Cancer Vixen
Reviewed By Dawn G. Prince
H
aving breast cancer is no laughing matter, someone forgot to tell Marisa Acocella Marchetto. The 43-yearold New Yorker and Glamour cartoonist was getting on with her fabulous Manhattan life
when three weeks before her wedding she was diagnosed with breast cancer. With much spirit, and humor that is unoffensive but rather self-depreciaating, Marchetto talks about “What happens when a shoe-crazy, lipstick-obsessed, wine-swilling, pasta-slurping, fashion-fanatic, single-forever, about-to-get-married big-city girl cartoonist with a fabulous life finds . . . a lump in her breast?
Surrounded with much support, including a handsome fiance, overbearing Italian mother and a slew of fast talking New York fashion world friends, Marchetto's attitude about her breast cancer is like a dose of hope for all those dealing with a frightening health crisis. While Marchetto pokes fun at her situation and world, she never once makes it seem that breast cancer isn't the most challenging journey for anyone's been diagnosed with the disease. But instead of calling herself a cancer Victim, she opted for Cancer Vixen, and so you know that this isn't going to be a soppy tale, but one of hope and inspiration.
The striking thing about about Marchetto is her grace, honesty and self-depreciating humor and how she just kept right on living despite being given what most people consider a death sentence. She writes about wearing her best pumps to chemotheraphy and those fashionable headwraps to fundraisers. Marchetto's wit is evident, but what is empowering and isnpiring is her strength, optisim and humanity in dealing with her 11-month battle with breast cancer.
Part memoir and part breast cancer survival guide, the book is colorful with Marchetto's cartoons gracing the pages. You don't have to be a breast cancer vixen to be hooked by Marchetto's big spirit and down to-earth dialogue. She's every woman who's in the middle of having the best time of her life - when life throws her a wallop of a curve. It's a personal story about courage, strength and, ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit. Cancer Vixen is a poignant story of love and support, and most importantly, about laughter being the best medicine.
Copyright ©2006 Sure Woman.com/Copyright ©2006 Dawn Prince
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