Synopses & Reviews
A andlt;iandgt;NEW YORK TIMESandlt;/iandgt; BESTSELLERandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;As a healthy, happy thirty-nine-year-old mother with no family history of breast cancer, being diagnosed with the disease rocked Hollye Jacobsand#8217;s world. Having worked as a nurse, social worker, and child development specialist for fifteen years, she suddenly found herself in the position of moving into the hospital bed. She was trained as a clinician to heal. In her role as patient, the healing process became personal.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Exquisitely illustrated with full-color photographs by Hollyeand#8217;s close friend, award-winning photographer Elizabeth Messina, andlt;Iandgt;The Silver Liningandlt;/Iandgt; is both Hollyeand#8217;s memoir and a practical, supportive resource for anyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In the first section of each chapter, she describes with humor and wisdom her personal experience and gives details about her diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and recovery.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The second section of each chapter is told from Hollyeand#8217;s point of view as a medical expert. In addition to providing a glossary of important terms and resources, she addresses the physical and emotional aspects of treatment, highlights what patients can expect, and provides action steps, including:andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;What to do when facing a diagnosisandlt;BRandgt;How to find the best and most supportive medical teamandlt;BRandgt;What questions to askandlt;BRandgt;What to expect at medical testsandlt;BRandgt;How to talk with and support childrenandlt;BRandgt;How to relieve or avoid side effectsandlt;BRandgt;How to be a supportive friend or family memberandlt;BRandgt;How to find Silver Linings andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Looking for and finding Silver Linings buoyed Hollye from the time of her diagnosis throughout her double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and recovery. They gave her the balance and perspective to get her through the worst days, and they compose the soul of the book.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Silver Lining of Hollyeand#8217;s illness is that she can now use the knowledge gleaned from her experience to try to make it better for those who have to follow her down this difficult path. This is why she is sharing her story. Hollye is the experienced girlfriend who wants to help shed some light in the darkness, provide guidance through the confusion, and hold your hand every step of the way.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;At once comforting and instructive, realistic and inspiring, andlt;Iandgt;The Silver Liningandlt;/Iandgt; is a visually beautiful, poignant must-read for everyone who has been touched by cancer.
Review
and#8220;Like a good friend, this book will be by your side as you travel through the world of breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Hollye Jacobs combines inspiration with practical suggestions for women and men working through a breast cancer diagnosis. She gives breast cancer survivors the ability to put things in perspective, with spot-on advice about what to expect.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Hollye probes the varied and granular issues surrounding breast cancer with thoughtfulness and sound advice while leavening the experience with humor. Elizabeth Messinaand#8217;s collector-quality photographsand#8230; aid in capturing the essence of the journeyand#8230;. [and] result in a remarkable tension: the allure of life simultaneously overlaid with the threat of disease, which is starkly, and beautifully, portrayed.and#8221;
Review
"This bold and resourceful woman's powerful account of her breast cancer experience offers important guidance, strong encouragement and real inspiration to any person challenged by this disease."
Review
and#8220;This book provides true insight into the challenges involved in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. It is a lesson in survival. It is a testament to the courage, grace and dignity of one woman who truly defines the word 'survivor.'and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Hollye Jacobs has provided us with an informative, supportive and uplifting account of her unusually arduous breast cancer treatment. From mouth sores to mood swings she extends us 'life lines,' her practical hints for adaptation. Through the dark clouds and dense fog of cancer treatment she both recalls and discovers beauty and hope and her "silver linings" are pithy expressions of wisdom and truth - maxims that help make the difficult doable.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;This book is a little miracle, both for the body and the soul. If ever there was light in the face of the storm, this book is it. Read it and heal.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;It is a rare thing to find a resource that captures both the very real, lived experience of having breast cancer while also serving as an incredibly practical guide to understanding cancer and its treatment. andlt;Iandgt;The Silver Lining andlt;/Iandgt;should be read by every professional who cares for those who face breast cancer as a reminder of the person and family surrounding the tumor. Hollye Jacobs' expertise as a nurse, social worker, and child development specialist is evident, as the book is richly infused with the wisdom of each of those professions. Even more important is that this book is clearly coming from a woman who has been there, heard the words, 'you have cancer,' and found the silver linings known only to a survivor.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;andlt;Iandgt;The Silver Lining andlt;/Iandgt;reflects the experience of a remarkable woman, undergoing what is sadly an all too common journey. The challenges faced are honestly, yet compassionately shared, often with humor and always with grace. The lifelines and wisdom remind readers that at the end of this expedition there is growth and hope. The breathtaking photos reinforce the beauty that can come from pain. This book is an extraordinary gift for all who have been touched by breast cancer.and#8221;
Review
"This book is a little miracle, both for the body and the soul. If ever there was light in the face of the storm, this book is it. Read it and heal." Kathy Freston, New York Times best-selling author of Quantum Wellness, Veganist, and The Lean
Review
and#8220;A two-year ordeal with breast cancer conveyed with frank prose and stunning photography.... andlt;u5:pandgt;andlt;/u5:pandgt;Award-winning photographer Messina beautifully captures the essence of Jacobsand#8217; journey, delivering mood and emotion through gorgeous imagery. Throughout it all, Jacobs remained resilient, buoyed by a holistic approach to wellness. This is a wise investment for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer or simply interested in how the process works. Unfailingly optimistic, Jacobs compassionately offers proof positive that even a terrifying, arduous disease like cancer can have a silver lining. A dignified, intensely personal journey of survival.and#8221;andlt;u5:pandgt;andlt;/u5:pandgt;
Review
and#8220;With her humorous and approachable style, Jacobs has written an essential title for patients facing a cancer diagnosis. Highly recommended for all consumer health collections.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;...pragmatic and empathetic... unabashedly candid.... If you or someone you know has battled breast cancer, this book will serve as a lifeline for navigating this potentially devastating disease.and#8221;
Synopsis
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
As a healthy, happy thirty-nine-year-old mother with no family history of breast cancer, being diagnosed with the disease rocked Hollye Jacobs's world. Having worked as a nurse, social worker, and child development specialist for fifteen years, she suddenly found herself in the position of moving into the hospital bed. She was trained as a clinician to heal. In her role as patient, the healing process became personal.
Exquisitely illustrated with full-color photographs by Hollye's close friend, award-winning photographer Elizabeth Messina, The Silver Lining is both Hollye's memoir and a practical, supportive resource for anyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer.
In the first section of each chapter, she describes with humor and wisdom her personal experience and gives details about her diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and recovery.
The second section of each chapter is told from Hollye's point of view as a medical expert. In addition to providing a glossary of important terms and resources, she addresses the physical and emotional aspects of treatment, highlights what patients can expect, and provides action steps, including:
What to do when facing a diagnosis
How to find the best and most supportive medical team
What questions to ask
What to expect at medical tests
How to talk with and support children
How to relieve or avoid side effects
How to be a supportive friend or family member
How to find Silver Linings
Looking for and finding Silver Linings buoyed Hollye from the time of her diagnosis throughout her double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and recovery. They gave her the balance and perspective to get her through the worst days, and they compose the soul of the book.
The Silver Lining of Hollye's illness is that she can now use the knowledge gleaned from her experience to try to make it better for those who have to follow her down this difficult path. This is why she is sharing her story. Hollye is the experienced girlfriend who wants to help shed some light in the darkness, provide guidance through the confusion, and hold your hand every step of the way.
At once comforting and instructive, realistic and inspiring, The Silver Lining is a visually beautiful, poignant must-read for everyone who has been touched by cancer.
Synopsis
andlt;Iandgt;The Girlfriend's Guideandlt;/Iandgt; meets andlt;Iandgt;What to Expectandlt;/Iandgt; for breast cancer patients in an outstanding book that is at once beautiful and helpful, realistic and uplifting.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;When she was diagnosed with breast cancer at age thirty-nine, Hollye Jacobs--a pediatric and adult palliative care nurse with graduate degrees in bioethics and child development--started a blog to keep family and friends informed. It soon evolved into a daily must-read for thousands of women worldwide. Now, in a graceful, exquisitely illustrated work with full-color photographs by award-winning photographer Elizabeth Messina, Jacobs offers an informative, therapeutic guide for people who have been diagnosed with the disease.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Part personal memoir, part professional guide, andlt;Iandgt;The Silver Liningandlt;/Iandgt; is the book that Jacobs wished she'd had when she began her fight with cancer. She covers what every patient can expect as they go through their specific treatment and teaches other big issues, such as nutrition and how to talk to children about illness. While the book is brimming with action steps to help negotiate each phase of treatment and recovery, every chapter concludes with "Silver Linings"--the sources of inspiration and perspective that buoyed Jacobs through her own journey and that, taken together, comprise the heartbeat of the book.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;"Like a good friend, this book will be by your side as you travel through the world of breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery," says Dr. Susan Love,andlt;Bandgt; andlt;/Bandgt;surgeon, breast cancer research advocate, and author of andlt;Iandgt;Dr. Susan Love's Breast Bookandlt;/Iandgt;. An invaluable guide, a gorgeously rendered object of beauty, andlt;Iandgt;The Silver Lining andlt;/Iandgt;will be andlt;Iandgt;the andlt;/Iandgt;manual for breast cancer patients and their loved ones.
About the Author
Hollye Jacobs, RN, MS, MSW, speaks publicly and writes about her experience on her award-winning blog, TheSilverPen.com. She is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post, BreastCancer.org, Susan G. Komen, and the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation Army of Women Blog. She lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her family.Elizabeth Messina was named one of the 10 Best Photographers in the World by American Photo 2010. She writes the award winning blog KisstheGroom.com and lives in Santa Barbara with her family.