A LUMP IN THE ROAD

Former archaeologist and historian Navarra recounts her experience after being diagnosed with a form of breast cancer.

This debut memoir opens with a description of the author backpacking through the Brooks Range in Alaska in 1996. The author remembers this as a moment when she discovered hitherto-unknown strength, and this experience would later help give her the fortitude to face cancer. In 2019, just after turning 40, Navarra decided to make an appointment for her first mammogram. The results showed abnormalities in one breast that proved to be a type of cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ. The author then goes on to explain the many ways to treat the disease; the book draws on the blog she wrote during her own treatment: a mastectomy with implant. Soon afterward, she was told that DCIS had been discovered in her other breast, necessitating a second mastectomy. The memoir charts the “emotional roller coaster” of “ten months of hell” before she finally received a benign pathology report; it also examines her feelings of guilt over not being joyous enough following her recovery and her fears of having to face cancer again. Navarra is a straightforward writer who clearly communicates her treatment options and candidly discusses her shifting emotions throughout her illness: “I survived the worst, but I had to admit I was not grateful every second.” The memoir is also not without its moments of black humor; for instance, Navarra writes that after a mastectomy, she thought she might “have a game where my friends pay me $10 each to guess how much my boob weighed,” with the funds going to charity. This is a brief work, and some readers may wish that the author had expanded on her experiences further. However, its immediacy makes it easily accessible to those hoping to learn tips and lessons from her journey.

A frank and informative work about illness and recovery.