The Healing Train by Kim Cano
Women's Literary Fiction, 320 pages
Published January 17, 2024 by Kim Cano
A devastating diagnosis. A family with a broken past. Embark on an uplifting journey of love, hope, and the ultimate second chance.
When health-conscious Sarah gets diagnosed with breast cancer, her world spins out of control. She's supposed to grow old with her husband and see her daughter graduate college. Her future is all planned out. Getting sick wasn't part of her plan.
Friends and family rally around Sarah as she battles the disease. Her best friend offers inspirational advice while her mother takes her to treatment, her daughter makes green juice, and her older brother provides emotional support and makes her laugh with his ever-present potty mouth.
Then Sarah's estranged father returns. She gave up on him long ago and doesn't want to reconnect, but he won't go away, so she's stuck dealing with him at the worst possible time. His presence forces her to face a past she'd rather forget as she uses all her strength to fight for her life.
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)
First lines—"Sarah's mother reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. 'You okay?' Beverly asked."
When I was asked if I wanted to read The Healing Train, I hesitated for just a second. Did I really want to read someone's story of dealing with their own cancer when I have had so many of my own family and close friends affected and taken by the disease? But then I thought, maybe having an insiders perspective would help me better understand what my loved ones had gone through.
Sarah is devastated when she gets her diagnosis. She had done everything right, how could this be happening to her? This is a story of the hardships of that initial diagnosis, then the harsh treatment, and then the rejoicing of seeing it through to the end, coming out better for what she and her whole family had gone through. And yes, there is also plenty of family drama. I felt the struggles that Sarah felt and experienced her joy and relief when she kicked her cancer to the curb. And yes, there may have been a few tears shed in her honor.
As I said, I have watched so many people deal with their various cancers and reading The Healing Train helped my better understand what each and every one of them went through. My hope is that I will be more compassionate toward friends and family if they are faced with a cancer diagnosis in the future.
Based on the author's real battle with breast cancer, this is a beautiful story about the strength of one women who has an army of people around her, helping her get through it all. I wish all the best for Kim as she continues her life as a breast cancer survivor!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, even though it covers a very tough topic, and highly recommend it to everyone who is, has, or will be touched by cancer. That includes just about everyone, right? The Healing Train had some hard parts but it's told in such a beautiful, uplifting way that it was very heartwarming and satisfying to read.
I received a copy of The Healing Train from the author and this is my honest opinion.
**************************
About the author
Kim Cano is the author of six women's fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On the Inside, Eighty and Out, His Secret Life, When the Time Is Right, and The Healing Train. Kim has also written a short story collection called For Animal Lovers. 10% of the sale price of that book is donated to the ASPCA® to help homeless pets.
Kim's novelette, The Rescue, is available for free on her website.
*********************
Kim has graciously offered a paperback copy of The Healing Train for one of you to win!
Thank you so much, Kim!!
Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!
