Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life [Hardcover]

Deanna Favre (Author), Angela Elwell Hunt (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

2008 Retailer's Choice Award winner!
The wife of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, Deanna was inadvertently thrust into the spotlight when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. Now cancer-free, Deanna is one of breast cancer's leading activists, speaking and raising financial support for women who are “medically underserved” (uninsured or under-insured). Deanna's story shares the role her faith has played in her life—from her years as a single mom and her high profile marriage to Brett, to her battle with breast cancer and the work she is currently doing through the HOPE Foundation. Includes 24 pages of color photos, a foreword by Brett Favre, and an afterword by Brittany and Breleigh Favre.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141431907X
• ISBN-13: 978-1414319070
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #435,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Candid and Heartwarming, October 7, 2007

By 

J. J. Carew (Green Bay, WI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life (Hardcover)

Living as a football player's wife in the fishbowl of Green Bay Wisconsin can't be easy for someone like Deanna Favre. Self-described as very shy and uncomfortable in the spotlight, she has generally tried to live her life and do her humanitarian works under the radar. But all that changed when she was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago. Favre decided to try and battle through the shyness to reach out and tell her story to raise awareness.

First off, I was surprised at how candid the book was about several aspects of her life. Living in a "town" like Green Bay (population 103,000) is not easy when all eyes are on #4. Rumors and stories of Favre's "wild" ways when he first came to town are essentially confirmed by Deanna with no apologies. I thought I had heard all the stories about Favre's behavior off the field but there were several that caught me by surprise. For instance, I did not know that Favre had slipped back into his self-destructive behavior in 1999 when Deanna was pregnant with their younger daughter Breleigh. Deanna talks openly of her struggle with loving a man who was on a self-destructive path and not knowing whether to stay with him or leave.

Deanna Favre talks of her struggles to have another child and the struggles with whether to take the "science" route with invitro fertilization. She talks of the struggles she had when she was a single mom and bounced checks not because of bad bookkeeping but because she literally did not have enough money to pay the bills. She talks of her prayers and reliance on the Bible and the help of her Christian friends and faith through this and many other trying times.

But most importantly, Favre talks about breast cancer in a way that any woman can relate. Just 35 years old when diagnosed, she is like thousands of women who have no family history and are not in the breast cancer "demographic". Feeling blessed to have good insurance and not having to worry about money, Deanna wants to raise money for the uninsured and underinsured women who are battling the disease.

I've read all sorts of memoirs of people who were thrust into the public eye and this one really made an impact on me. Years ago I read a rare interview with Deanna Favre in the newspaper and came to the conclusion that Brett Favre would have either become a flash-in-the-pan drunk former NFL quarterback or a dead one if he didn't have Deanna in his life; this book just confirms that for me. Behind every successful man is an even greater woman.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ!!!, September 23, 2007

By 

Tracy A. Mangold (Combined Locks, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life (Hardcover)

I just bought this book from the Packers Pro Shop on Friday. It is a GREAT read. Deanna is a lady of class and integrity and this book only drives that point home. In this book she shows how a lady of quiet strength and personal conviction can overcome even the most devastating circumstances like breast cancer, multiple deaths in the family as well as weathering the ups and downs of being married to a three-time MVP quarterback. Whether you are a football fan or not - a Packer fan or not - you WILL enjoy this book.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very classy lady, September 26, 2007

By 

Amy Leemon (North Fond du Lac, WI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life (Hardcover)

Deanna Favre chose to go public with her illness to help other women and I believe she will succeed beyond her wildest dreams. This book is an important read for everyone. We all need to know what people who are fighting this terrible disease go through on a daily basis and what we can do to help. Deanna Favre is an inspiration and the first thing I'm going to do is send a copy of this book to a friend of mine who is fighting the disease. The second thing I'm going to do is put my copy on my "keeper shelf". I know I'll be reading it again. It's that good!!