Review: Between Me and the River by Carrie Host

Between Me and the River is a moving memoir of a woman's journey with cancer. The book begins when Carrie discovers she has a rare form of cancer. It's a kind of cancer that grows slowly over the years and is often not detected until its too late. It does not respond well to chemotherapy or radiation treatment and surgery is the only way to remove it. In Carrie's case, the cancer had spread quite a bit and was discovered when she underwent surgery for something else.

Carrie has a lovely writing style...very pretty. The memoir reads in some ways as a guide for those who are also dealing with a cancer diagnosis. She often ends the chapter with, "Cancer is like that." And some thoughts on how cancer changes one's life and pull things into perspective. This memoir is very honest and detailed. She takes the reader through the range of feelings she had and her experiences.

I can imagine this book would be a great comfort to someone dealing with cancer and especially the rare kind that Carrie has. But it's also a good insight into what someone with a terminal or life threatening illness experiences and the range of emotions they might experience. I often wonder if I was confronted with something like this how I would ever cope. I am amazed at the resiliency of the human spirit. Ultimately there's a lot of hope and meaning in this book.

Rating: 4/5
Source of Book: Review copy