Crime Novelist, Caregiver Put God, Mother Teresa, and Humor Into New Cancer Book
A new book for newly diagnosed cancer patients and their supporters tells one tale from two perspectives using vulnerability, insight, and bittersweet humor. The co-authors combine a message of hope, faith, and practical tips in this inspirational approach to the cancer journey.
Fort Worth, TX, June 10, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Cancer survivor, healthcare provider, and budding crime novelist Howard F. Clarke, at the request of his wife, diverted from a planned Christian thriller and instead developed a book aimed at the newly diagnosed cancer patient. But, in return, he insisted his wife—Howard’s caregiver during his recent fight with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma—include her journal writings to offer the reader differing viewpoints of the same experience.
“With cancer directly affecting one-in-three of us,” Howard said, “there are a lot of concerns, fears, and misunderstandings about what the fight against cancer entails…especially the whole chemotherapy thing. I read the touching memoirs, recently, of others who succumbed to cancer, one a journalist and the other a professor and, while their stories were meaningful and left a legacy to their families, they were legacies devoid of an after-life certainty or a here-and-now faith in God. It reflects a sad drifting away from faith common to our society. Leaving God out of a cancer struggle…well, that’s a tough road to travel. I recommend a different approach.”
But, as he points out in the new book, “When Cancer Comes Your Way: A Couple's Guide To Finding Hope & Keeping The Faith,” even Mother Teresa struggled with her faith. “In the book, I talk about these things and how even Mother Theresa felt she was alone, but nevertheless, she pressed on.” He goes on, in the book, to describe what has been described as the “dark night of the soul,” and ties this to how the cancer patient may feel when things get tough.
Beverley Clarke, the book’s co-author, describes her role as caregiver and offers both inspirational and very practical guides to cancer coping. Each chapter has a type of “helpful” tips section and there are appendices referring the patient to useful resources, but the mainstay of the book is a journey through cancer told simultaneously from the patient viewpoint and from the journal of the caregiver in frank and touching terms.
“My detective novel (to be released later this year) took a back seat to this project—and for good reason. Cancer is the modern plague, affecting just about everyone I talk to, and perhaps this book will help folks out there. My novel can wait. Cancer doesn’t wait for anyone.”
For more information and to order the just-released book, “When Cancer Comes Your Way,” go to the author’s publishing page, https://www.createspace.com/3362214, his personal web site: http://www.howardfclarke.com, or check with Amazon.com in the next few weeks for the official release.
About Howard F. Clarke
Howard F. Clarke, cancer survivor, is a retired military officer, versatile author, and medical provider (Physician Assistant and Assistant Professor with the Family Medicine Department of a large medical university in Texas.) He is working on a novel about a detective recently back from military duty in the Iraq war. Beverley Clarke, his wife, has her first publication with “When Cancer Comes Your Way.”
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“With cancer directly affecting one-in-three of us,” Howard said, “there are a lot of concerns, fears, and misunderstandings about what the fight against cancer entails…especially the whole chemotherapy thing. I read the touching memoirs, recently, of others who succumbed to cancer, one a journalist and the other a professor and, while their stories were meaningful and left a legacy to their families, they were legacies devoid of an after-life certainty or a here-and-now faith in God. It reflects a sad drifting away from faith common to our society. Leaving God out of a cancer struggle…well, that’s a tough road to travel. I recommend a different approach.”
But, as he points out in the new book, “When Cancer Comes Your Way: A Couple's Guide To Finding Hope & Keeping The Faith,” even Mother Teresa struggled with her faith. “In the book, I talk about these things and how even Mother Theresa felt she was alone, but nevertheless, she pressed on.” He goes on, in the book, to describe what has been described as the “dark night of the soul,” and ties this to how the cancer patient may feel when things get tough.
Beverley Clarke, the book’s co-author, describes her role as caregiver and offers both inspirational and very practical guides to cancer coping. Each chapter has a type of “helpful” tips section and there are appendices referring the patient to useful resources, but the mainstay of the book is a journey through cancer told simultaneously from the patient viewpoint and from the journal of the caregiver in frank and touching terms.
“My detective novel (to be released later this year) took a back seat to this project—and for good reason. Cancer is the modern plague, affecting just about everyone I talk to, and perhaps this book will help folks out there. My novel can wait. Cancer doesn’t wait for anyone.”
For more information and to order the just-released book, “When Cancer Comes Your Way,” go to the author’s publishing page, https://www.createspace.com/3362214, his personal web site: http://www.howardfclarke.com, or check with Amazon.com in the next few weeks for the official release.
About Howard F. Clarke
Howard F. Clarke, cancer survivor, is a retired military officer, versatile author, and medical provider (Physician Assistant and Assistant Professor with the Family Medicine Department of a large medical university in Texas.) He is working on a novel about a detective recently back from military duty in the Iraq war. Beverley Clarke, his wife, has her first publication with “When Cancer Comes Your Way.”
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Contact
www.howardfclarke.com
Howard F. Clarke
817 292-5096
www.howardfclarke.com
Howard F. Clarke
817 292-5096
www.howardfclarke.com
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