Monday, April 25, 2011

Promise Me, by Nancy G. Brinker

Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast CancerNancy and Suzy Goodman were more than just sisters, they were best friends.  They grew up together, had adventures, they went through everything together.  So when Suzy (Susan G. Koman) developed breast cancer, Nancy went through it with her.  And when Suzy realized she was losing the battle, she made her sister promise her that she would fight the disease long after Suzy was gone, to make sure no women would suffer the way she did.  From this promise, and empire rose, all in the name of Susan G. Koman.

When I first decided to review this book, I was not sure what to expect.  I did not know if it would be frightening, or depressing, to read an entire book about fighting breast cancer.  What it ended up being was tremendously uplifting, and empowering.  To be sure, my eyes leaked mutliple times during the reading.  Not all these times were caused by sadness however.  There is so much beauty in this book, based on a sister's love.

I am ashamed to say I was pretty uninformed about breast cancer, despite having watched one of my aunts survive her own battle against it.  This book is an eye opener in terms of learning about the history of reported cancer patients, the evolution of treatment methods, and the importance of prevention and early detection.  I like the way the book is set up, with fact based information woven into the tales of real people, while having Suzy and Nancy's stories intertwining.

The book is powerful, and so is the movement all in the name of Susan G. Koman.  I think this book is a must read for all women, but it may prove a bit more emotional for survivors or family members of women who have battled breast cancer.  This book gives voice to so many women; it is important that we listen.



I received this as part of the Amazon Vine reviewers program.

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