Recommended Books

We have assembled a list of recommended books on the subject of cancer, caregiving and other topics related to women and cancer.  Breast Friends does not mean to imply the endorsement of any of these books.  If you would like to make a recommendation, please e-mail us.

How We Became Breast Cancer Thrivers – Free E-book by Beverly Vote, Publisher of the Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine.

Beverly and 44 of her breast cancer thriving friends now living with conviction, clarity, passion, and purpose share their stories.

A Caregiver’s Challenge: Living Loving Letting Go Schacht, Maryann. Santa Rosa, CA: Feterson Press, 2005. ISBN: 0976414007

The author of this book is a cancer survivor herself. She delves into the realm of coping with cancer from a caregiver’s perspective. Topics are highlighted with important ideas and concepts to consider when dealing with a person who is living with cancer. She helps to remove the taboo of exploring emotions and the secrecy of medical conditions, and sheds light on basic approaches for alleviating pain and nausea. The author provides an easy format for laying out financial assets, expenses, and income; as well as providing a format for legal documents, such as medical power of attorney, living wills, and last will and testaments.

The Hat That Saved My Life: A Story of Surviving Breast Cancer Olson, Becky Portland, OR, Classic Day/Peanut Butter Publishing: Copyright 2004, 2007

Explore this journey of a 3 time breast cancer survivor and co-founder of Breast Friends, a national network dedicated to helping women through their battle with breast cancer.  Filled with humor and life stories, you will be sure to find inspiration.

A Healing Journey: Writing Together Through Breast Cancer Bray, Sharon. Amherst, Mass.: Amherst Writers & Artists Press, 2004. ISBN: 0941895297.

This book is a moving account of a program designed to help women with breast cancer express their humanity by writing about their experiences as a group. The author describes her profound experiences with an amazing group of women dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. As a breast cancer survivor, the author has intimate and detailed first-hand knowledge of what a woman goes through after that dreadful diagnosis is made.

A Spiritual Journey through Breast Cancer Asti, Judy. Northfield Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 1881273350.

This book is a personal account of the author’s experience with breast cancer and how her faith helped her through difficult times and in defeating the disease.

Assess Your True Risk of Breast Cancer Kelly, Patricia T. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2000. ISBN: 0805064680.

This book is a guide to assessing your risk for breast cancer. It conveys complicated breast cancer statistics in an understandable form and provides options for genetic testing. It also gives you the tools you need to make an informed decision about your rights and options as a woman confronting the issue of breast cancer.

Beauty & Cancer: Looking and Feeling Your Best Noyes, Diane Doan, and Peggy Mellody. Taylor Publishing, 1992. ISBN: 0878338098.

A handbook designed to help women improve their appearance and levels of comfort both during and after cancer therapies.

Before I Say Goodbye: Recollections and Observations from One Woman’s Final Year Picardie, Ruth. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2000. ISBN: 0805066128.

Being a journalist, it was a natural thing for Ruth Picardie to write about her rapid spread of breast cancer. Her emails and columns describe her diagnosis of Stage III breast cancer. Letters from readers shared their sorrow over her situation and words of encouragement from their own battles with cancer or the loss of a loved one. There are funny parts to this book, too, such as her new interest in body maintenance, makeup and clothes.

Beyond Breast Cancer: Our Stories of Hope and Courage Ellis, Alda. Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House Publishers, 2002. ISBN: 0736908595.

This book is about how breast cancer survivors deal with their breast cancer. Each story is different in how each one lived their life and how breast cancer became the center of attention.

Breast Cancer: A Family Survival Guide Penderson, Lucille M., and Janet M. Trigg. Bergin and Garvey, 1995. ISBN: 0897894383.

This book is a helpful guide to detecting breast cancer, dealing with it physically and emotionally, and surviving it. Issues such as insurance, physical changes, family stress, recovery and death are discussed in language for the general reader.

Breast Cancer Answers: Practical Tips and Personal Advice From a Survivor King, Judith. Franklin Lakes, NJ: The Career Press, Inc., 2004. ISBN: 1564147576.

This book tells you how to deal with work concerns, insurance and relational issues, special nutritional and emotional needs, and side effects of treatments. Topics are addressed that some patients may be embarrassed to discuss with their doctor or even with a best friend, such as depression and changes in sexuality. The author has written the book she wishes had been available to her—one that will help breast cancer patients understand the ins and outs of a wide variety of procedures and stages of the journey, as well as where to look for help within and outside traditional medicine.

Breast Cancer: Daughters Tell Their Stories Oktay, Julianne S. Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press, Inc., 2005. ISBN-13: 9780789014511.

This book presents the results of a qualitative, grounded theory study of breast cancer survivors, providing in-depth information about an aspect of breast cancer that has been previously overlooked. The author presents eight years of extensive research on the effects that young mothers with breast cancer can have on their daughters. This book is an overview of how the study was conducted, as well as personal accounts of 41 adult women who shared their experiences during their mothers’ illnesses.

Breast Cancer? Let Me Check My Schedule! Cederberg, D, and D. Davidson, J. Edwards, et al. Innovative Medical Education Consortium, Inc., 1997. ISBN: 0813333938.

A compilation of ten professional women meeting the challenges of fitting breast cancer into their very busy lives.

Breast Cancer Survivors’ Club, A Nurse’s Experience Schockney, Lillie. Loveland, Colo.: Real Health Books, 2000: ISBN: 0970460104.

The author has unselfishly given us a very intimate insight into her fight and victory against breast cancer. The reader learns how to cope successfully with a cancer diagnosis. The author documents how a positive outlook, lots of laughter, proper medical care, prayer and faith in God brought her safely through treatment.

Cancer Fitness: Exercise Programs for Patients and Survivors Schwartz, Anna L. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. ISBN: 074323801X.

This book is a guide to recovery and fitness for all cancer patients, offering the option of tailoring a program for specific needs. Through exercise, patients will regain some control over their bodies, manage side effects more successfully, and increase the body’s ability to heal. The illustrations provide good examples of the movements, and the author explains how important it is to be proactive in one’s recovery.

Cancer Has Its Privileges: Stories of Hope and Laughter Clifford, Christine. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 2002. ISBN: 0399527761.

This book offers hope and inspiration by using humor as a tool to deal with the many challenges of cancer. The author encourages you to find and enjoy the humor in your own life. This book has a gift for blending powerful insights with heartwarming stories and practical advice. Funny, profound, reassuring and inspiring for anyone coping with cancer.

Carlisle Medical Journal Darlene Carlisle, Darlene. 2005. ISBN: 0976262819.

The Carlisle Medical Journal is an excellent way to keep track of one’s personal medical history. There are components for each aspect of medical journaling. There is a section on family history, medications, appointments, medical tests, and surgeries/medical procedures. Anyone who wants to keep track of this type of information can benefit from its use. Many times it is hard to keep up with every detail of treatment, scheduling appointments, previous surgeries and procedures, etc. The Carlisle Medical Journal provides a clever way to do that by placing everything at your fingertips. To learn more, visit www.carlislemedicaljournal.com.

Celebrating Life: African American Women Speak Out about Breast Cancer Dunnavant, Sylvia, and Nancy Wilson. USFI, Inc, 1995. ISBN: 0964321149.

This book captures the personal stories and triumphs of African American women in regards to breast cancer.

Chemo This! Finding Your Balance & Creating a Pathway Through Cancer McBain-Roberts, Patricia. Burnstown, Ontario, Canada: General Store, 2001. ISBN: 18924263375.

The author takes us through her personal battle with breast cancer and discusses what she did that helped her get through the ordeal. She uses her skills as a Certified Human Resources Professional to better understand the different ways people deal with cancer depending on the type of personality they have. A resource section is included in the back of the book. It contains a list of videos, CDs, tapes, products, books, and information about Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Breast Cancer Canfield, Jack, et al. Deerfield Beach, Fla.: Health Communications, Inc., 2005. ISBN: 0757302742.

The book is divided into short, easy-to-read sections containing questions to ask the doctor, short stories, and pages reserved to record the reader’s thoughts, feelings and facts. The topics discussed are pertinent to any cancer survivor and include information regarding the discussion of a cancer diagnosis with children, loved ones and physicians. The book focuses on the importance of humor, mind/body focus, coping with change, clinical depression, support groups, healthy eating and fearing the return of cancer.

Confronting the Cow—A Young Family’s Struggle with Breast Cancer, Loss and Rebuilding Donner, C.B. Moonlight Publishing, LLC, 2000. ISBN: 0967963796.

The book focuses on how the children and husband rebuild their lives after the loss of their mom and wife. The children comfort and teach the dad about grieving. After their loss, the father continues to incorporate their mom’s memory into heir daily lives.