Customer Reviews

Angels Unaware

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Angels Unaware" is a moving account of one woman's journey through life. In her forties, Kat Knightly encounters both a health scare and a family crisis. Her husband's lack of support leaves Kat alone and fearful. Fortunately, Kat finds the strength and courage she never knew she had to fight the fight of her life. Along the way she meets a cast of characters who help her take charge of her life and support her in ways she couldn't imagine.

A truly remarkable and realistic look at breast cancer and the resources available to help survivors conquer this disease. A must-read book for women of all ages.

My wife Carla and I share an Amazon account, so this is her review of Angels Unaware:

"I was recommended to read this book by a close friend, and I have to say that their recommendation was right on target. I found myself laughing and crying by turns as the plot unfolded. As someone whose mother died of breast cancer, I fell in love with Kat--and in hate with her b@stard of a husband. It's a beautiful portrayal of a small-town woman, and one I intend to pass along to my friends."

This novel explores the life changes that the author's heroine, Kat, undergoes upon getting a diagnosis of breast cancer. Her husband, who has many secrets of which Kat knows nothing at this critical time, reveals one of them to her quickly: He can't stand being around sick people so he files for divorce. Kat learns how to cope with life as an independent woman for the first time in years, but also learns that she is surrounded by friends and supporters of whom she'd largely been unaware. She has a lot of fear and hurt to overcome, but her friends help her through the ordeals she faces, so she's not alone. It's not a downer at all, but instead gives insight into the inner strength Kat finds and the fortitude any cancer patient must have.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, finding in Kat a "friend" whom I could admire and with whom I could laugh and cry. I highly recommend the book to anyone, male or female, and think it would be have very special meaning for anyone who is facing, or has faced, the battle against cancer or has a good friend or family member who has. I found it to be a remarkable and very real story. I'm still mad at Kat's ex-husband for his abandonment of her when she needed him most. But good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.
So if you know anyone who has dealt with breast cancer, this is a good book to give that person. I actually have a male friend who had breast cancer and he fights for the cure as ardently as anyone on behalf of the men and women who develop breast cancer. This book will raise awareness of what daily life is like for those undergoing treatment for cancer. But it is also filled with humor and hope.

Kat Knightly needs a miracle. Perhaps an angel or two would do as well as a miracle. When Kat's husband, Jordan, learns that her cancer is much more serious than her doctor first thought, he rejects Kat outright. Jordan, a control freak with secrets, has manipulated their married life so that Kat has no other friends to provide the support she needs.

But there are angels in this small North Carolina town, and they come to Kat's rescue, providing both physical and emotional support. This is a well-crafted book, in which Ms Bruney's acute observations of small-town social structure are not background; those observations are the fuel that propels the plot. The title may seem like a cliche, but the book emphatically is not. And there is an almost-miracle: Kat is able to backtrack more than 20 years to pre-Jordan days and re-route her life on the path not taken. Such an opportunity is so rare as to be marvelous, if not quite miraculous.

I recommend this book to all readers, but it will be especially meaningful to any reader who has a friend undergoing treatment for serious cancer.

Heroine Kat Knightly has always let her husband Jordan manage their life together. It's easier that way. Expressing her own opinions simply isn't part of their marriage, not if she wants to keep things running smoothly and avoid displeasing her overbearing husband. Then Kat discovers she has breast cancer and now, when she really needs Jordan, he isn't there for her. As Jordan distances himself, Kat has to fend for herself more and more. When Jordan announces he'd like to separate for a while, Kat has had enough and tells him to leave for good. Soon she has her own apartment and a job, but she finds that she needs help getting to her treatments. This is where the "angels" step in. They are a group of women who have been through breast cancer themselves and now are giving their time and their support to help other women. Kat grows and changes as she learns to trust others and to accept the help she needs.

In the end Kat has moved past the devastation of her illness and the breakup of her marriage and remade her life, showing she is a lot stronger than she ever realized. Angels Unaware is a heartwarming story with a satisfying ending. The descriptions of life in a small North Carolina town are full of rich details that add depth to the story. The characters are well-drawn and likeable. Even Jordan, for all his flaws as a husband and father, is portrayed as human with good points and bad. I hope to read more from this talented author.