There Is No Place Like Hope

December 14, 2009

Over the last few weeks, I have alerted you to a few great books about cancer survivorship, and this weekend, I received an email about another book that has undoubtedly helped survivors. It is the season of gift-giving, so I thought it might be nice to keep the gift ideas flowing.

There is No Place Like Hope: A Guide to Beating Cancer in Mind-Sized Bites by Vickie Girard is exactly what it sounds like. It is a collection of short (some just one line) stories, sayings, and pieces of poignant advice for cancer survivors. When I first saw the title and the cover, I thought that this book would be geared towards a newly diagnosed survivor or someone actively undergoing treatment. While many of the vignettes are certainly aimed at assisting in the treatment process, there are equal numbers of vignettes that apply to the entire spectrum of cancer survivors. The book is divided into important chapters that focus on distinct points on the larger cancer journey. Chapters include "Diagnosis," "Treatment," "Children," and "Nighttime." This book is not like the others I have recently reviewed. It is not the type of book that one reads cover-to-cover. Rather, it is like a coffee table book for cancer survivors. Survivors can thumb through this like a reference manual, and access inspiration, advice, or a story on a given topic when it is needed or wanted.

The author, Vickie Girard, is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in 1992 with very serious Stage Four cancer, and by her account, she was told she probably would not survive. Well, she not only survived, but she became a fantastic writer/advocate for cancer survivors.

Christian McEvoy, MPH

Director of Survivorship Information

christian@ctchallenge.org

http://www.facebook.com/ctchallenge