Title: Twice in a Lifetime and Then Some: A Zest for Life
Author: Vee Q
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1-5320-7763-0
Pages: 186
Genre: Non-Fiction
Reviewed by: Christa Hill

Read Book Review

Twice in a Lifetime and Then Some: A Zest for Life is a heart-wrenching story of a twotime cancer survivor and her relationship with her family and friends. The adventures of this tale encourage us all to have an appetite for life and to never give up. Reading this book of the trials and tribulations of the author I was transported to another place in another time.

The story begins in 1998 when New York City was an entirely different city from the one that we have now. Author Vee Q outlines the rigors of a life with cancer and some of the daily ins and outs of living with the disease. Her zest for life throughout is contagious even as she battles unimaginable hardships. It is always an interesting perspective to examine what to me is history through the eyes of someone who lived it. In this case the struggles of war and family during the 1960’s drew me in and connected me to the experiences of our narrator.

During the post-cancer chapters, we, the readers, are exposed to beautiful images (literal pictures) of Europe, sights that our narrator visited. For the travel enthusiast the travels highlighted in this book are rich, refreshing, and vivid. While the earliest part of the book looks at the stresses of dealing with war, cancer, and relocating the midsection of the book is much happier. The post cancer section adequately looks at the fun of travel and what daily life is like for the survivor.

The book has a good balance of light and shade creating a believable story which pulls you along no matter your mood. The story embodies its title and admonishes one to find their zest for life no matter their life circumstances. The constant presence of family and friends is heart-warming and builds 3-dimensional persons. Our narrator tells her story with a healthy helping of realism that is very relatable. I especially enjoyed her descriptions of life in NYC versus North California. After struggling with cancer, the narrator finds herself suffering with severe arthritis and through all of this she manages to maintain a desire to live and participate in society that drives you to root for her.

With a sense of humanity that is rare for books, Vee Q maintains the audience’s attention and inspires us to live each day to the fullest. In many instances the story had an almost travel guide quality to it that was reminiscent of the millennial lifestyle that is very popular these days. The enthusiasm and sheer number of places visited make this book worth looking at, even if not for the strength represented by surviving cancer (multiple times). What a well written story of courage and determination which inspires and uplifts—Vee’s generous spirit shines through. This book should be required reading for every person and their loved one who hears the dreaded words, “you have cancer.”