No Cure for Being Human is a journey through one woman’s cancer. The ups, the downs, the misleads, the false hopes and the final outlook. This book is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a rollercoaster of highs and lows and Kate takes you right along on the journey. In tears at times, I put it down, intending never to pick it up again, only to find that I was hooked and just had to find out what happened next.
It’s not an easy read; on such a serious subject, it couldn’t be and with Kate’s in-depth descriptions on treatment and diagnosis, it makes everything even more vivid. A plethora of medical terms are spattered throughout the book, which makes it even more profound and the reader is left in no doubt that whilst the story is shared with an audience, the journey is hers and hers alone.

Kate Bowler tells her story interwoven with various truths of the human condition. Naming the fact that we are all facing this incurable condition of life, one wherein no one escapes alive. There is never enough time. And that is the simple beauty of the experience.

I read the book rapidly, at first wondering if it would end in her tragic death but gradually realising this was a story of survival.. As a nurse who has worked in a variety of areas such as Accident and Emergency, Palliative care and most recently, Intensive care, this book resonated well with me.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This book is intelligently written and deeply personal. I felt that I was partly intruding but also listening to a friend. Kate's story is instantly tragic, she is an academic with a husband and baby and a life that is full of potential. I admire that the author doesn't fall into a melting pot of self-pity, one that would be understandable! but instead, she is pragmatic and proactive.

Experiencing something so difficult through someone else's words made me think of my own mortality and that of my family. It also made me question our priorities, this fear of getting old, having a few wrinkles, carrying a few pounds, all so trivial and meaningless when we consider the alternative. It made me remember my cousin who died at 16, he never had a girlfriend, or got a job or had children, all the things he wanted to do. So, who am I to complain about anything. I still have the potential of experience, and regardless of whether life is good or difficult, I am here, I have opportunities he never will.

This book left me with understanding and empathy for her situation and appreciation for my own. I believe a good book asks its reader questions, invokes a response and challenges perceptions. Kate does all that.

What a rollercoaster of a book. Inspirational with an underlying sadness when faced with cancer. When Kate is diagnosed at 35 with incurable colon cancer she faces her life head on. Now facing a limited life in a world where we are told we can achieve anything. She understandably feels vulnerable but her humour manages to carry her through. I am so glad that I was given the chance to read this. Appreciate what you have before it is too late.

I persevered with this as long as I could as I felt I should carry on reading it but after about a third of the way into it I decided life’s too short to read a book and not enjoy it.

An interesting book, but I'm not sure that I would particularly recommend it. It didn't seem to be saying anything new, and I didn't really warm to the author.

Such an insightful read. Would highly recommend No Cure for Being Human to anyone.
Beautiful book and delightful to read.

A painfully honest account of a life altering diagnosis. Compelling in its truth. No one can understand how it feels to be in the situation but you feel that you are there by Kates side. Willing her onwards and wanting to give her a hug.

A heartfelt and unapologetically honest examination of what it means to be human. This is another book I received through NetGalley, which means I got to read it ahead of its September's publication date. I was sceptical when I saw the title, but I got really intrigued as it was endorsed by Adam Grant and Glennon Doyle. I've read quite a few self-help books although I found myself struggling with some of the overly positive undertones, and I have never been a fan of excessive positivity, so when I saw the premise of this book, I thought I'd give it go. And I'm so glad I did. It's hopeful, it’s inspiring, it's filled with wisdom, and most importantly, Kate Bowler goes real deep on what it means to live when things feel rather impossible.⁣
⁣
Within the book, Bowler tells her own story of being diagnosed with stage IV cancer when she was only 35 years old, and what she had to do and reflect on afterwards in terms of her way of living. A can-do attitude could no longer save her from her cancer, yet the world she's living in was all about "anything is possible". Still is, sadly. There are many things she writes about in her beautiful narrative that made me pause and reflect. Like the ones below.⁣
⁣
“Today will be as ordinary as yesterday, days and weeks working out the consequences of the moments that came before. We like to imagine that we are starring in an extended morality play where lessons are learned and the hero never dies. But, in fact, we must make do with the fact that there will be weddings and funerals again this year, and everyone will still spend most of their evenings watching Netflix. ⁣
⁣
This is a kind of freedom. The only question is how we should live under the burden of it.”⁣
⁣
It made reflect on just how much we can actually prepare ourselves to face circumstances like that. And what a courageous person she is.

No Cure for Being Human is an excellent read. It is a tear jerker, it is funny, it is reflective, it is challenging and it is ever so realistic. Once I started reading it, I was totally hooked. I could not put it down. While it deals with the really serious matter of a terminal illness, is funny and ever so alive. Kate’s words I’ have so much work to get done’ as she travels through her illness is an indication of her courage and determination to be well. Yet she admits that what keeps her going are her family, her friends and her community. Throughout the book we are reminded of cliches we hear and the truths we need. Pain is described as a narrow gate and there is a lens on the new economy of scarcity that skips arguments. Kate is reminded that her best work is yet to come. In her own words she says she ‘never felt more alive, more determined, never felt more determined, never knew what really matters, than when she learnt to live each day’. She was able to honour the promise to those who had gone before by living with a feeling of purpose, leaving room for growth and living her life with courage. We are often trapped between a past we can’t return to and a future that is uncertain. It takes guts to live in this place and look forward without hedging our bets too much, living in the space between anticipation and realisation. We are never done, even when we’re done. As life is unpredictable, we learn to face uncertainty with courage, toggling between the past, the present and the future. Facing the past is part of facing the future. . We learn about people who have learned from difficult time and we come to understand why it is so hard to speak frankly about suffering. A book of hope and fortitude this is a must read.

Writing a memoir of her own cancer journey, Kate Bowler describes to us in glorious detail, her struggles both physical and emotional after getting a diagnosis of Stage 4 Cancer.

It seems that so far her life has been blessed – her close relationship with her beloved father and the rest of her family, her wonderful loving husband, her sweet 3 year old son and of course her glittering career.

Then came the dreaded words, strangely from the mouth of a doctor’s assistant who gave her the news over the phone.

The journey begins and as I read I was both struck by the horror of her situation – a 35 year old young mother – and the good fortune that she has. Her family and friends are extremely supportive, her own marriage is clearly happy and loving and her child is bright and cuddly. Kate is a Christian - but even as she finds herself in this challenging situation there is never a hint that she rails against God or even questions the fairness of it all. As a UK reader I find myself slightly jarred by the godliness of the book – it’s not very British to talk about it so much. But this is a small matter and I was also fascinated enough to look up Mennanites to understand more about the community.

I read the book rapidly, at first wondering if it would end in her tragic death but gradually realising this was a story of survival. While other Kate’s on the drug trial were not so lucky, our Kate survived. Knowing this important fact while writing must have made it harder to describe the terror and the confusion of the journey. The fact is that while I enjoyed it, there was something lacking for me in this book. A terrible and frightening thing happened to an incredibly lucky person, and it all ended happily after all.

What I did like were some of the descriptions – “For months I have been vigilant about my doctors, alert for any nuances in facial expression…..The handful of times when I cried, or asked a particularly unvarnished question, I watched my clinical trial doctor retract like a salted slug”

There was also great power in her description of her dawning realisation that taking part in a clinical trial turned her from a patient, to a study participant, and her 'doctor' was a scientist.

I will continue thinking about her description of the difference between pastoral and apocalyptic time which is very relevant to the human race in this year of 2021.

So you see there was much to enjoy in this book and I am so glad there was a happy ending. If there was something lacking for me it is perhaps because I ask for a little more complexity in a book dealing with life and death. Or maybe I am just envious of those who have happy families.

Poignant, heart wrenching honest and a really powerful insight into living with cancer, the highs and lows and facing your own mortality. Brilliantly written and very accessible style with a dash of humour and lots of strength and determination. A humbling and very thought provoking read, with lots of very memorable sentiments and lines, puts a lot into perspective, definitely recommend.