Between Me and the River

Book excerpt: Carrie Host knows that the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness takes a split second to change your life. When told at forty, with her youngest child just nine months old, that she had a rare form of cancer known as carcinoid tumor, Host felt as if she'd been hurled into a raging river, stripped of all forms of potential rescue. Between Me and the River is Host's candid and uplifting memoir of how she found the strength and fortitude to triumph over this disease, and craft a new and meaningful life. The voyage of this strong-minded, openhearted woman is told with uncompromising honesty and respect for the miracles that medicine and love can work. Host's unquenchable sense of humor in the midst of suffering creates poignant moments of laughter through tears. Bracing, lyrical and deeply moving, Between Me and the River is a tribute to one life, and all lives, rerouted by illness.