“Bald in the Land of Big Hair” is not just a cancer memoir of a very courageous woman. It’s also a romantic story, an adventure, an inspiration and an education. It’s heartbreaking at times, but never morbid. And it has a refreshingly happy ending. Beginning with her life BC (before cancer), Joni Rodgers writes about her journey through the diagnosis and treatment of non-Hodgkins lymphoma with an Anne Lamott/ Dave Barry/ Al Franken wit and style that had me laughing out loud. Her frank details also had me shuddering in horror, and aching with compassion for her and for her family.

The author’s sense of humor and her candor made this a powerful book.

... keep thinking and talking about it. The book touched me in several ways. No one would ever choose to have cancer, but not nearly enough is being done about primary prevention. And why do we have a healthcare system that causes people to go bankrupt on top of all their other suffering?

...
sad and angry that anyone has to go through what the author went through. But I was totally surprised at how much I laughed. I put off reading this, but once I started I couldn’t put it down.

Joni Rodgers is also the author of two novels. The characters in her first novel, “Crazy for Trying”, helped her live through her cancer ordeal. This book also gives us glimpses of her writing life. I look forward to reading her novels.

This is an important book full of honesty and insight and amazing humor. I really liked it.

Read this book.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Bald in the Land of Big Hair : A True Story   from Amazon.Com!

Created May 20, 2003 at 12:26am • Submit your own review...