First published 2016
Marilu Henner had moved past her divorce when Michael Brown, a college friend she hadn't seen in twenty years, called unexpectedly in 2003. Their reunion sparked an immediate connection. Within days they were planning a future together. Michael quickly became part of Marilu's family. Then cancer struck. Michael received diagnoses for both bladder and lung cancer within months of their rekindled romance. Marilu refused to accept losing him. She drew on her health expertise from previous bestselling books to chart an alternative course. Together they rejected most conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. Instead, they worked with sympathetic doctors to blend Eastern and Western approaches. Michael confronted the mental anguish of feeling responsible for his condition while battling physical hardships. The book alternates between their perspectives. Marilu chronicles their whirlwind romance against the backdrop of daily survival battles. Michael shares his search for cancer's root causes and his journey through treatment. Their story becomes one of empowerment rather than victimhood, showing how love and determination can overcome a devastating diagnosis.
Genres: medical, biography-memoir, health, 21st-century, love-story
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
256 pages · Hardcover · Gallery Books
Content warnings: terminal-illness