It's Not About the Hair

August 27, 2007
Jarvis is an ordained minister with a bawdy sense of humor, and a breast cancer survivor who believes in telling it like it is. She's probably not everyone's cup of tea, especially if you believe certain topics are meant only for a doctor's office and/or the bedroom. Still, don't pass this book by without giving it a go—if you have breast cancer, it might be exactly what you need. A chaplain at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Jarvis cares deeply about others, and for all her fast talk, she's a listener. The accounts of other people's struggles are among the most moving in the book. She is also guided by a spiritual sensibility that transcends organized religion. But most of all, she's walked the walk. Diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time as her mother was, she underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and an implant with courage and, yes, a sense of humor that signals a deep appreciation of life. The title comes from patients whose first question after being diagnosed with breast cancer often is, will I lose my hair? And Jarvis, because she is truly wise and compassionate, understands what they are really asking: will I lose my life?

September 1, 2007
An ordained minister, Jarvis worked as an oncology care chaplain prior to her own breast cancer diagnosis. But if you expect a staid, glass-is-half-full sermon, hold on to your garters, because Jarvis is nothing like the recruitment films. In an email to family and friends, her second thought upon diagnosis was, "Oh, shit." And among the discussions of the trials and travesties of the disease, she addresses her faith and conversations with "Mr. Martha Miyagi." No matter your own belief system, Jarvis is a breath of fresh air in the congested world of health memoirs. Recommended for most libraries.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.