About A Series of Catastrophes and Miracles
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic; 1 edition (April 26, 2016)
A wry, witty account of what it is like to face death—and be restored to life.
After being diagnosed in her early 40s with metastatic melanoma—a “rapidly fatal” form of cancer—journalist and mother of two Mary Elizabeth Williams finds herself in a race against the clock. She takes a once-in-a-lifetime chance and joins a clinical trial for immunotherapy, a revolutionary drug regimen that trains the body to vanquish malignant cells. Astonishingly, her cancer disappears entirely in just a few weeks. But at the same time, her best friend embarks on a cancer journey of her own—with very different results. Williams’s experiences as a patient and a medical test subject reveal with stark honesty what it takes to weather disease, the extraordinary new developments that are rewriting the rules of science—and the healing power of human connection.
Purchase Links
National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
About Mary Elizabeth Williams
Mary Elizabeth Williams is a senior staff writer for award-winning Salon.com whose columns are regularly among the top viewed, commented on, shared, and cited as the best of the week. The “Lab Rat” series on her clinical trial was nominated for the 2012 Online Journalism Award for Commentary, and her essay on receiving a melanoma diagnosis is in the Harper anthology The Moment, an Entertainment Weekly “Must List” pick—alongside essays by Elizabeth Gilbert, Jennifer Egan, and Dave Eggers. She is the author of Gimme Shelter: Ugly Houses, Cruddy Neighborhoods, Fast Talking Brokers, and Toxic Mortgages: My Three Years Searching for the American Dream. A starred Booklist selection,Gimme Shelter was called “poignant and funny” (Kirkus), “a must-read” (New York Daily News), “hilariously evocative” (Time Out Kids) and “compelling” (Publisher’s Weekly). She lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
Find out more about her at her website.
Mary Elizabeth’s Tour Stops
Wednesday, April 27th: The Discerning Reader
Wednesday, April 27th: Bibliotica
Friday, April 29th: Peeking Between the Pages
Tuesday, May 3rd: Stranded in Chaos
Wednesday, May 4th: Back Porchervations
Tuesday, May 10th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Thursday, May 12th: Patient #1
Wednesday, May 18th: Booby and the Beast
Thursday, May 19th: A Bookish Affair
Tuesday, May 31st: Mel’s Shelves