ALL OF US WARRIORS

A collection offers 19 cancer stories.

Inspired by her mother who survived breast cancer in her 50s but succumbed to colon cancer in her 70s, Munn chose to anthologize the experiences of people who have had cancer to provide information and comfort to others coping with the disease. Working with her friend Robyn, a cancer survivor, the author found volunteers to participate in the book and share their stories of diagnosis and treatment. Each chapter chronicles the tale of a person with cancer, ending with advice on how to deal with the disease and receive support from others, various tips, and surprising anecdotes. The types of cancer spotlighted are diverse: colon cancer, breast cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and skin cancer, among others. All of the sufferers cited God or their faith as a source of comfort while undergoing treatment. What sets this volume apart from other cancer accounts is that it includes the stories of those who did not survive, told from the perspectives of their loved ones. Because of this, the book succeeds in demystifying the experience of having cancer or loving someone who does. All of the participants seemed to choose a different way to tell or not tell their children about their illness, so readers who want to know how others have broken the news will find this collection helpful. This work should appeal to readers who have recently received their own cancer diagnoses or want advice on how to support a friend or family member undergoing treatment. There are plenty of useful tips like “Talking about the worse-case scenario is not helpful” and “One of the nicest things someone can do for the family is to plan everything.”

An excellent resource for readers with cancer questions.