Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A woman and a young girl in pink shirts hold a pink ribbon, symbolizing breast cancer awareness, against a pink background.

Breast cancer is one of the leading health crises for women in the United States. 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. There is currently no known cure for breast cancer, and its early diagnosis is critical to survival.

If you were recently diagnosed with breast cancer, or you know someone who was, books can be a great way to cope and learn more about breast cancer. Here are ten great reads, as recommended by doctors and people living with breast cancer.

Cartoon of a smiling man with a large mustache, short dark hair, wearing a teal jacket and a white turtleneck.
Jon
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Cover of the book "The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying" by Nina Riggs, featuring watercolor spots.

The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs

Discussing motherhood, marriage, friendship, and the legacy of her great-great-great grandfather, Ralph Waldo Emerson, the author, who has been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, explores what makes a meaningful life when one has limited time.

Cover of Audre Lorde's book "The Cancer Journals" featuring a portrait of her in a purple robe with a vibrant background.

The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde

First published over forty years ago, The Cancer Journals is a startling, powerful account of Audre Lorde’s experience with breast cancer and mastectomy. Long before narratives explored the silences around illness and women’s pain, Lorde questioned the rules of conformity for women’s body images and supported the need to confront physical loss not hidden by prosthesis. Living as a “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,” Lorde heals and re-envisions herself on her own terms and offers her voice, grief, resistance, and courage to those dealing with their own diagnosis.

Cover of the book "Kimiko Does Cancer: A Graphic Memoir" showing a person on a bicycle against an orange background.

Kimiko Does Cancer by Kimiko Tobimatsu

At the age of twenty-five, Kimiko Tobimatsu was a young, queer, mixed-race woman with no history of health problems whose world was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In an instant, she became immersed in a new and complicated life of endless appointments, evaluations, and treatments, and difficult conversations with her partner and parents. Kimiko knew that this wasn’t what being twenty-five was supposed to be like… but then, she didn’t have a choice.

Cover of the book "Promise Me" by Nancy G. Brinker, featuring a photo of two smiling girls and a pink background.

Promise Me by Nancy G. Brinker

The founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure shares the inspirational story of her late sister’s battle with breast cancer and the author’s contributions to establishing one of the world’s most influential health advocacy organizations.

Cover of "Twisting Fate" by Pamela N. Munster, featuring a pink ribbon and subtitle: "My Journey with BRCA—from Breast Cancer Doctor to Patient and Back.

Twisting Fate by Pamela N. Munster

A forefront oncologist shares the story of her own battle with breast cancer and how it transformed her perspectives as a doctor, describing her research team’s groundbreaking work on the BRCA gene and how to live with its mutations.

Cover of "Better" by Amy Robach, with her smiling photo and text about her cancer journey and finding joy.

Better by Amy Robach

A Good Morning America anchor retraces the 12 months following her breast cancer diagnosis in October 2013, revealing details about her on-air mammogram on GMA, her treatment and its impact on her work and family life and her emotional journey from initial shock and devastation to resilience, bravery and hope.

Cover of "The Middle Place" by Kelly Corrigan: a girl in a yellow dress jumps joyfully against a bright blue sky.

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

Traces a San Francisco newspaper columnist’s life experiences as evaluated during her late thirties, describing her relationships with her husband, children, and Irish-American father before and during her battle with breast cancer.

The cover of "The Undying" by Anne Boyer features a snake coiled around a syringe, with a Pulitzer Prize badge.

The Undying by Anne Boyer

The award-winning author of Garments Against Women presents a meditation on pain and economics that draws on her experiences as a single parent with a catastrophic illness to explore emerging ideas about mortality and the gendered politics of healthcare.

Book cover with the text: "Radical: The Science, Culture, and History of Breast Cancer in America" by Kate Pickert.

Radical by Kate Pickert

A journalism professor, former Time health-care writer and breast cancer survivor identifies the differences between popular conceptions and patient realities, sharing insight into breast cancer’s high occurrence rates and role in shaping America’s medical culture.

In-Between Days book cover shows an illustration of a woman swimming underwater with blue stripes and award badges.

In-Between Days by Teva Harrison

Documents the author’s diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer at the age of thirty-seven, discussing her balance of the innate sadness of cancer with everyday acts of hope and wonder.

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