Voices of Cancer: What we Really Want What we Really Need, Insights for Patients and the People Supporting Them

Category: Cancer
Author: Lynda Wolters
Publisher: Mascot Books
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Number of Pages: 151
ISBN-13: 978-1-64543-039-1

Exploring the unsayable thoughts, needs, and desires of people diagnosed with cancer, this book features real-life experiences and what people with cancer endure every day.

Voices of Cancer is a realistic glimpse into the life of a cancer patient, based on Lynda's personal experience being diagnosed with stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma and her talks with numerous other patients regarding their unique experiences, expectations, hopes and fears as they try to cope with the terrifying stages of diagnosis, treatment, and beyond. The author explores the perspectives of both the cancer patient and those with whom the patient comes into contact in each section, a well-thought approach that allows the reader to fully appreciate each subject covered in the book. And, as a good follow-up to this strategy, she includes recommendations and reminders for both patients and their loved ones at the end of the book! She also includes an excellent piece on cancer terminology that is well worth reading. The book touches upon several areas that are hardly ever spoken about such as the loss or change of intimacy in a relationship due to cancer.

The Voices of Cancer is a rich and enlightening, deeply moving book that is fraught with information on cancer. The author has a unique ability to capture inner worlds of people afflicted by the disease and provides insights that will inspire the right attitude of mind in both cancer patients and those close to them. To borrow Lynda's terminology, this is a fantastic resource for both patients and non-patients, a highly recommended book for anyone who wants to know what it is like to live with cancer and how to endure, in spite of the odds. The writing is effortless and accessible and the compassionate voice will hit home to a wider audience. 

Reviewed By: Daniel Rhodes

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Date: April 19, 2022

NonFiction