Book Reviews

Below are some book which we recommend about the subject of coping with breast cancer. If you have any suggestions for additional books, please send a review to us.

1. Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Beyond
2. Cancer for Two
3. Guide for Cancer Supporters
4. Helping Your Mate Face Breast Cancer: Tips for Becoming an Effective Support Partner
5. Janet & Me
6. Lean on Me
7. Man to Man: When the Woman You Love Has Breast Cancer
8. My Mother's Breast: Daughters Face Their Mother's Cancer
9. Prayer, Laughter & Broccoli: Being There When Your Wife Has Breast Cancer
10. When the Woman You Love Has Breast Cancer
11. When Life Becomes Precious
12. Dreamwalk
13. The breast cancer wars: hope, fear, and the pursuit of a cure
14. Our mom has cancer
15. The breast cancer survival manual: a step-by-step guide
16. Just get me through this! : the practical guide to breast cancer
17. Bosom buddies: lessons and laughter on breast health and cancer

Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Beyond
Silver, M. St. Martin's Press, 2004. ISBN: 1579548334.

"Breast Cancer Husband" is a term coined by the author, who is a breast cancer husband himself. The main purpose of this book is to provide emotional support to other breast cancer husbands/boyfriends so they can be supportive caregivers to their partners during the breast cancer journey. The author acknowledges the challenges of being a source of support to his partner while being frustrated, overwhelmed, sad and angry himself. The book illustrates that each situation and each couple is different.

Cancer for Two
Balch, Dave. A Few Good People, Inc., 2003. ISBN: 0972690115.

This book is the journey through breast cancer diagnosis and treatment of Christine and Dave Balch. An inspiring true story and guide for cancer patients and their partners. She was a healthy middle-aged, active woman with no children who was diagnosed with breast cancer. The book takes the reader step-by-step through her treatment. Also written as a guide for the caregiver and others who may face a similar journey. For more information visit www.CancerForTwo.com.

Guide for Cancer Supporters
Block, Annette, and Richard Bloch. R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation, Inc., 1995.

Intended for friends or family members of a cancer survivor, this easy-to-follow book provides information on cancer and its treatments as well as ways to support the patient.

Helping Your Mate Face Breast Cancer: Tips for Becoming an Effective Support Partner
Kneece, Judy C. EduCare Publishing, 1999. ISBN: 188665117.

The book enables the support partner to understand: the emotional response of his mate and their children, as well as his own, to a cancer diagnosis; surgical and treatment options to be considered; how to promote the physical and emotional recovery of a mate; and how to best manage the role of support partner during the illness.

Janet & Me
Mack, Stan. 2004. ISBN: 0684872781.

This book is an illustrated story of love and loss, and the remarkable relationship at the heart of it all. The author uses his cartoon-style drawings to portray his eighteen-year relationship with a woman named Janet as she goes through her battle with terminal cancer. The book was written to provide emotional support and guidance for others who may face some of the same heartaches and struggles.

Lean on Me
Kember, Lorraine. Success Print, 2003. ISBN: 0646499696.

This book is a powerfully moving and inspirational true story of a courageous man’s battle with cancer and his wife’s emotional journey as she supports him throughout the ordeal. The author unselfishly shares her emotional journey and her experiences while caring for her husband.

Man to Man: When the Woman You Love Has Breast Cancer
Murcia, Andy, and Bob Stewart. St. Martins Press, 1989. ISBN: 0312026056.

Written by the husband of movie star Ann Jillian, the book provides a helpful account of the authors' reactions to their wives' breast cancer battles.

My Mother's Breast: Daughters Face Their Mother's Cancer
Tarkan, Laurie. Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1999. ISBN: 0878332278.

The book compiles 16 personal accounts from daughters of mothers who have had breast cancer. The daughters share their feelings of anxiety, loss, fear, courage, inspiration, compassion and joy.

Prayer, Laughter & Broccoli: Being There When Your Wife Has Breast Cancer
Flierl, Peter J. Los Angeles: Witty Fools Productions, 2004. ISBN: 0974517909.

This book is a quick read for couples about how they can get through breast cancer together. The author shares with others what helped him and his young wife get through this difficult time in their lives.

When the Woman You Love Has Breast Cancer
Eiler, Larry. Queen Bee Publishing Co., 1996. ISBN: 0964175703.

Written from the male perspective, this book describes the experiences and issues faced during his wife's battle with breast cancer.

When Life Becomes Precious
Babcock, Elise NeeDell. Bantam Books, 1997. ISBN: 0553378694.

A comprehensive, easy-to-use handbook offering uplifting success stories, a resource section and more than 200 tips for friends and loved ones of cancer patients.

Dreamwalk
Rachel Clearwater 2002

Click image for a larger view.

Barbara King

"Dreamwalk by Rachel Clearwater was wonderful! Told in a down to earth true story of my friends' journey through breast cancer, it was a story every woman in this situation can relate to. As a survivor myself, I shared it with my 20 year old daughter, so that Rachel could express those fears and feelings I was unable to convey to her. Rachel continues to be my idol in her continuing journey for breast cancer awareness."

The breast cancer wars: hope, fear, and the pursuit of a cure
Lerner, Barron H. 2001

Publisher's Weekly starred review

"..Provocative and highly engaging, an important contribution to medical history.offers insights into areas that most books do not probe."

Susan Love, M.D., author of Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book

"This wonderful book illustrates beautifully the evolution of breast cancer treatment, making it one of the best books I have read in a long time."

Our mom has cancer
Ackermann, Abigail. 2001

Best picture book about parental cancer, November 14, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Cedar Rapids, IA USA

Many children's books about cancer in a parent treat it as movie disease: a convenient way to introduce mortality. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I needed a way to let my children know what they could expect as far as my therapy, and let them know what might happen emotionally.

This is by far the best of several children's picture books written about a parent with cancer. Because it is written and illustrated by two sisters, it conveys what kids want to know. It showed the passage of time during treatment, and it showed that people were loving and kind and hopeful in the midst of a rotten time.

This book is excellent, and I would recommend it to any parent who has been diagnosed with cancer as a way to open discussions with elementary-aged and younger children.

The breast cancer survival manual: a step-by-step guide
Link, John, M.D. 2000

Excellent Guide for Newly Diagnosed, June 12, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Boston, MA USA

I read this book the week before my biopsy and found it surprisingly reassuring. It is a comprehensive, easy-to-read overview of breast cancer and its treatments, covering everything you need to know as a newly-diagnosed breast cancer patient. It is a good first read for people who don't feel ready to go into the level of detail and complexity of Susan Love's book, but need to understand the cancer they are facing ASAP. The style is very practical, with checkpoints at the end of each chapter to help frame questions for your doctors. It quickly made me feel more in control so I could begin to think about next steps, as well as understand the lingo and the goal of different treatments.

Just get me through this! : the practical guide to breast cancer
Cohen, Deborah A. 2000

Practical easy-to-read, also good for friends and family, July 30, 2001
Reviewer: Mary Sheridan from Silver Spring, MD United States

This is the most helpful book so far - recommended by several in support group. When I got this, I'd already read several useful books which were very helpful in understanding the jargon and in weighing the alternatives. They were necessary reading for me, but this is so far the one I'll go back to, the one I want my friends and family to read, the one I wish I'd read much earlier so I'd have been a better supporter for friends coping with breast cancer. The advice is practical, thorough, well-presented, and a good combination of no-nonsense "this is how it may be" and warm reassurance. The organization is logical and comprehensive. She includes good advice for family and friends, concise technical sections by doctors, a good index, and a very useful list of resources (good after the impossibly long lists which in some other books gave you no idea of what to expect from each).

I'll be asking people to read this, putting it in church library and recommending it to people who want to help others get through this, as well as to friends who "just need to get through this."

Bosom buddies: lessons and laughter on breast health and cancer
O'Donnell, Rosie. 1999

Rosie's Right On!, October 19, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Braintree, MA USA

If you only buy one book about breast cancer, make it this one. When I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer I bought many books. That is my way of dealing...get all of the information that you can and then make decisions. I almost did not buy this book, because I did not find anything amusing about breast cancer and I thought that the book was irreverant. Boy was I wrong! Dr. Axelrod provides a great deal of valuable information. Rosie's comments are touching and funny and remind you that it is ok to laugh. It is more than ok, it it about the best thing that you can do for yourself and those you love. Thanks Dr. Axelrod and Rosie!