Lessons from Joan: Living and Loving with Cancer, a Husband's Story

I love these people! This book is written with immense love and is the most touching story I have ever heard. It is worth reading for anyone, not just those with family members who have cancer.

Eric's wife Joan was diagnosed with cancer and despite her near-perfect record of eating well and exercising right - and her medical background which should have lent to learn diagnosis - she struggled with cancer and the medical system alike. LESSONS FROM JOAN: LIVING AND LOVING WITH CANCER, A HUSBAND'S STORY offers far more than the usual memoir, however: its most valuable contribution lies in its lessons on how to navigate the medical system, how to obtain results in the face of obstacles, and how families can endure both diagnosis and treatment. This powerful story holds many lessons and much advice for any facing similar struggles, and is a high recommended pick.

A book this rich with information, experience and insight profoundly affects different readers in different ways, and for different reasons. I loaned it to my friend, whose sister has a terminal cancer condition much like Joan's in the book. My friend said it helped her face the fact that her sister is dying, whereas she had been in a state of denial before reading "Lessons From Joan." My friend thought so highly of "Lessons From Joan" that she loaned it to her doctor, who ordered a copy for her patients. The physician said the book is not only an excellent memoir, but also a unique resource of practical information about how to navigate the health care system, complete with sample letters. Such help from families who've "been there" can be, quite literally, a lifeline during a confusing and potentially overwhelming personal health crisis. Because of my own personal circumstances, I took something entirely different from "Lessons From Joan" than what my friend or her physician did: I learned about how to live well. What I found most enlightening was how Eric and Joan Kingson knit joyful activities into the fabric of their lives, even once cancer threatened to take life away-unlike many people, like me, who are so focused on the future they neglect the present. Similarly, I was touched by Eric Kingson's candid picture of his and Joan's family, friends, careers, and life choices. It's clear that the author is not idealizing; he is very honest about their difficulties and imperfections. Yet it is also very clear how psychologically strong and happy Eric and Joan were-what a good marriage, family, set of friends, and community they had built through their dedication. For people like me who originate from less "functional" family backgrounds, it was eye-opening to learn how a family like this operates: how the Kingsons made choices, how they enjoyed life, and how they faced the unthinkable together with tenderness, humor, and persistence. Another aspect of "Lessons From Joan" that struck me profoundly relates specifically to Joan's death, as well as the unexpected deaths from cancer many years earlier of both Eric and Joan Kingson's parents. Since reading "Lessons From Joan," I've written letters to my children just in case something should ever happen to me. And months after reading "Lessons From Joan," I find myself using Joan's last weeks of life as a gauge by which I measure whether my current goals, thoughts and actions make sense in "the big picture" of my own family's life. I also find I have a much deeper appreciation and understanding of the experiences of families affected by cancer, whereas before reading this book, my sympathy was superficial in a self-protective way. Eric Kingson takes the reader through the rollercoaster journey of life with cancer, after which no reader will ever be the same. Although that journey is painful, it is very life-enriching and worth every second of sadness the reader experiences as pa

'Lessons From Joan' is amazing. It is an eloquently written book about an incredibly painful subject. While at times difficult to read, it is more difficult to put down. Eric Kingson has captured the essence of the dignity of life and death.