Anne Welsh has lived with chronic pain all her life. As a sufferer of sickle cell disease, she is no stranger to the everyday struggles and mental anguish that can come from living with an invisible illness. | Like so many who suffer from painful and life-changing conditions, Anne has battled with depression - times when she believed that she could never lead a normal and happy life. But thanks to the support of many people along the way, she has discovered that life can still be wonderful, no matter what your challenges are. | In 'Pain-Less', Anne talks about these struggles and the lessons she has learned, and gives advice that she hopes will help not only others in a similar situation, but also their families and loved ones. | For Anne and many like her, pain is an inevitable part of daily life, but that doesn't mean you can't fulfil your dreams - whatever they may be.

This collection of 19 short stories is a memoir of a simple middle-class life in Tokyo, Japan, that was turned into a harsh struggle for survival under air attacks by hordes of American bombers during the Second World War. Roughly covering the years of 1939 to 1945 and chronologically arranged, the author's childhood, approximately from age eight to fourteen, is told in her recollection.
The stories begin with a present day occurrence, which evoke thoughts of what she's experienced in some related situations in wartime long ago. A few of these stories are based on the everyday life of still peaceful prewar days, which within a short few years turns so chaotic and life threatening.