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Emerging: Stories from the Other Side of a Cancer Diagnosis, Loss, and a Pandemic
Refusing to jump onto the “everything happens for a reason" bandwagon, Nancy Stordahl tackles tough topics like cancer, loss, and the COVID-19 pandemic with unflinching honesty while dismantling the back-to-normal myth. As readers of "Nancy's Point" and her memoir, Cancer Was Not a Gift & It Didn't Make Me a Better Person, have come to expect, Stordahl crafts a poignant, personal narrative while weaving in validation, comfort, and encouragement for readers who are coping with their own challenges, whatever those might be.
Never one to sugarcoat the breast cancer experience, Stordahl examines words such as mastectomy and lumpectomy, calling them out as inadequate and minimizing. She shares candidly about reconstruction decisions and why she opted for DIEP flap surgery at ten years post diagnosis, highlighting the on-going experience that breast cancer is. She addresses judgment that still goes on regarding choices women make and sheds light on why survivor guilt is so common in Cancer Land, as well as on how to manage it.
Stordahl asks hard questions many grapple with such Why do we avoid talking about death and grief, and why do we hesitate to even use the "D" words? What does it feel like to become parentless? Why does saying goodbye to our beloved pets hurt so much? And, why are we so often expected to just move on from hard things?
Emerging also touches on the universal themes of aging, making tough decisions, resiliency, and self-acceptance. Advice offered is realistic, straight-forward, and helpful. Stordahl reminds us we needn't pressure ourselves to emerge from any life challenge as new and improved versions of our former selves. Instead, she shines light on a kinder, gentler path to recovery and self-acceptance.
Emerging is a refreshing, encouraging read for anyone who has struggled, or is struggling, with one of life's challenges - a book you'll want to keep handy to read again and again.
Never one to sugarcoat the breast cancer experience, Stordahl examines words such as mastectomy and lumpectomy, calling them out as inadequate and minimizing. She shares candidly about reconstruction decisions and why she opted for DIEP flap surgery at ten years post diagnosis, highlighting the on-going experience that breast cancer is. She addresses judgment that still goes on regarding choices women make and sheds light on why survivor guilt is so common in Cancer Land, as well as on how to manage it.
Stordahl asks hard questions many grapple with such Why do we avoid talking about death and grief, and why do we hesitate to even use the "D" words? What does it feel like to become parentless? Why does saying goodbye to our beloved pets hurt so much? And, why are we so often expected to just move on from hard things?
Emerging also touches on the universal themes of aging, making tough decisions, resiliency, and self-acceptance. Advice offered is realistic, straight-forward, and helpful. Stordahl reminds us we needn't pressure ourselves to emerge from any life challenge as new and improved versions of our former selves. Instead, she shines light on a kinder, gentler path to recovery and self-acceptance.
Emerging is a refreshing, encouraging read for anyone who has struggled, or is struggling, with one of life's challenges - a book you'll want to keep handy to read again and again.
122 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 6, 2023
tackling three hard subjects in one book is no easy task!
Nancy takes three really hard subjects and in her easy to read common sense manner, weaves them together. Reading this (and her other books) is like sitting down with a dear friend over a cup of coffee to shoot the breeze. Nancy’s books and her blog are definitely must reads!
Nancy takes three really hard subjects and in her easy to read common sense manner, weaves them together. Reading this (and her other books) is like sitting down with a dear friend over a cup of coffee to shoot the breeze. Nancy’s books and her blog are definitely must reads!
April 6, 2023
Only someone diagnosed with cancer can truly understand
I read this book in one sitting, feeling that someone finally understands what I have been going through. When a cancer treatment finishes with a proclamation of No Cancer Evident, this does not mean you are ”over” cancer. Nancy understands and articulates this beautifully in this book. A must-read!
I read this book in one sitting, feeling that someone finally understands what I have been going through. When a cancer treatment finishes with a proclamation of No Cancer Evident, this does not mean you are ”over” cancer. Nancy understands and articulates this beautifully in this book. A must-read!
March 10, 2026
Emerging: Stories from the Other Side of a Cancer Diagnosis, Loss, and a Pandemic by Nancy Stordahl is a deeply honest and compassionate reflection on navigating some of life’s most difficult experiences. Through a series of personal essays, Stordahl examines cancer, grief, aging, and the lingering emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with remarkable clarity and authenticity.
What makes this book especially powerful is the author’s refusal to rely on clichés or overly simplified narratives about illness and recovery. Instead of promoting the idea that hardship must always produce a stronger or “better” version of ourselves, Stordahl offers a gentler and more realistic perspective one that acknowledges pain, uncertainty, and the complexity of healing. Her candid discussions about breast cancer decisions, survivor guilt, and the ongoing nature of recovery provide both validation and comfort for readers facing similar challenges.
Thoughtful, reflective, and quietly encouraging, Emerging reminds readers that resilience does not always mean returning to who we once were. Sometimes it means learning to move forward with compassion for ourselves and acceptance of life’s inevitable changes. It’s a meaningful and reassuring read for anyone navigating loss, illness, or major life transitions.
What makes this book especially powerful is the author’s refusal to rely on clichés or overly simplified narratives about illness and recovery. Instead of promoting the idea that hardship must always produce a stronger or “better” version of ourselves, Stordahl offers a gentler and more realistic perspective one that acknowledges pain, uncertainty, and the complexity of healing. Her candid discussions about breast cancer decisions, survivor guilt, and the ongoing nature of recovery provide both validation and comfort for readers facing similar challenges.
Thoughtful, reflective, and quietly encouraging, Emerging reminds readers that resilience does not always mean returning to who we once were. Sometimes it means learning to move forward with compassion for ourselves and acceptance of life’s inevitable changes. It’s a meaningful and reassuring read for anyone navigating loss, illness, or major life transitions.
January 10, 2024
Impactful
It’s a short read, but impactful. Very honest view on dealing with cancer and loss. As a lymphoma survivor, there’s aspects I can connect with, but I also understand that each of us deal with cancer differently.
It’s a short read, but impactful. Very honest view on dealing with cancer and loss. As a lymphoma survivor, there’s aspects I can connect with, but I also understand that each of us deal with cancer differently.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews