Not The Breast Year Of My Life

While the book was delivered promptly, it is not what I expected. At the beginning the writer says this is the book you will want if you need a hug or something like that. Instead, I got very terrified and it was a very stressful read. The writer was undergoing a separation from the spouse and had 2 very small kids so her stress was enormous. Note that this stress transfers to the reader. After reading the book, I was so terrified and lost courage. Be warned it is not an easy read but perhaps true to the writer's experience.

Easy to read, relatable book. She goes through everything you will be experiencing from diagnosis to chemo and recovery in a heartfelt true-worded journal.

I read this from start to finish in one sitting, because I could not put it down. Cara drew me in with her honesty, her wit, and her relatability, and I found myself feeling the whole range of emotions as I turned the pages. This book is a lifeline for those in the “darkest days” of a new diagnosis, as well as a guidebook for those wondering how to best help and support a loved one battling this dreadful disease. Cara doesn’t hold back in sharing the good, the bad, and the very ugly when it comes to breast cancer treatment, but it feels like it’s coming from the best friend who is just looking out for you and holding your hand through it all, rather than from some nameless person who is trying to scare you with statistics. I will be wholeheartedly recommending this book to everyone I know. Thanks for putting this wonderful book out into the universe, Cara.

I was only about 40 pages in, when I had to take a moment. In just those 40 pages, she made me laugh, she made me cry, I got angry (I’m looking at you, insurance companies), and my heart would swell only to fall in the next breath. Cara’s writing style is so authentic and clear and well-delivered. I can’t even put into words how impressed I am. I’m not a mom. I’m not a survivor. I’ve never had to face even an ounce of what Cara endured during not the breast year of her life, but her writing brought me to my knees and lifted me back up again and I strongly encourage everyone to buy this book. I devoured the next 140 pages and I’m so proud of my friend. It’s been years since we’ve hung out, but I could hear her voice, see her expressions as clear as a bell. All my love to the fighters out there!

There’s a lot you might not know about the cancer journey. Cara’s book makes it easy! She wrote down what many who have navigated cancer feel, but can’t put into words. She unravels her own experiences with breast cancer and offers something every person diagnosed with any kind of cancer is looking for... HOPE. ‘Not The Breast Year Of My Life’ reveals the highs and lows of cancer, chemotherapy, surgeries, loss and being a mom through it all. I rarely make time to read (busy mom), but I couldn’t put this down. In less than 24 hours I read all 185 pages. It will be a book I gift as well as a book I come back to time and time again. The journey after cancer is ever-evolving. A resource like this reminds me I’m never alone! I hope it will inspire you, as it has me, quite deeply. 🫶 Thank you Cara, for being brave enough to put yourself out there! This is a piece of your living legacy! 💗