Review of Not in Vain, A Promise Kept

[Melisa Jane]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Not in Vain, A Promise Kept" by Melissa Mullamphy.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When taking care of a terminally ill loved one, you start to view things differently. You begin to realize what's really important in life. Most people, after this experience, realize that family is very important. The best you can do is spend some quality time with your family, so you don't have any regrets when they're gone. The fight against cancer is one that humans are determined to win. However, we still lose so many people to this disease. This is because sometimes we don't fully know all the options we have whenever our loved one is diagnosed with cancer. If this war is to be won, we should stay informed and get fully involved in the treatments of our loved ones. Not in Vain, A Promise Kept by Melissa Mullamphy is a non-fictional novel about the author's family's struggles after her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

When Constance E. Burns, the author's mother, was born, she weighed only two pounds. Her mother had to use a microwave to warm the room where she was placed. Being a fighter and being the only girl among boys, she struggled and, eventually, she survived. This fighting spirit was always instilled in her. This is evident by the fact that she worked as a night waitress for forty years and raised two beautiful girls: Alicia, the author's sister, and Melissa, the author. On this day, Melissa received a phone call from her mother. She sounded perturbed, which was unlike her at all. She narrated about this tumor that had been growing in her uterus. She'd been hiding it for a long time. In fact, upon examination, the doctors found that the growth was twenty-three centimeters long. However, the doctor in charge assured them that the tumor was benign. How will they react when they realize it is a stage three cancer?

This book has one hundred and twelve pages. Including the prologue, it is divided into twelve chapters. The author narrates the story from the first-person point of view and in the past tense.

I liked several things about this book. First, the author's writing style was very impressive. She writes with such clarity that reading the book was easy and fun. Her vocabulary is simple and easy to understand. Second, the author includes numerous colored pictures within the pages. This made it easy to imagine the kind of life her family led. Third, after the end of each chapter, the author wrote notes on the lessons learned during that particular month. This ensures that the reader learns from both their triumphs and their mistakes. Fourth, the events in this book were arranged in chronological order, then grouped by the months they occurred. I found it easy to follow not only the story but also the progress of the author's mother as she battled cancer.

In conclusion, there's nothing I disliked about the book. Although I found a few grammatical errors, the book seems to be professionally edited. I, therefore, rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who finds inspiration from people's struggles and is eager to learn about taking care of cancer patients. There are vivid descriptions of the patient's struggles and incessant swearing. If you don't like these, you may have to pass this book.

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Not in Vain, A Promise Kept
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Review Writer]

It's obviously true that we have lost many lives to cancer disease. Hence, I would love to read the authors point of awakening. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Paluk Pathania]

The pain I feel whenever such terrible events happen is unbearable. There is no way to measure the amount of pain they must have endured. Having read the review, I already know this book will be amazing. Thanks for the review!

[Venus2304]

To face tribulations in life is almost inevitable but knowing that you're not alone and that your family is their for you takes half the pain away.
The book is a good read.
Well done for the honest review.

[Mariam K 7]

Fighting cancer is the same as fighting a very cruel and difficult disease .. It is unfortunate that most people have experienced the loss of a loved one with this disease. The review is very interesting and I will definitely read this book, thanks for the interesting narration!

[EJ Worn]

As someone who has also experienced a loved one's battle with cancer, I know how important family is during such a difficult time. Reading about how other people cope with all the stress hits home. I think this will be a very worthwhile read.

[Emerizx]

The book was inspiration. Cancer is one of the deadly diseases in the world, the family love is like no other. Love has the power to prolong a person life.

[Amy Luman]

I can empathize with taking care of an I’ll family member. Fortunately, my mom was not terminal, but what if she was? Melissa was very brave.

[Aisha Yakub]

I really hope we don't wait till things are awfully terrible before we realize how precious family is. Thank you for the review.

[Amenrodion]

More attention definitely needs to be shed on ovarian cancers and other form of cancers that people are not so aware of particularly if it is peculiar to women. Great book

[Salah bourouba]

Cancer is a sneaky disease indeed. Interesting to see what people go through and the struggle they face. It is very hard to see someone you love slowly loosing life Infront of you and there is nothing you can do

[Apple 7]

In the long run time well spent, especially with family is invaluable not even considering one with a serious illness like this ......a touching and emotional review....thanks for the effort

[Dorine Jelagat]

Cancer is a deadly disease and seeing your loved one losing life brings much pain.Thanks for the review.

[Fareed Regal]

Having lost a parent to cancer I can identify with the sentiments of the review. I can only have admiration for the author for having the courage to write this book and hope that many people will get to read it. Very moving review, well done!

[Dennis Dennis 1]

It's not that easy to cope with the loss-of a family member for that matter due to some raging illness.That pain is unbearable and unforgettable.What Melissa"the author "went through is-unbearable.I can feel that.
I'll recommend it to everyone who's facing trials,struggles and tribulations.
It's a great book to read.