Then came life

Pemmycats8 · Post by **Pemmycats8** » 09 Feb 2015, 16:19

I received this book as an early reviewer.
I read the last half of the book on a plane and couldn't stop crying. I'm sure the lady across the aisle from me thought I was unhinged. I've given myself a week to calm down and feel ready to review this amazing book.
The book is a series of essays with a theme and storyline running through.
The early chapters focus on her past (breast cancer fight, survival, a determination to appreciate life, her miracle babies, her amazing husband).
Then we enter the present (wrinkles, sagging body parts, weight gain, adolescent and slightly mean daughter, strangled and non-romantic marriage, loss of identity after job loss). Many of the struggles are familiar. Ms. Lucas writes very honestly without fear. This connects her and her stories in a very visceral way. By this point in the book I felt a bond with her.
The final third of the book is the star. Her chapters flow so beautifully and convey strong emotion and experiences as if I were talking to a friend. I don't want to reveal story points here but I can say that the author faces a crises. Through this crises she learns that even though she has been struggling to appreciate life (after battling cancer) she was really holding back from life - protecting herself from hurt. She needed to embrace her life (be prepared for pain and disappointment) to find joy.
Buy this book so you can read it again and again when all the drudgeries of life get you down. Always live your life with joy. Finally, wear an amazing "look at me" red lipstick.

ejcogan · Post by **ejcogan** » 09 Feb 2015, 18:41

Sounds amazing! I'm sure I will cry as well. My sister recently passed away. She had carcinoma with a mutated gene (very aggressive)! We barely had time to say good-bye... My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma around the same time and my aunt with breast cancer. Going through this is life changing to say the least. I am definitely going to read this book so that maybe I can find inspiration through someone else's eyes that has also struggled similarly. I thank you for posting this. Seems like it was at just the right time.

Pemmycats8 · Post by **Pemmycats8** » 09 Feb 2015, 19:19

im so sorry for everything happening in your life right now. It sounds completely overwhelming. Having one family member dealing with cancer and death is horrible enough so I can't imagine your ordeal.
I would also recommend the first book written by Geralyn Lucas - Why I Wore Lipstick to my Mastectomy.
I'll be thinking of you.

ejcogan · Post by **ejcogan** » 10 Feb 2015, 13:42

Thank you so very much for your kind words! I love the title! I tend to find humor at the most inopportune times but it helps me cope. After all, laughter truly is the best medicine!