Eating Pomegranates : A Memoir of Mothers, Daughters, and the BRCA gene.
Lest you think I only read books about food and babies, I devoured something with a bit more depth and purpose. The author of this book, Sarah Gabriel, was on Kerri Miller's Midmorning show a few weeks back. She is brutally honest, literary and informative about her experience with breast cancer. Her mother died of breast cancer at the early age of 44. Given the significant family history, Sarah decided to embrace genetic counseling and have several proactive surgeries to mitigate her risk. And yet . . .What I enjoyed most about this book is how candidly she discusses the family disease. She discusses the origins of the disease and the first ever mastectomy in 1802. You learn about the statistics and current developments in treatment through Sarah's eyes. Although the cancer word is not as dreaded as it once was, people still shy away from it. They yearn for you to speak positively about the experience and fill them with hope. It's not what one discusses at the grocery store or at the neighborhood barbecue.
This is a tough book to talk about. It made me think about my legacy, my future and my decisions.
I can't find the words but luckily Sarah Gabriel does quite well.
Oh Jen, I heard parts of this interview while I was in and out of the car running errands. I was so moved by what I heard. I want to read it too. I was a bit scared though too. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteThinking about you this week.
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