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Rating: 
Summary: February Light
Review: As a book about nature and going through a life threatening disease, this is a lovely portrayal. If one is looking for indepth personal perspective and insight into (ovarian) cancer and accompanying surgerys and treatments, it is rather weak. I wasn't moved, at a time when I am easily moved.
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Summary: A beautiful story of a women's love of life and nature.
Review: February Light is the most beautiful book I've read in years. This memoir of Heather Trexler Remoff's year of contending with cancer is not a depressing book about illness or dying. It is a book about living richly in connection with community and the natural world. Remoff's philosophy of life goes well beyond the "glass half full" approach. She sees and describes the poetry and beauty of that fullness in a way that makes the empty half of the glass truly insignificant. Remoff's voice rings true and clear throughout this jewel of a book. You will laugh and cry and know that you are getting the real thing.
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Summary: The Choice of Life
Review: I read this wonderfully written and deeply felt book a few years ago, after my mother succumbed to biliary cancer and long before I triumphed over my own cancer (prostate). During my year of cancer and recovery, I often thought of Remoff's book -- a gem that created a resonance I still feel today -- of her resilience and love of life. Familiar with the setting, Eagle's Mere (a quaint, old Victorian village set atop a picturesque mountain, frequented by folks of means throughout much of the 20th century), I'd say she had ample opportunity to commune with the seasons. But the beauty of her love letter lies in its human light. We see an engaging, luminous spirit that will not yield to the dark, nefarious work of cancer, a woman deeply connected to family, friends and community. Her dog Chuckles, her running, her ruminations, her alternative healthcare approaches, her strong yet sensitive husband -- all give her reason to live. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone whose life has been affected by cancer. This book is life, fully lived, soulfully rendered, teeming with laughter and foolishness amid the fear and pain of facing one's inescapable mortality.
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Summary: The Choice of Life
Review: I read this wonderfully written and deeply felt book a few years ago, after my mother succumbed to biliary cancer and long before I triumphed over my own cancer (prostate). During my year of cancer and recovery, I often thought of Remoff's book -- a gem that created a resonance I still feel today -- of her resilience and love of life. Familiar with the setting, Eagle's Mere (a quaint, old Victorian village set atop a picturesque mountain, frequented by folks of means throughout much of the 20th century), I'd say she had ample opportunity to commune with the seasons. But the beauty of her love letter lies in its human light. We see an engaging, luminous spirit that will not yield to the dark, nefarious work of cancer, a woman deeply connected to family, friends and community. Her dog Chuckles, her running, her ruminations, her alternative healthcare approaches, her strong yet sensitive husband -- all give her reason to live. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone whose life has been affected by cancer. This book is life, fully lived, soulfully rendered, teeming with laughter and foolishness amid the fear and pain of facing one's inescapable mortality.
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Summary: Inspirational yet could probe more deeply about cancer.
Review: In this brief book, Heather Remoff shows herself to be a funny, gutsy, caring and sensitive woman. She also turns out to be one tough cookie. This memoir of her new life in a remote Pennsylvania village, and of the cancer that nearly ended that life, is well worth reading just for the skill of her writing. But even more, it is a fascinating self-portrait of a whole person, fully engaged in the serious and crazily unpredictable business of life.
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Summary: A gift which will touch your heart
Review: My wife and I have bought at least 2 dozen copies to give to children and friends. Heather Remoff describes her determined and courageous journey through the "valley of the shadow of death." Only someone with her spiritual connections and poetic insights could take us inside and share the love, perceptions and affirmation of life that she found on her journey. You will laugh and you will cry, and it all is true. A "must read."
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Summary: The work is inspiring.
Review: Remoff makes her land and special characters that live there come alive. Her bout with cancer is not depressing;she draws much from the enviornment to enjoy life and passes that verve on to me. Her attention to detail reminds me of another writer, Ann Dillard. I enjoyed the book so much that I gave it to another reader that likes places like Osprey Lake.
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