Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery (Coping With Illness) (edition 2010)by Melinda Marchiano
Work InformationGrace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery (Coping With Illness) by Melinda Marchiano
None Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. no reviews | add a review
Melinda Marchiano first felt an eerie weakness on a family trip to Yosemite State Park and, after doctors found a rock-hard lump in her chest, received the devastating diagnosis of Hodgkin¿s lymphoma. Melinda shares the ensuing battle of her young life with eloquence, humor, and wisdom beyond her years. As she struggles through treatment and fights to continue ballet dancing¿her greatest passion¿Melinda recounts the events of her illness and her turbulent emotions: the elaborate pill schedules, the wretched nausea of chemotherapy, the never-ending support of her family, and the smiles and determination of the doctors and nurses who put her on the road to recovery. Whether cancer has touched their lives or not, readers will be inspired by Melinda¿s growing spirituality and complete reliance on God to get her through a terrifying ordeal. The abandonment of self-pity and remarkable tenacity displayed by the spirited young Melinda make this survivor¿s tale a truly unforgettable experience. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNone
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)618.92Technology Medicine and health Gynecology and Pediatrics Pediatrics & Geriatrics Pediatric CareLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
Yes, cancer is a roller coaster, and it seems that when you’re not at the highest or the lowest point, you’re in rapid transit either up or down. - from the ARC of Grace, page 281 -
Marchiano’s story is not an easy one to read. It is difficult to hear her pain and fear. It is mind-numbing to think of the aggressive chemotherapy which made her sicker before it made her better. Despite this, Marchiano treats her readers to the silver linings beneath the dark clouds.
Cancer is battle after battle, struggle after struggle. And then, something beautiful happens that keeps you going. - from the ARC of Grace, page 124 -
Melinda Marchiano is not just a cancer survivor – she is also a gifted dancer who found dance to be a motivator through the dark days of illness…the light at the end of the tunnel. There were dark days of depression, the spiral into an eating disorder, and the struggle to find joy again…but through it all was Marchiano’s love of dance.
Grace is a memoir from the heart of a young girl. Melinda Marchiano’s voice jumps off the page with its honesty. I never forgot I was reading the words of a teenager who showed remarkable courage and determination in her fight against cancer. Marchiano spares the reader nothing, and because of this, I must caution readers who might be just starting their own journey through cancer. I think this is a book which can provide hope to others, but may be hard to read for those who have not reached the other side of their cancer treatment. The words and emotions are scary. And so, for some, this might be a memoir which would best be read in retrospective…after they’ve traveled their own road through cancer.
The writing in Grace is sometimes uneven (although it should be noted I read an Advance Readers Edition, not a finished copy)…it is very much the voice of its author. Despite this, there were moments of enlightenment and brilliance; times when I paused in my reading and marveled at the maturity of this fourteen-year old’s observations of the world.
Readers who wish to take Marchiano’s journey with her will be rewarded to a glimpse inside a young girl’s heart. ( )