My So-Called Normal Life [Hardcover]

Erin Zammett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 2005

A compellingly inspirational memoir of a young woman confronting the battle of her life with hope, humor, and style.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Zammett tells her story as if she were recounting it to a girlfriend...her humor is the book's strength. -- Publisher's Weekly, March 7, 2005

From the Publisher

Twenty-three years old and fresh out of college, in love with her boyfriend Nick, and having just started a great new job as assistant editor at Glamour magazine, Erin Zammett was looking forward to a future of unlimited promise - until she was confronted by the one experience that no person, young or old, is ever prepared to face. A routine checkup by her doctor seemed to indicate that she was in perfect health, until she was called back just a day later to be told that a blood test revealed she had a type of cancer, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, the only known treatment for which was a bone marrow transplant; without treatment, she had roughly five years to live. After the initial shock wore off, and with the support of her family and friends, her own inner strength, and a recently approved experimental drug, Zammett immediately began the journey that would lead to her recovery. She began to document her experiences to provide an outlet for the thoughts that came rushing to confront the brave new world she had entered, and the result, My So-Called Normal Life, is a memoir of unparalleled candor and poignancy, encompassing much more than leukemia and the battle to overcome it. Above all, it's the story of a twenty-something living her dream life amid the unlimited excitement and adventure of Manhattan and confronting the challenges of life and her new job - battling cancer - with unbounded courage and optimism.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 270 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover (April 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585676438
• ISBN-13: 978-1585676439
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,390,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plucky account -- lots of attitude, October 24, 2005

By 

BuzS "buzs" (ny, ny) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: My So-Called Normal Life (Hardcover)

Erin's story of how she handled her leukemia diagnosis at age 23 is written with an almost unbelievable take-no-prisoners attitude-- "I should be doing shots of tequila not shots of chemo. Bartender, gimme another" she remarks about one fund-raising event. "Cancer made me feel special in a weird way... I didn't feel bad for myself and I didn't want other people to either." The woman's insouciance is breathtaking (and could well be offputting to those who, unlike Erin, are losing their battle against the disease); love her or deplore her, it's hard to dispute that her brazen disregard for tactfulness reveals a most distinctive voice. Barbs fly in all directions -- including zingers at her adored mom, dad, and 2 sisters -- and she holds nothing back about her own motivations, e.g. "I hadn't really done much volunteer work since high school and even then it was fueled by my desire to look well-rounded on my college applications -- and because all the cool kids did Key Club." It may not be the prettiest picture, but it comes across as very real.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more interesting than you would guess!, January 15, 2006

By 

Barjakgirl (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My So-Called Normal Life (Hardcover)

I read all of Erin Zammett's columns in Glamour magazine, so when I came across this book I hesitated to read it - I didn't want to re-read everything that was in the columns. Plus, I thought, how interesting could reading about someone's cancer treatments be? Turns out, very interesting.

That's because this book is about much more than just Erin's cancer treatments. It's about her life as a whole, while going through some unusual and hard cirumstances. Ms. Zammett has a great writing style and manages to keep things interesting and fast-moving while instilling humor into the book and telling it like it is. It's obvious that she's very honest and makes no attempt to stay "PC." (She openly states that she lost weight while undergoing treatment, and still loves how she looks in pictures from that time period.)

This book is an easy, interesting read, and after finishing it you can't help but admire Erin and her family for what they've been through and feel a little bit grateful for your life as it is.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Such an honest and courageous author, September 28, 2005

By 

winning (MARINA DEL EY, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My So-Called Normal Life (Hardcover)

I'm actualy Steve's wife, Jodi who's writing this review. I had been following Erin Zammett's story in Glamour magazine since her diagnosis. Every three months I would look forward with anticipation and hope about her latest entry. Her writing style was so real, and she wore her emotions and feelings on her sleeve. She had nothing to hide from her readers. Cut to this summer, I was vacationing in Maui with my husband, right there, at our hotel was the girl from the pictures that I had read about for all these years. We spoke and she told me that she was on her honeymoon and that she was doing and feeling great. I told her that I loved her articles in Glamour. She then told me she had written a book. I quickly bought it, and didn't put it down til I had finished it.(I even tried to read while driving) This book is a must read. Erin is truly an inspiration to many people. Keep fighting and stay strong!