Between Me and the River

It has been a long time since I have read a memoir. It has been an even longer time since I read one that I could not put down. Of course, I have never read a memoir from Harlequin!

Between Me and the River: Living Beyond Cancer - A Memoir is a beautifully written and heartfelt book about the trials and triumphs of a patient with Carcinoid Cancer. Author Carrie Host offers a more then honest view into her daily life and the emotional struggles she faced while being diagnosed with such a deadly disease. She demonstrates through her writing that hope is a powerful thing:

"Cancer takes you to places that you'll never really completely come back from/ Sometimes, while all is still but the rustle of the leaves, I'll hear that angel's wings brushing the ice....."

This is one of my favorite samples of her amazing writing ability. Throughout the book, Host shares her fears, her discussions with God, her love for her husband, family and friends. With the love of her family and the doctors at the Mayo Clinic, Host overcame some of the most unbeatable odds. Host learned to put aside her pride and rely on others, even with the hardest of all tasks, raising her ten month old son. It was also through this struggle that she rediscovered a long lost love - writing.

This book really made me think about how I (and my family) would react to this situation. I guess one never ever fully knows how they would react but I do wonder if I would be strong enough, would me faith carry me through? This book is definitely getting passed on to fellow friends and survivors. It also makes a great book to give to those in the trenches of cancer. What better way to soothe the body then feed the mind?