Review
Both of these books are anthologies of writings on women and cancer and comprise the first two volumes of the Women/Cancer/Fear/Power series. Confronting Cancer combines personal storytelling with feminist information-sharing to create a superb all-purpose resource on women and cancer. Cancer as A Women's Issue features a piece on lesbians and cancer written by Midge Stocker, who founded the Women's Cancer Resource Center, and another on the relationship between environmental contaminants and cancer by biologist Sandra Steingraber. The diversity of the essays is outstanding, with writings by cancer survivors and their loved ones, describing their diagnosis, their search for information and their differing experiences of a variety of treatments. Most of the essays are quite short and highly intimate. The overall effect of the two books is empowering, although there is no attempt to omit the frightening truths about cancer. These books inspire us to fight for our lives, and give us the knowledge and support we need for our struggle. -- From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women; review by Patricia Pettijohn
