When Your Friend Gets Cancer: How You Can Help [Paperback]

Amy Harwell (Author), Kristine Tomasik (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2000

Great advice in this paperback book

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Shaw Books (March 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877889341
• ISBN-13: 978-0877889342
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.4 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,152,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great concrete suggestions, but very religious, May 16, 2000

By 

"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Your Friend Gets Cancer: How You Can Help (Paperback)

Having recently had a friend diagnosed with cancer, and having no idea what I could do to help, I thought this book would be a great place to start.

And it was, in a way. It gave me good concrete suggestions - ways to help in the first days, the long middle, and either in remission or in my friend's final days.

There was only one problem - the author has a very god-centered focus. For someone who is religious or whose friend is religious, this should not be a problem. Most of the religious comments could apply to many religions, although many are pretty specifically Christian.

Unfortunately, neither my friend nor I are religious at all, so it really interfered with me being able to absorb the book and/or feel it applied to my situation. Many of the suggestions for comfort, either for me or for my friend, required a belief that we simply don't have.

For instance, the author was right on the mark when she predicted that I might wonder if I was doing enough. But then she says that I should trust that I am part of God's plan and that God is the guider of my good deeds. Uh . . . whatever.

But she also freely shares much of her experience and breaks it down enough so that I could really understand the complex feelings someone with cancer can feel. And I did follow many suggestions the book made.

To recap, if you or your friend with cancer are Christian, this is probably a wonderful book for you. If not, you might not feel like the book really applies to your situation.

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book, December 4, 2011

By 

Word Lover - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Your Friend Gets Cancer: How You Can Help (Paperback)

I received this book as a gift when first penned by Amy Harwell. I loved it as it relays the real life experience of the author's battle against cancer. I now need to pull it out again and start applying as one of my dearest friends battles cancer. Practical helps from someone who has been there. I highly recommend it.