WELCOME TO THE BRIGHT

Febre follows up her previous cancer memoir with an account of her life post-disease.

In her previous book, Round the Twist (2023), the author—a yogi, musician, Colorectal Cancer Alliance mentor, and writer—took readers through her battle with metastatic colon cancer. In this new volume, readers learn about Febre’s life after surviving the fight and being declared “disease free.” Febre bracingly conveys just how ambiguous the state of being “cured” from cancer (especially Stage 4) can be, and how life after cancer proves to be something more complicated than happy ever after. In particular, the author addresses the lingering health concerns of former cancer patients that people outside the experience might not always be aware of (most notably being immunocompromised), especially when preventative chemotherapy and other treatments continue to be required. Febre broadens her scope to discuss writing, publishing, and publicizing the previous memoir and goes into depth about her life pre- and post-cancer, charting the shifts in her career and her struggle to accept that her life did not follow a predictable path. Febre is courageously candid in these pages as she touches on subjects not addressed in her previous book, from the effects of her treatment on sexual functioning (“at 48, I was not ready to close up shop”) to the distressingly relevant issue of health insurance limitations, something of great concern for cancer patients. She also digs more deeply into her evolving musical career, highlighting her return to the concert stage. There is some rehashing of material from the previous book, but that is to be expected and illustrates the difference time and perspective can make. Most significantly, Febre’s book underscores the continued uncertainty of being a survivor when a relapse is always a looming possibility, paradoxically making for a happy ending that feels completely credible.

A hopeful and realistic look at the “after” of surviving cancer.