My So-Called Normal Life (Hardcover)

by Erin Zammett (Author)

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

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

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Product Details

• 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 (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #680,326 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #15 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Cancer > Leukemia
  #53 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Alternative Medicine > Healing
  #53 in	Books > Science > Medicine > Alternative & Holistic > Healing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 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

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

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

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!