by Tom Brokaw
First published 2015
Tom Brokaw thought his lucky streak would last forever. The veteran NBC Nightly News anchor had enjoyed a brilliant journalism career, strong family bonds, and decades of good fortune. Then doctors at the Mayo Clinic delivered devastating news in 2013: he had multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. Brokaw channels his reporter instincts to document his medical journey through journal entries that become this memoir. He chronicles the emotional roller coaster of diagnosis, treatment protocols, physical rehabilitation, and the daily realities of living with cancer. Between hospital visits and drug regimens, Brokaw reflects on career highlights including encounters with Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and coverage of September 11th. The memoir examines how serious illness forces a reckoning with mortality while emphasizing the critical importance of active patient participation in treatment decisions. Brokaw offers readers an honest account of facing life's ultimate challenge with grace.
Genres: medical, non-fiction, biography-memoir, health, illness
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: medical-drama, personal-growth, real-life-story
Setting: Mayo Clinic
Period: 2013
240 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: medical-trauma