey by the award-winning filmmaker, activist, and founder of Women Rising®, shining a light on how too many girls are trained to self-silence and serve others—and how we can heal.

For generations, women have been told to be “good”—to put others first, to silence their own voices, to neglect their own needs. But a new groundswell of evidence reveals the cost: when our lives are compromised, so are our immune systems.

Raised in a big Texas-Lebanese family as the eldest and only daughter, Sara Hirsh Bordo grew up caring for everyone else’s needs at the expense of her own. Later, as an acclaimed director lifting up other women’s stories, she watched her own body collapse under the weight of autoimmune disease and cancer. Only when she finally reclaimed sovereignty over her own voice, did she heal.

Determined to understand this link, Sara funded the first quantitative research at the intersection of female empowerment and autoimmunity. The results were groundbreaking: women raised in caretaker roles—especially eldest daughters—are disproportionately likely to develop autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s, lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and more. This study, endorsed by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, garnered national media attention and has been shared across 20 countries.

In these pages, you will find:

  • How compromised girlhood identities create compromised immune systems in womanhood—and how to rewrite your story.

  • Impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on autoimmunity and poor health.

  • Stunning findings from her research, such as more than 6 in 10 women with autoimmune diseases were raised as the oldest or only daughter in their families.

  • What radically changes in health when authenticity, environment, and self-permission finally align.

  • Inner girlhood work, including re-mothering through modern and mystical feminine archetypes.

  • How to unlearn your primary role as a caregiver and practical guides for evolving from “good” to “real” at any age.

Book cover titled 'Autoimmunity & The Good Girls' by Sara Hirsh Bordo, with a portrait of a woman with long dark hair.
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AUTOIMMUNITY & THE GOOD GIRLS™:
Behind the Page Podcast

COMING SOON

MEET SARA

Sara Hirsh Bordo is a 15-time award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder/CEO of the female empowerment and impact-driven production company Women Rising®. Her directorial debut, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, premiered at SXSW, where it won the Audience Award and secured global distribution. Sara went on to direct and produce ProtectHer, a groundbreaking campus safety documentary activating male athletes to stand up for women, and to executive produce Tightly Wound, a bold animated short on women’s health, and Sign the Show, an award-winning documentary about deaf culture and accessibility to entertainment.

Beyond the screen, Sara has directed live events for women and girls from Prevention magazine’s Health & Wellness Summit to the Women in Football Weekend at Super Bowl LIII and the United State of Women Summit keynoted by Former First Lady Michelle Obama. Sara has also been honored to storytell and strategize for inspirational partners from the Gates Foundation and ConnectHER International Film Festival to Toyota, espnW, and Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman franchise.

For more than fifteen years throughout Sara’s filmmaking work, she was living with Hashimoto’s disease and other diagnoses that catalyzed her curiosity and commitment to understand her own health story. In 2023, she funded the first sociological research at the intersection of female empowerment and autoimmunity in American women. The findings of “Autoimmunity and the ‘Good Girls,’ ” which Sara made public for free, has been downloaded across 18+ countries. Now, healthy and with a passport that won’t quit, she lives in New Mexico, is Aunt Sissy to nine nieces and nephews, and Godmother Sara to three godchildren. This is her first book.

For media and speaking inquiries, please reach out to Deb Shapiro.