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Life’s Mountains. By
Cheryl L Broyles. 2008. ISBN 978-1-4363-3796-0. Xlibris Corporation, |
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This book is the story of her journey
with a brain tumour,
from her busy career prior to diagnosis in June 2000, to recent times,
when she
determined to climb Mount Shasta in
Her literary mountain climbing
commences on page 71 when she
makes a decision to climb
The rest of this short and easily readable book describes the preparation for and eventual successful ascent of the mountain. In the final chapters she metaphorically combines stories about the challenges she meets on the mountain with similar episodes in her journey with a brain tumour. Throughout it all she is inspired by her belief in God.
There have been a number of books written by brain tumour survivors and former caregivers but this is one of the best and I would recommend it for any person newly diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour such as a glioblastoma.
As the IBTA has had confirmed from the responses to its recent publication reporting on the Walk Around the World for Brain Tumours and the 2007 International Brain Tumour Awareness Week, people with a brain tumour and their family are often searching for hope and inspiration.
Cheryl Broyles’ book provides plenty of hope, encouragement and inspiration.
Not all readers will end up being survivors like Cheryl but in the pages of this book they will find valuable clues as to how they can respond to the seemingly endless succession of challenges.
Some of the useful stories are those common to any married couple when faced with hard choices but they are made more relevant by knowledge of Cheryl’s illness, for example, when she suggests to her husband Matt that from now on he should be the one to tuck the boys into bed each night “so they could get used to you doing it”.
Her book has obviously benefited from suggestions made by members of the Klamath Writers’ Guild who she acknowledges for providing support, help and advice. It is tightly written and reads well.
Ms Broyles’ writing style is down to earth and rural-oriented as one would expect from someone with a rural background and a career which involved the study of nature.
This is a short excerpt:
“Here’s
what’s interesting. Some
mountains are huge and rarely happen during your life – cancer,
divorce, death
of a loved one, being raped – like climbing
Cheryl is also active on the US-based BRAINTMR email discussion list and offers encouragement and information to those who have found the List, often after wandering aimlessly without support or knowledge of what options are available to them.
People can buy the book over the internet at the www.Xlibris.com web page, or www.bn.com (Barns and Noble), or www.amazon.com, or www.borders.com It could be worth checking as to which outlet has the cheapest price and best postage deal.
Denis Strangman
Canberra
17 August 2008