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After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Christian author Hovda asked God what she was supposed to do. The answer came to her: “Praise Me.” It was, she states, the last thing she would have thought to do. Yet in following that exhortation, she began to see all the small ways and some bigger ways that God was with her throughout her treatment and recovery. Through her positive attitudes, she met kindly “guardian angels,” encountered other women going through the same treatments, learned to deal with panic attacks, and gained determination not give up on chemo even at her lowest point in that harrowing experience. One episode recalled the loss of hair during chemotherapy. Instead of approaching this negatively, Hovda realized that she would be temporarily spared the chores of hair care and would have the chance to see “the real me,” an identity which would come from her reliance on God.
Hovda’s book is well-organized into topics highly relevant to those who have gone through or are facing the difficulties of a cancer diagnosis. She believes her illness—“the hardest thing I have ever been through”—has now given her the opportunity to serve as a witness to others about her experience, a role she never expected to assume. Her book is decorated throughout with an ingenious motif: an umbrella, symbolizing the protection she has felt during her trials. Her language is straightforward, and her ideas are subtle and sensitive. She quotes frequently from the Bible. She offers practical advice, such as to keep a journal, to read God’s word (especially the Psalms), and listen to soothing, uplifting music. The book’s chapters are separated by lined pages that invite the reader to record a personal story, perhaps evoked by the author’s inspiring words and experiences.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review