Fine Black Lines: Reflections on Facing Cancer, Fear and Lonliness

You'd never know by the title that Fine Black Lines is the story of a breast cancer survivor. In the book, the author, Lois Tschetter Hjelmstad openly and honestly reveals her most intimate feelings about breast cancer. Everything from the first symptom to her feelings in support groups.....no subject is off limits. This is a wonderful book; I don't have cancer, but I certainly benefitted from it. If you DO have cancer of any kind, I think it's a must-read. The format of the book, which is prose mixed with poetry, makes the book perfect to pick up and put down, and just read in those few minutes you may find for yourself throughout the day.

A friend of mine presented me with this book while I was in the midst of being treated for breast cancer. It gave me what none of the other books I'd read could-validation for the wide range of emotions I was experiencing. It has proven to be the perfect comfort read when I most need it, and I still regularly refer to it. Lois put into words what I was unable to, and I have purchased several copies since reading it. It is a very thoughtful gift for those newly diagnosed, as well as a help to friends and family struggling to understand what the patient is feeling.

I found Fine Black Lines to be the VERY BEST book or pamphlet I have read. I am an ovarian survivor, not doing very well, and this book has been the most powerful of anything in the last 2.5 years. I thank the author for saying how it really feels. This book has touched me in a major way.

The only thing better than reading the book is meeting the author herself. She is an amazing and beautiful woman.

A wonderful book for anyone suffering from breast cancer, or anyone trying to understand someone who is suffering. Rather than clinical or objective, it is a personal experience journey, written in poetry, journal entries, and essays. It speaks for anyone who has been there.