The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club

I thought this book might be emotional from the title, I was not wrong. Keira is a woman happily going about her life with her family and a job she loves when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. I found the whole book heartwarming an she’s a few tears along the way. As Keira is waiting for tests she meets Tamsin running in the park, later meeting her again in the oncology department. Keira joins Tamsin running which quickly became a small group of other breast cancer patients. The strength and courage of these women was a strong theme in the book. Keira is struggling with treatment while trying to keep her business going. The author does not shy away from describing the treatment and the effects it has both physically and emotionally on Keira and her family. I couldn’t put the book down and would recommend it, although expect to be reading through tears.

Three and a half stars. Keira pretty much has it all: a happy marriage to Tom, a solicitor; three children; joint owner of a family store selling high end gifts; and owner of a beloved, if flatulent, family dog. Then a cancer diagnosis changes everything, suddenly things at work are looking rocky and Keira's partner Lorna and her husband Pierre seem to be undermining Keira, added to which Keira's favourite employee Moira has taken a month's leave of absence without warning. Tom's work is stressful, he's trying for promotion, and his new assistant is a glamorous young woman with whom he has giggly late night calls and works late into the evenings and weekends. Added to which Tom's parents are becoming increasingly infirm. Feel Keira's frustration when fellow mums at the school gate arrange a rota to bring the family meals, at a time when Keira feels perfectly capable of making her own meals, other children refuse to touch her because they think cancer is catching, and her own business partner seems to think a cancer diagnosis means Keira is incapable of making decisions or even lifting boxes. The one shining light in this dark time is a woman Keira randomly meets while sitting outside the oncology clinic waiting for her diagnosis. At first Keira is judgemental about Tamsin with her heavy make-up and tattoos but when she treats cancer as no big deal and offers to run with Keira once a week the Cancer Ladies Running Club is born. Soon there are four women, all in different stages of cancer treatment, meeting once a week in the only place where everyone knows what you are going through. However, all that maybe makes this sound a bit worthy, a bit heavy going, and it really isn't. This is just as much women's fiction (I think what I am trying to say is that you could remove Keira's cancer diagnosis from the book and it would still work as a novel), the everyday ins-and-outs of marriage with children and competing careers and elderly parents. I have to say I thought the plot line with Keira's business partner rang a false note, it was too cartoon villainish. Also, as a forensic accountant I can assure you that we don't do covert copying of computers, we use digital forensic specialists for that, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales does not provide that sort of training. But that is a minor niggle. Overall, this is a book about the power of friendship, how a random act of kindness can have huge consequences and that life doesn't miraculously become perfect just because you have cancer, kids still argue, parents are still difficult, dogs still need walking and the house still needs cleaning. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

No one ever wants to go to the doctors and hear the word "cancer". That's exactly what happens to Kiera. We follow her incredibly emotional story. She meets other cancer patients and they start their own running group "the cancer ladies' running club" . They all form such a beautiful friendship and support group for each other. I was so unbelievably touched by this book. I loved how it was written, it made it feel so much more personal. I sobbed so many times while reading this. Keira is an unbelievably strong character. It's hard to to love her. As for the running group. Tamsin....oh wow! She is just incredible, I really adore her. Such strength and I love the encouragement she gives the group, it's beautiful. Another one I recommend as a must read. This story will stick with me for a long time. But I do warn you to have tissues near by. Trust me you will need them