by Anita DuJardin Hockers (with Kathleen Marie Marsh). The subtitle is "A Breast Cancer Survivor's Journey," and it is indeed a memoir. The book doesn't take long to read - I read it in two sittings - and what I really liked about it was that I felt like I was sitting down with Anita and chatting over a cup of coffee.She tells her story in a straight-forward, conversational way that I found endearing. I'm always fascinated by each survivor's unique take on the universal Big Moments like finding the lump (or finding out that your mammogram is suspect), receiving the diagnosis and telling your family. And I like to read about the series of Small Moments that also seems to be fairly universal: discovering who your real friends are, exploring your treatment options, and the lessons learned along the way.
As a reading experience, the book had a nice balance to it. There was both familiar turf that I could relate to and something to be learned.
On on the one hand, Anita DuJardin Hockers and I have some things in common beyond sharing the dreaded diagnosis : we're about the same age, we have children that are of similar age, and we both married a great guy that we've know since we were quite young. But through reading the book, I discovered what it is like to live with a strong family history of breast cancer and the sense of inevitability that can come with that history. I was also really interested in reading through her reasons for NOT having reconstruction.
The last chapter is called "Smile: You're on This Side of the Sod." Gotta love that.
Amazon Link:
Breastless But Still Breathing
Author's Website:
Breastless But Still Breathing
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