Riding the Cancer Coaster

Several months ago, through a virtual friendship with her father, I got to know a young lady named Clarissa Schilstra.  She is a lovely and thoughtful person who has been through double doses of cancer in her short life.  She is now a member of the class of 2016 at Duke University. We first met in person (all three of us) in August of 2014.  Clarissa felt that she learned a lot from the passages of her life and wanted to share what she had learned with others, and so she wrote me back in July:

"I am really excited to tell you that I have written a book this summer, to help teens and young adults with cancer through the social and emotional challenges of treatment."

The book is now out, and it is very, very good.  My review is as follows:

Clarissa Schilstra offers knowledge, wisdom, and advice to teenagers and young adults who are facing the travails of a cancer diagnosis. Drawing from her own experience, employing plain talk and empathy, she offers helpful suggestions for the entire family. This is an essential book for anyone you know who is going through this life-changing chapter in his or her life.