I owe Penguin Books an apology. They asked me to have this read for the summer and get a book review up before the end of August. I failed but I have a good reason. I had a lot of mixed emotions after reading this book. Not necessary bad but definitely powerful. This autobiography read like a novel and I had no problems turning page after page of Amy’s life.
Amy is definitely a very funny lady. Her quirkiness alone is enough to give you a good chuckle. She is constantly comparing herself to her family members and this alone gives rise to a good deal of humor. I caught myself giggling a couple of times at some very poignant moments. The differences between her personality and her husbands plays an important part in humor as well as some weighty moments in her life.
The humor, however does not over shadow the intensity of what goes through her mind. And what does travel across her nerve synapses is not some light hearted rambling. Ovarian cancer is a common thread that ties all the women, in her family, together. Not many escape. It is a constant companion in her daily decisions of what steps to take next in her life: should she take a new job, when should she have a child, should she have another child. Her husband is there to support her but ultimately its her life and her decisions. These are life and death decisions.
Just when everyone thinks they are safe her mother receives a diagnosis of breast cancer. My heart went out to the entire family. The relief that, maybe this is different, is only temporary when test results indicate that the ovarian cancer has only taken a new virulent form.
The ultimate decisions she makes are naked and personal. Despite the new methods to determine the extent of heredity involved in this cancer, Amy must make the decision to ultimately secure her safety in the future.
Excellent read for both men and women. It can give men an excellent perspective on what goes on in a woman’s mind when she is faced with the dreaded “C” word and decisions have to be made on how to save yourself. For women it offers a sense of hope on what eventually is the most important thing in life.
