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Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, A Chorus of Hope
Strong at the Broken Places is the remarkable story of five ordinary people trapped in the complex world of serious chronic illness. In this intimate portrait, acclaimed journalist Richard M. Cohen probes lives of sickness as these individuals struggle to cope. In 2003 Cohen published Blindsided , a bestselling memoir of illness. The outpouring of support revealed to him that not only does the public want to hear from people who overcome the challenges of illness, but that in the isolated world of illness, there are people who want their voices to be heard. Strong at the Broken Places was born of the desire of many to share their stories in the hope that the sick and those who love them will see that they are not alone. Cohen spent three years chronicling the lives of five diverse "citizens of sickness": Denise, who suffers from ALS; Buzz, whose Christian faith helps him deal with his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; Sarah, a determined young woman with Crohn's disease; Ben, a college student with muscular dystrophy; Larry, whose bipolar disorder is hidden within. The five are different in age and gender, race and economic status, but they are determined to live life on their own terms. Intimately involved with these patients' lives, Cohen formed intense relationships with each, talked to their families and friends, and shared joy, even in heart-breaking setbacks. Though each individual's illness wreaks havoc in a different way, Cohen shows how their experiences are strikingly similar and offer lessons for us all—on self-determination, on courage in the face of adversity and public ignorance, on keeping hope alive, and on finding strength and peace under the most difficult of circumstances. We are strong at the broken places, stronger than we think. In sharing these inspirational and revealing stories, Richard M. Cohen and his fellow warriors against illness offer a chorus of hope.
332 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
109 people are currently reading
526 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 23, 2015
This should be on the list of 1000 Essential Books to Read. Its a humanizing book - I don't know how else to describe it. We like to read about explorers, athletes, people who climb Mt. Everest, people who escape from disaster/war/oppression - we like to see what keeps these people going when they are strained to the limit - but we see someone in a wheelchair and we look away. We are uncomfortable. These are the warriors among us, and we don't give them the time of day. I loved this book, especially the last chapter. How do people live with debilitating illness? How do they keep going when they are losing more every day? We are a culture that worships independence and health. What happens to the people who have neither luxury? What these people have to say about their struggle matters more to our society than can be measured. I highly recommend.
February 9, 2018
Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope is an intimate look at living with chronic illness. Author Richard M. Cohen, who himself has multiple sclerosis, works with five participants who have various chronic illnesses to capture their stories and help others understand the overwhelming toll that chronic illness can take. The participants are Denise, who has has ALS (often known as Lou Gherig’s disease), Buzz, who has has non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Ben, who has muscular dystrophy, Sarah, who has has Crohn’s disease, and Larry, who has bipolar disorder. The author engages with those featured in the book over a span of not just months but years, getting to know them on a far deeper level than simply the words they chose to use.
This is not a sanitized, at-face-value look at chronic illness. Rather, it probes the depths of it, encompassing the myriad ways in which chronic illness affects the lives of those it touches both directly and indirectly. The author skillfully ties the stories to one another, illustrating the many commonalities among the experiences of disparate chronic illnesses. The book gives voice to those who society tends to silence: “Too often the sick are seen and not heard. Listen. Their songs are soft but steady. Hear the sound of steel, the quiet toughness at the core.”
There were a few things that surprised me and at times somewhat disturbed me about Cohen’s approach. He openly brings in his own opinions and expectations of how the participants should behave, including questioning Buzz’s decision to accept his oncologist’s recommendations rather than seeking additional information or other opinions. Initially this struck me as inappropriate, but as the book progresses, as a reader I become more comfortable with it, as the purpose seemed to be a deeper exploration of the participant’s ideas and behaviours.
The author’s interviews with people who knew the ill participant initially felt awkward to me as a reader, seeming almost a betrayal. In particular, his attempt to interview Buzz’s 9-year-old son accomplished little besides making the child uncomfortable. However, in checking my own reaction I recognize that at least to some degree I’m projecting because of of my own illness.
A mildly irritating quirk was that the dialogue didn’t contain the contractions that would typically be used in casual speech. This made the dialogue feel a bit stilted at times, which is unfortunate, as it seems unlikely that this accurately reflected the quality of speech.
Cohen describes the “daily brushes with public ignorance and indifference and the stigma of being sick in a society that worships health, brand and define us.” The weight and pain of the burden this imposed were difficult for the participants to carry. Larry likened chronic illness to a battle with two fronts: the disease itself and public ignorance. Denise’s slurred speech led people to ignorantly jump to conclusions, such as assuming she’d had a stroke or was drunk. Sarah was quickly identified as abnormal because of the side effects of long term steroids, which significantly reshaped her face and body, and this took a heavy toll on her self-image.
I had to smile when Cohen identified “How are you?” as the most insincere question that people ask. I share the experience that “people really do not want to know and inquire under the assumption that no one will be rude enough to actually answer the question honestly.” Another point that strongly resonated with me was Larry’s experience that others tended to place him into a diagnostic box, attributing much of his behaviour to his illness. “When does the diagnosis stop and the human being regain a sense of control of a life?” he asks.
Social support varied amongst the participants, and maintaining relationships could be challenging. Denise was divorced and had limited family support. She pointed out that she was alone before she was diagnosed, and there was no reason for that to change after her diagnosis. She observed that a benefit of this was not having to experience guilt over being a burden on a spouse. The author repeatedly challenged Denise on her choice to be alone, which initially struck me as imposing his own preconceptions. His attempts to intercede in Denise’s family situations seemed like inappropriate interference, even meddling, or a misguided attempt to apply his own agenda. Yet again, I must check myself, since like Denise I have chosen to isolate myself because of my illness.
Roles and identities are a recurring theme across the participants’ stories. Buzz, unable to work, fell deeply into debt and feared ending up homeless, which compromised important role identities he held as a husband and father. Ben’s parents, especially his father, struggled with the idea that their son would die before they did. Sarah’s illness “constantly makes me second-guess myself and question who I am”.
Buzz drew heavily on his faith in God to maintain a positive outlook. The stoicism that resulted was challenging for those around him to face. Larry identified himself as a very spiritual person, and found it frustrating when doctors dismissed his spiritual experiences as psychotic, attempting to “force patients into non-psychotic behaviour with such zealotry that they dismiss too many possibly positive and healthy dimensions of the patient’s mind, body, and soul.”
Hope was a theme that arose often. Larry struggled with doctors who would try to take away hope, saying he would never get his life back. He felt they had no right to do this, and he saw hope as being as necessary for the soul as oxygen for the body. The book concludes on a very hopeful note, with all of the participants presenting their stories to Harvard Medical School faculty and students. Meeting one another and speaking together was a way to come together as a community and connect in finding hope, voice, and inspiration. Through the advocacy work they engaged in, they were able to take ownership, find a sense of purpose, and establish identity. As Larry observed, “We are connected, and were strong at the broken places.”
This book is a fascinating journey into the depths of chronic illness, and while there are some elements I wish were done differently, the message of being strong together at the broken places is certainly a powerful one.
First published on the blog Mental Health @ Home
https://mentalhealthathome.wordpress....
This is not a sanitized, at-face-value look at chronic illness. Rather, it probes the depths of it, encompassing the myriad ways in which chronic illness affects the lives of those it touches both directly and indirectly. The author skillfully ties the stories to one another, illustrating the many commonalities among the experiences of disparate chronic illnesses. The book gives voice to those who society tends to silence: “Too often the sick are seen and not heard. Listen. Their songs are soft but steady. Hear the sound of steel, the quiet toughness at the core.”
There were a few things that surprised me and at times somewhat disturbed me about Cohen’s approach. He openly brings in his own opinions and expectations of how the participants should behave, including questioning Buzz’s decision to accept his oncologist’s recommendations rather than seeking additional information or other opinions. Initially this struck me as inappropriate, but as the book progresses, as a reader I become more comfortable with it, as the purpose seemed to be a deeper exploration of the participant’s ideas and behaviours.
The author’s interviews with people who knew the ill participant initially felt awkward to me as a reader, seeming almost a betrayal. In particular, his attempt to interview Buzz’s 9-year-old son accomplished little besides making the child uncomfortable. However, in checking my own reaction I recognize that at least to some degree I’m projecting because of of my own illness.
A mildly irritating quirk was that the dialogue didn’t contain the contractions that would typically be used in casual speech. This made the dialogue feel a bit stilted at times, which is unfortunate, as it seems unlikely that this accurately reflected the quality of speech.
Cohen describes the “daily brushes with public ignorance and indifference and the stigma of being sick in a society that worships health, brand and define us.” The weight and pain of the burden this imposed were difficult for the participants to carry. Larry likened chronic illness to a battle with two fronts: the disease itself and public ignorance. Denise’s slurred speech led people to ignorantly jump to conclusions, such as assuming she’d had a stroke or was drunk. Sarah was quickly identified as abnormal because of the side effects of long term steroids, which significantly reshaped her face and body, and this took a heavy toll on her self-image.
I had to smile when Cohen identified “How are you?” as the most insincere question that people ask. I share the experience that “people really do not want to know and inquire under the assumption that no one will be rude enough to actually answer the question honestly.” Another point that strongly resonated with me was Larry’s experience that others tended to place him into a diagnostic box, attributing much of his behaviour to his illness. “When does the diagnosis stop and the human being regain a sense of control of a life?” he asks.
Social support varied amongst the participants, and maintaining relationships could be challenging. Denise was divorced and had limited family support. She pointed out that she was alone before she was diagnosed, and there was no reason for that to change after her diagnosis. She observed that a benefit of this was not having to experience guilt over being a burden on a spouse. The author repeatedly challenged Denise on her choice to be alone, which initially struck me as imposing his own preconceptions. His attempts to intercede in Denise’s family situations seemed like inappropriate interference, even meddling, or a misguided attempt to apply his own agenda. Yet again, I must check myself, since like Denise I have chosen to isolate myself because of my illness.
Roles and identities are a recurring theme across the participants’ stories. Buzz, unable to work, fell deeply into debt and feared ending up homeless, which compromised important role identities he held as a husband and father. Ben’s parents, especially his father, struggled with the idea that their son would die before they did. Sarah’s illness “constantly makes me second-guess myself and question who I am”.
Buzz drew heavily on his faith in God to maintain a positive outlook. The stoicism that resulted was challenging for those around him to face. Larry identified himself as a very spiritual person, and found it frustrating when doctors dismissed his spiritual experiences as psychotic, attempting to “force patients into non-psychotic behaviour with such zealotry that they dismiss too many possibly positive and healthy dimensions of the patient’s mind, body, and soul.”
Hope was a theme that arose often. Larry struggled with doctors who would try to take away hope, saying he would never get his life back. He felt they had no right to do this, and he saw hope as being as necessary for the soul as oxygen for the body. The book concludes on a very hopeful note, with all of the participants presenting their stories to Harvard Medical School faculty and students. Meeting one another and speaking together was a way to come together as a community and connect in finding hope, voice, and inspiration. Through the advocacy work they engaged in, they were able to take ownership, find a sense of purpose, and establish identity. As Larry observed, “We are connected, and were strong at the broken places.”
This book is a fascinating journey into the depths of chronic illness, and while there are some elements I wish were done differently, the message of being strong together at the broken places is certainly a powerful one.
First published on the blog Mental Health @ Home
https://mentalhealthathome.wordpress....
May 2, 2021
Let's make this required reading for everyone, especially people entering medical, healing, and social work professions. The author, who has multiple sclerosis, interviews five other people struggling with illness extensively and at great depth. He also interviews their families. It felt to me like a tremendous privilege to enter into the intimate thoughts and feelings of all of them as they deal with sickness and the stigmas and alienation that come from the lack of understanding of the healthy. It seemed to me that the author's understanding of the interviewees was sometimes imperfect, yet this, too, illuminated the ways societal conditioning comes between us and those who are "different."
February 9, 2017
Stop for a moment, and consider the likely fact that you know someone living with chronic disease. It is increasingly prevalent. And they may or may not have told you, because such diseases are often stigmatised.
Richard M. Cohen collates five searing accounts of chronic disease. As a person with Multiple Sclerosis, he explores the lives of others living with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), muscular dystrophy, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Crohn's disease and bipolar disorder.
This is a disturbing and depressing must read that I recommend for all adults. Too often we choose not to see the daily pain and extraordinary lives of those around us, many of whom are living with chronic disease.
Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope is an attempt to break through the stigma, and a good one.
As Cohen writes, 'do not turn away'.
Richard M. Cohen collates five searing accounts of chronic disease. As a person with Multiple Sclerosis, he explores the lives of others living with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), muscular dystrophy, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Crohn's disease and bipolar disorder.
This is a disturbing and depressing must read that I recommend for all adults. Too often we choose not to see the daily pain and extraordinary lives of those around us, many of whom are living with chronic disease.
Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope is an attempt to break through the stigma, and a good one.
As Cohen writes, 'do not turn away'.
March 7, 2024
I wanted to learn from this book, but I struggled with the writing style and just could not finish.
February 11, 2010
This book is the story of 5 people with various medical conditions, and how they deal with their illnesses. The problems are a woman with Lou Gehrig's disease, a man with terminal cancer, man with muscular dystrophy, a woman with Crohn's Disease, and a man with Bi-Polar disorder. This was a tough book for me to get through. The people who's stories are told were brave and tough, but I found the telling to be on the depressing side. There were nuggats here and there that I would like to remember, but mostly I dreaded going back to it. There is a very interesting bit in Buzz Bar's story,my favorite, on pages 120-122...very cool.
The author has MS and has been through colon cancer twice. His experiences are told in his first book, Blindsided, which I don't think I will read.
The woman who recommended this book to me absolutely loved it, so don't discard it because of my review. I was probably just in the mood for a cheerful book!
The author has MS and has been through colon cancer twice. His experiences are told in his first book, Blindsided, which I don't think I will read.
The woman who recommended this book to me absolutely loved it, so don't discard it because of my review. I was probably just in the mood for a cheerful book!
January 28, 2012
I think this book would have been much better if the author would have kept his opinions more to himself or strictly in the Reflections section. I found Richard to seem quite bitter and angry that he is sick and then try and push that on the others. Numerous times I found it annoying that he would continuously ask them if they were angry or why they weren't angry or that he would be frustrated, etc.
The stories were interesting and very truthful. Although I do not have an illness it opened my eyes to be a more patient, compassionate person to all people I come into contact with in case they are struggling with something that is not as obvious as a cane or a bald head. I think overall this book makes all people think a little more deeply and open our eyes to a different way of thinking.
The stories were interesting and very truthful. Although I do not have an illness it opened my eyes to be a more patient, compassionate person to all people I come into contact with in case they are struggling with something that is not as obvious as a cane or a bald head. I think overall this book makes all people think a little more deeply and open our eyes to a different way of thinking.
August 8, 2012
The book chronicles the lives of Five citizens living with various disabilities and although each wreaks havoc on them in different ways, they share similarities in courage, self determination and public ignorance. Each story tells of the person finding hope and strength under the most difficult of circumstances and how we, as able bodied people, should strive to be more like them. Each story is inspirational and revealing; and show how each one is determined to live a good life, on their own terms. Richard Cohen is the wife of Meredith Viera, (television news journalist) and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in his late 20's; prior to his marriage to MV.
October 18, 2017
I enjoyed this, but for some reason, throughout each one of the five separate profiles in this book, the author doesn’t use any contractions when writing the dialogue. This was fairly jarring, since no one truly talks like that in their everyday lives. I’m not sure why he made that choice but I think if he would’ve transcribed the dialogue as it was actually spoken, it would have allowed readers to better connect with the people telling their stories.
November 19, 2008
This book really wasn't what I expected. The overall tone wasn't inspiring to me at all, but rather pessimistic. The author seemed to be trying to convice people of strong faith to abandon that faith and get angry at God. Still, most of those he interviewed managed to inspire me and the book was very informational, which was part of what I was hoping for. I'd not sorry I read it.
Currently reading
June 30, 2008Wonderful exploration of what it means to live with different types of chronic illness. One chapter is about a social worker in the Shaker area.
May 25, 2025
I had not known, back in 2008, that Richard M. Cohen had undertaken a several years' long study and engagement with five individuals suffering horribly from different chronic disease. I WAS aware that Richard suffered from MS and also had colon cancer, twice, but I did not know of his interest in so many other diseases and how they changed the lives of those who were afflicted with some of far too many horrible illnesses and conditions that can, seemingly, come out of nowhere, often at the prime of a person's life time.
"Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope: Voicers of Illness, a Chorus of Hope" was often a difficult book to hear read to me, via the audiobook, only because it was often raw, gritty, descriptive, and often offered TMI! What worked well were the conversations, built on trust, which Richard had with the very real human beings in his study. A young woman had ALS. She knows the outcome will be death, but she would rather have her life than one with a different chronic illness, such as Crohn's disease, which another person in the book has. There is a man who has struggled with severe mental illness, and another who has the horrific Duchenne's Muscular Distrophy, yet who still went to college, even though he could not fully care for himself. There was a man with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and then, of course, Richard, himself, with both MS and colon cancer. I remember when his wife, Meredith Viera, announced Richard had colon cancer, and then again when he had a recurrence. She married him knowing he had MS, and together they had three children. I also recall hearing he had died last year. He was a lovely man from what I saw on tv, and definitely from what I read in this book. He truly cared and wanted to understand how people deal with chronic illnesses, how they cope, and whether or not they just give up and want to end it all.
The book is well written, just different than I expected. I had not read anything about it, and assumed it was about Richard's life with Meredith (whom many will know from her years on the news and later on The View), their children, and how they coped with his illnesses, but that was barely mentioned. It was about these other people, with whom he spent time for several years. The book was published 17 years ago, so I have to assume most, if not all, of the people in the book are no longer alive. He did say that readers could follow their cases, find updates on a website related to the book. I do not think, at the time of publication, he was thinking about his own death.
Some of the discussions were way too graphic for me, especially in the case of a young woman with Crohn's. I was eating lunch and listening to the book, but I had to turn it off, or I would not have been able to eat! I did not need to know the inner workings and foulness of what happened to her most days. I am aware of the horrors of Crohn's because I research things, and have known of people who had it, but to have the most descriptive relaying of it all was a bit uncomfortable.
I came away thinking how darn lucky I am to not have any kind of disease, to be in my 70s and in good health. My heart goes out to so many others who are far, far younger, often just children, who, for no apparent reason, are afflicted with these hellacious conditions. 4 stars for how hard Richard must have worked, for years, to write this book, and for the bravery and openness of those who participated.
"Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope: Voicers of Illness, a Chorus of Hope" was often a difficult book to hear read to me, via the audiobook, only because it was often raw, gritty, descriptive, and often offered TMI! What worked well were the conversations, built on trust, which Richard had with the very real human beings in his study. A young woman had ALS. She knows the outcome will be death, but she would rather have her life than one with a different chronic illness, such as Crohn's disease, which another person in the book has. There is a man who has struggled with severe mental illness, and another who has the horrific Duchenne's Muscular Distrophy, yet who still went to college, even though he could not fully care for himself. There was a man with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and then, of course, Richard, himself, with both MS and colon cancer. I remember when his wife, Meredith Viera, announced Richard had colon cancer, and then again when he had a recurrence. She married him knowing he had MS, and together they had three children. I also recall hearing he had died last year. He was a lovely man from what I saw on tv, and definitely from what I read in this book. He truly cared and wanted to understand how people deal with chronic illnesses, how they cope, and whether or not they just give up and want to end it all.
The book is well written, just different than I expected. I had not read anything about it, and assumed it was about Richard's life with Meredith (whom many will know from her years on the news and later on The View), their children, and how they coped with his illnesses, but that was barely mentioned. It was about these other people, with whom he spent time for several years. The book was published 17 years ago, so I have to assume most, if not all, of the people in the book are no longer alive. He did say that readers could follow their cases, find updates on a website related to the book. I do not think, at the time of publication, he was thinking about his own death.
Some of the discussions were way too graphic for me, especially in the case of a young woman with Crohn's. I was eating lunch and listening to the book, but I had to turn it off, or I would not have been able to eat! I did not need to know the inner workings and foulness of what happened to her most days. I am aware of the horrors of Crohn's because I research things, and have known of people who had it, but to have the most descriptive relaying of it all was a bit uncomfortable.
I came away thinking how darn lucky I am to not have any kind of disease, to be in my 70s and in good health. My heart goes out to so many others who are far, far younger, often just children, who, for no apparent reason, are afflicted with these hellacious conditions. 4 stars for how hard Richard must have worked, for years, to write this book, and for the bravery and openness of those who participated.
June 21, 2018
After the acknowledgment section, and just prior to the preface, Cohen (2008) quotes Ernest Hemingway’s (1929) powerfully subjective stance on life, viz., “[t]he world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places”. However, this quote is not entirely correct. What Hemingway wrote was,
If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry” (Hemingway, 1929, p. 267).
I am not quite sure why Cohen chose the abbreviated version of the quote. It appears that the actual quote more closely resembles the context and spirit the book was written in. Nevertheless, I agree with Cohen’s assessment that,
Hemingway had it right. If the world is not the enemy, neither is it our friend. In the end, no matter who surrounds us, we travel alone. Our friends and loved ones are there, providing an infrastructure of love and support. But courage must be drawn from within [emphasis added]. Let the world see us as we see ourselves and have the faith to permit us [to] do it our way” (Cohen, 2008, p. xx).
This text provides an intriguing portrait of the lived experience of five (six, when including the author) people with chronic illness. From Denise Glass’ life-defining amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), through Larry Fricks’ battle with Bipolar disorder, each story paints an intimate portrait of the subjective battle waged by people with chronic illnesses.
Without a doubt, the people profiled in these pages display a deep existential authenticity that Cohen has masterfully translated into words. In Denise’s case, “the prospect of dying was beginning to clarify how she wanted to live;” whereas, Larry opines, “[w]hen does the diagnosis stop and the human being regain a sense of control of a life” (Cohen, 2008, p. 30; and p. 352).
Ultimately, this book is about the subjective experience of those with chronic disabilities and their authentic reaction to finding the courage (and hope?) in difficult circumstances. It shows the importance of the human dimension as opposed to the merely medical. The strength and courage of these individuals may serve as a lesson to those looking to find value in empathy, compassion, and acceptance. Above all, it serves as a reminder that despite a variety of unintended hardships, the human spirit can prevail and become “strong at the broken places”.
Happy reading!
References:
Cohen, M.C. (2008). Strong at the Broken Places. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Hemingway, E. (1929). A Farewell to Arms. New York, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
February 3, 2010
Strong at The Broken Places – Adalah sebuah buku yang mengisahkan tentang 5 orang penderita penyakit kronis yang tidak dapat disembuhkan. Penulisnya sendiri, Richard M. Cohen adalah seorang jurnalis penderita Multiple Sclerosis yaitu penyakit yang menyerang system saraf pusat yang membuat terganggunya penyampaian ‘pesan’ antara otak dan bagian-bagian tubuh lainnya.
Buku ini diawali dengan berkumpulnya 5 orang penderita sakit di Harvard University untuk berbagi kisah mereka dengan mahasiswa kedokteran di sana.
Denise Glass, seorang wanita yang menderita penyakit ALS (Amytrphic Lateral Sclerosis), penurunan progresif pada saraf dan struktur lain yang berhubungan dengan gerakan otot. Pada akhir tahun 1999, Denise merasakan cara bicaranya yang mulai melambat dan semakin sulit menelan. Setelah melakukan berbagai pemeriksaan medis, diketahui bahwa dia menderita ALS yang juga dikenal dengan penyakit Lou Gehrig’s. Dengan adanya penyakit ini, bagi Denise mulai memperjelas bagaimana dia ingin menjalani kehidupan ini.
“Saya orang yang tidak bahagia sebelum terkena ALS, dan itu telah berubah. Ketika saya terdiagnosis penyakit itu, selama sekitar delapan bulan saya benar-benar tidak melakukan apa-apa, kehilangan pekerjaan, dan seorang teman saya melibatkan saya dalam satu sesi ALS Association Greater L.A. Saya mulai menjadi sukarelawan dan bergaul dan menulis suat-surat dalam satu koran triwulan, berbicara pada berbagai seminar dan di sekolah-sekolah. Aktif dalam kegiatan pendampingan memberi saya identitas. Saya jauh lebih merasa nyaman dengan penyakit saya, karena saya tahu apa yang akan terjadi. Saya seorang pendamping. Saya melihat masa depan saya, dan menjalani kehidupan setiap hari sampai suatu hari saya tidak bergerak.”
Denise, meskipun memiliki penyakit yang sangat parah, namun dia tidak mau tergantung dengan orang lain. Baginya, ketergantungan lebih buruk daripada sekarat.
Buzz Bay, seorang religious penderita Limfoma non-Hodgkin atau kanker getah bening. Divonis menderita penyakit tersebut pada Agustus 2001. Proses Buzz dalam mengetahui penyakit yang bersarang di tubuhnya merupakan pengalaman yang tidak enak untuk didengarkan. Para dokter yang tidak terbuka padanya, di pindahkan dari ruang pemeriksaan satu ke ruang pemeriksaan yang lain, menjalani berbagai macam tes yang sangat serius, tanpa ada penjelasan apapun dari pihak rumah sakit tempat Buzz berobat. Hingga akhirnya, sang Istri, Susan, menaruh curiga bahwa ada sesuatu yang tak beres dengan Buzz, hingga akhirnya terkuaklah tabir kebenaran itu bahwa Buzz menderita penyakit yang cukup parah.
Apa yang Buzz lakukan saat mengetahui dirinya sakit? “Saya meminta Tuhan agar saya, dengan waktu yang saya miliki, menjadi saksi yang yakin atas dirinya. Izinkan saya memberi harapan kepada orang lain ketika harapan tampaknya sudah tidak ada lagi. Bantu saya agar menjadi kuat untuk Susan dan Ryan dan berusaha menjadi suami dan ayah terbaik yang bisa saya lakukan. Bantu kami sebagai keluarga berjuang dengan semua yang kami miliki menghadapi masalah ini, dan memahami bahwa kami melakukan yang terbaik. Dan izinkan keluarga saya membantu keluarga lain memahami bahwa Tuhan ada di sana apa pun yang terjadi.
Sungguh, tidak ada sedikit pun pernyataan yang menyiratkan penyesalan ataupun pertanyan “mengapa harus saya?”
Ben Cumbo, seorang mahasiswa di St. Mary’s College yang menderita penyakit Muscular Dystrophy, yaitu menurunnya kekuatan otot yang menyebabkan kelumpuhan. Di usianya yang masih muda, memaksa Ben untuk tumbuh dan menghadapi arti kehidupan yang dipersingkat. Namun, dia tampaknya tidak mendengarkan detak jam yang terus menghitung hari-harinya. Seperti tidak ada waktu bagi Ben untuk merasa kasihan terhadap diri sendiri atau pun merasa takut. Baginya, begitu banyak pekerjaan yang harus diselesaikan dan tidak ada waktu yang bisa dibuang-buang. Dia berani bermimpi. Ben mengajari kita bahwa menambah kualitas pada kehidupan itulah yang paling penting, bukan panjang umur kita.
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” (Maya Angelou)
Sarah Levin, menderita sakit Crohn (semacam radang di saluran pencernaan) sejak usia 4 tahun. Cerita Sarah mengajarkan bahwa orang sakit harus berdamai dengan tubuhnya sendiri, meski terasa sangat tidak nyaman. Bayangkan saja, dalam sehari dia harus minum obat minimal 18 macam..!! Sarah benci dengan tubuhnya yang tidak banyak menawarkan kenyamanan. Dan Sarah benar-benar mengekspresikan kebenciannya. Sarah mengatakan, “Ini memang brengsek. Kesengsaraan memang sudah nasib saya. Kebaikan apa yang ada dalam kehidupan saya? Saya adalah orang cacat. Siapa yang berminat dengan saya? Siapa yang mau menikah dengan saya? Saya menjadi beban bagi keluarga, bagi teman-teman saya.”
Dengan support dari keluarganya, terutama ibunya, Sarah muda bisa mengendalikan rasa marahnya dengan lebih tenang daripada yang bisa dilakukan orang lain. Emosi tidak memberikan pengaruh terbaik pada dirinya, tapi perasaannya sangat kuat. Bagaimana dia mengatasi kekecewaannya ketika terus melaju dengan kehidupannya memberikan muatan makna tentang menjalani kehidupan dengan elegan dan kecantikan terpancar dari dalam jiwanya.
Larry Fricks, penderita gangguan bipolar, yaitu kelainan mental yang merasakan gembira dan sedih secara berlebihan. Menghabiskan sepanjang tahun 80’an di rumah sakit jiwa dan menjadi penulis sesudahnya, yang mengantarkan dia menguak kehidupan dan penyakitnya pada tahun 1999. Sejak itu, Larry sering diundang di pertemuan-pertemuan yang membahas program perawatan bagi orang-orang penderita penyakit mental. Dia memperjuangkan hak orang-orang penderita penyakit mental yang seringkali mendapatkan diskriminasi dari lingkungan sekitar.
Dengan penyakit mental yang menghinggapi tubuhnya, Larry masih menyimpan harapan. Menurutnya, harapan bagi jiwa laksana oksigen bagi tubuh. Harapan bagi Larry adalah kunci dari pemulihan. Larry tidak sekalipun mempersoalkan penyakitnya, bahkan berpikir untuk menghilangkan penyakitnya pun tidak.
“Menghilangkan penyakit saya, berarti menghilangkan arti dan tujuan yang saya miliki sekarang. Kehidupan saya adalah kehidupan yang punya tujuan sangat penting.”
Penyakit telah mengambil identitas Larry.
Begitulah, kisah-kisah inspiratif dari 5 orang yang berbeda usia, kelamin, ras dan statusnya. Dengan kekurangannya, tidak membuat mereka berhenti menjalani hidup, tidak membuat mereka merasa tak berguna dalam hidup. Kisah-kisah mereka memberikan pelajaran kepada kita tentang ketabahan, keberanian menghadapi kesukaran, keterasingan dari masyarakat yang tidak peduli, mempertahankan harapan dan impian, mencari kekuatan untuk berdamai dengan diri sendiri dalam kondisi tersulit sekalipun.
Buku ini diawali dengan berkumpulnya 5 orang penderita sakit di Harvard University untuk berbagi kisah mereka dengan mahasiswa kedokteran di sana.
Denise Glass, seorang wanita yang menderita penyakit ALS (Amytrphic Lateral Sclerosis), penurunan progresif pada saraf dan struktur lain yang berhubungan dengan gerakan otot. Pada akhir tahun 1999, Denise merasakan cara bicaranya yang mulai melambat dan semakin sulit menelan. Setelah melakukan berbagai pemeriksaan medis, diketahui bahwa dia menderita ALS yang juga dikenal dengan penyakit Lou Gehrig’s. Dengan adanya penyakit ini, bagi Denise mulai memperjelas bagaimana dia ingin menjalani kehidupan ini.
“Saya orang yang tidak bahagia sebelum terkena ALS, dan itu telah berubah. Ketika saya terdiagnosis penyakit itu, selama sekitar delapan bulan saya benar-benar tidak melakukan apa-apa, kehilangan pekerjaan, dan seorang teman saya melibatkan saya dalam satu sesi ALS Association Greater L.A. Saya mulai menjadi sukarelawan dan bergaul dan menulis suat-surat dalam satu koran triwulan, berbicara pada berbagai seminar dan di sekolah-sekolah. Aktif dalam kegiatan pendampingan memberi saya identitas. Saya jauh lebih merasa nyaman dengan penyakit saya, karena saya tahu apa yang akan terjadi. Saya seorang pendamping. Saya melihat masa depan saya, dan menjalani kehidupan setiap hari sampai suatu hari saya tidak bergerak.”
Denise, meskipun memiliki penyakit yang sangat parah, namun dia tidak mau tergantung dengan orang lain. Baginya, ketergantungan lebih buruk daripada sekarat.
Buzz Bay, seorang religious penderita Limfoma non-Hodgkin atau kanker getah bening. Divonis menderita penyakit tersebut pada Agustus 2001. Proses Buzz dalam mengetahui penyakit yang bersarang di tubuhnya merupakan pengalaman yang tidak enak untuk didengarkan. Para dokter yang tidak terbuka padanya, di pindahkan dari ruang pemeriksaan satu ke ruang pemeriksaan yang lain, menjalani berbagai macam tes yang sangat serius, tanpa ada penjelasan apapun dari pihak rumah sakit tempat Buzz berobat. Hingga akhirnya, sang Istri, Susan, menaruh curiga bahwa ada sesuatu yang tak beres dengan Buzz, hingga akhirnya terkuaklah tabir kebenaran itu bahwa Buzz menderita penyakit yang cukup parah.
Apa yang Buzz lakukan saat mengetahui dirinya sakit? “Saya meminta Tuhan agar saya, dengan waktu yang saya miliki, menjadi saksi yang yakin atas dirinya. Izinkan saya memberi harapan kepada orang lain ketika harapan tampaknya sudah tidak ada lagi. Bantu saya agar menjadi kuat untuk Susan dan Ryan dan berusaha menjadi suami dan ayah terbaik yang bisa saya lakukan. Bantu kami sebagai keluarga berjuang dengan semua yang kami miliki menghadapi masalah ini, dan memahami bahwa kami melakukan yang terbaik. Dan izinkan keluarga saya membantu keluarga lain memahami bahwa Tuhan ada di sana apa pun yang terjadi.
Sungguh, tidak ada sedikit pun pernyataan yang menyiratkan penyesalan ataupun pertanyan “mengapa harus saya?”
Ben Cumbo, seorang mahasiswa di St. Mary’s College yang menderita penyakit Muscular Dystrophy, yaitu menurunnya kekuatan otot yang menyebabkan kelumpuhan. Di usianya yang masih muda, memaksa Ben untuk tumbuh dan menghadapi arti kehidupan yang dipersingkat. Namun, dia tampaknya tidak mendengarkan detak jam yang terus menghitung hari-harinya. Seperti tidak ada waktu bagi Ben untuk merasa kasihan terhadap diri sendiri atau pun merasa takut. Baginya, begitu banyak pekerjaan yang harus diselesaikan dan tidak ada waktu yang bisa dibuang-buang. Dia berani bermimpi. Ben mengajari kita bahwa menambah kualitas pada kehidupan itulah yang paling penting, bukan panjang umur kita.
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” (Maya Angelou)
Sarah Levin, menderita sakit Crohn (semacam radang di saluran pencernaan) sejak usia 4 tahun. Cerita Sarah mengajarkan bahwa orang sakit harus berdamai dengan tubuhnya sendiri, meski terasa sangat tidak nyaman. Bayangkan saja, dalam sehari dia harus minum obat minimal 18 macam..!! Sarah benci dengan tubuhnya yang tidak banyak menawarkan kenyamanan. Dan Sarah benar-benar mengekspresikan kebenciannya. Sarah mengatakan, “Ini memang brengsek. Kesengsaraan memang sudah nasib saya. Kebaikan apa yang ada dalam kehidupan saya? Saya adalah orang cacat. Siapa yang berminat dengan saya? Siapa yang mau menikah dengan saya? Saya menjadi beban bagi keluarga, bagi teman-teman saya.”
Dengan support dari keluarganya, terutama ibunya, Sarah muda bisa mengendalikan rasa marahnya dengan lebih tenang daripada yang bisa dilakukan orang lain. Emosi tidak memberikan pengaruh terbaik pada dirinya, tapi perasaannya sangat kuat. Bagaimana dia mengatasi kekecewaannya ketika terus melaju dengan kehidupannya memberikan muatan makna tentang menjalani kehidupan dengan elegan dan kecantikan terpancar dari dalam jiwanya.
Larry Fricks, penderita gangguan bipolar, yaitu kelainan mental yang merasakan gembira dan sedih secara berlebihan. Menghabiskan sepanjang tahun 80’an di rumah sakit jiwa dan menjadi penulis sesudahnya, yang mengantarkan dia menguak kehidupan dan penyakitnya pada tahun 1999. Sejak itu, Larry sering diundang di pertemuan-pertemuan yang membahas program perawatan bagi orang-orang penderita penyakit mental. Dia memperjuangkan hak orang-orang penderita penyakit mental yang seringkali mendapatkan diskriminasi dari lingkungan sekitar.
Dengan penyakit mental yang menghinggapi tubuhnya, Larry masih menyimpan harapan. Menurutnya, harapan bagi jiwa laksana oksigen bagi tubuh. Harapan bagi Larry adalah kunci dari pemulihan. Larry tidak sekalipun mempersoalkan penyakitnya, bahkan berpikir untuk menghilangkan penyakitnya pun tidak.
“Menghilangkan penyakit saya, berarti menghilangkan arti dan tujuan yang saya miliki sekarang. Kehidupan saya adalah kehidupan yang punya tujuan sangat penting.”
Penyakit telah mengambil identitas Larry.
Begitulah, kisah-kisah inspiratif dari 5 orang yang berbeda usia, kelamin, ras dan statusnya. Dengan kekurangannya, tidak membuat mereka berhenti menjalani hidup, tidak membuat mereka merasa tak berguna dalam hidup. Kisah-kisah mereka memberikan pelajaran kepada kita tentang ketabahan, keberanian menghadapi kesukaran, keterasingan dari masyarakat yang tidak peduli, mempertahankan harapan dan impian, mencari kekuatan untuk berdamai dengan diri sendiri dalam kondisi tersulit sekalipun.
February 15, 2025
I had read Mr. Cohen's previous book, Blindsided: Lifting a life above illness, a reluctant memoir, about his diagnosis of MS in his 30's and his life coping with the disease. That book led me to this one. (note: this book was written in 2008. Mr. Cohen passes away in December 2024)
Richard spent years chronicling the lives of 5 people who were living with chronic, debilitating, and/or life threating diseases. We meet Denise with ALS, Buzz who lives with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Sarah with Chrohn's disease, Ben, a young man afflicted with muscular dystrophy, and Larry who had bi-polar disorder.
With the exception of Ben, who is in a wheel chair, most of these appear normal to the everyday observer, but each deals with struggles every day that belies the illness they face. Some are in denial of the its seriousness, and others have used their time helping others.
Reading this is a humbling task. It takes troubles that most of us complain about and throw them to the wind. What you learn is this: everyone is dealing with something: illness, financial distress, what have you. There but for the grace of God. go I.
Richard spent years chronicling the lives of 5 people who were living with chronic, debilitating, and/or life threating diseases. We meet Denise with ALS, Buzz who lives with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Sarah with Chrohn's disease, Ben, a young man afflicted with muscular dystrophy, and Larry who had bi-polar disorder.
With the exception of Ben, who is in a wheel chair, most of these appear normal to the everyday observer, but each deals with struggles every day that belies the illness they face. Some are in denial of the its seriousness, and others have used their time helping others.
Reading this is a humbling task. It takes troubles that most of us complain about and throw them to the wind. What you learn is this: everyone is dealing with something: illness, financial distress, what have you. There but for the grace of God. go I.
April 7, 2020
Must read. Beautiful prose about suffering from chronic, debilitating illness in world that favors beauty and health and wealth above all. Is is not easy to suffer silently and with stigma. I was often told of my bipolar to just 'snap out of it'. If I could, I would have a long time ago and never experience the hellish hail storms of negativity that overpower me and cause severe agony.
These five, as well as the author suffer from diseases such as Chrone's, Hodgkins, bipolar, MS, ALS, etc. They are courageous as they choose to live and see the best every day, despite the urge to give up. They are the best of our society and we can learn much from their quiet inner struggles. This book was amazing. A must-read.
These five, as well as the author suffer from diseases such as Chrone's, Hodgkins, bipolar, MS, ALS, etc. They are courageous as they choose to live and see the best every day, despite the urge to give up. They are the best of our society and we can learn much from their quiet inner struggles. This book was amazing. A must-read.
March 18, 2024
The author seems to really focus on the topic of anger and getting mad about living with illness. It’s something that is brought up repeatedly with the different subjects he interviews. I personally don’t love reading about anger and resentment over and over again throughout the book, but perhaps this book may speak to others who are dealing with lots of anger/resentment surrounding their conditions. Other than that, I liked the book ok ~ It was interesting hearing about each person’s life living with illness through the authors perspective. I do think I would have enjoyed it a more if they had been from the individual’s perspective though. I hope more books are made in the future that talk about illness & have diverse people in them like this one.
April 29, 2019
7/10
In this visceral account of living with life threatening illnesses, Cohen manages to convey to his audience what is like to live under the shadow of illness. He walks through the lives of five people with different diseases, an injects some much needed empathy and understanding into the relation the reader has with portions of society that are often marginalized. This is a valuable look for anyone brave enough to get into the skin of someone with a life altering, and often ending, sickness.
In this visceral account of living with life threatening illnesses, Cohen manages to convey to his audience what is like to live under the shadow of illness. He walks through the lives of five people with different diseases, an injects some much needed empathy and understanding into the relation the reader has with portions of society that are often marginalized. This is a valuable look for anyone brave enough to get into the skin of someone with a life altering, and often ending, sickness.
October 2, 2017
Strong at the Broken Places follows five individuals' stories, interviewing them and their family members with sincere interest in both learning from them and in sharing with readers what was learned.
An honest look into chronic illness and relationships.
An honest look into chronic illness and relationships.
September 15, 2018
Interesting read about illness, coping and strength.
August 25, 2009
This is a powerful book about ordinary yet extraordinary people living with chronic illnesses. What they share is an incredible determination to live the best life that they can, not to be defined by their diseases, a commitment to hope and sharing this with others via advocacy and the alienation of the sick in a society that often (if not almost always) marginalizes them.
Now, it's not perfect - some of the sections are overly long without and the author's tendency to inject his own views into his subjects' stories to offer comparisons and contrasts can be unhelpful at times. This being said, the stories of these six people are so compelling that these shortcomings are minor distractions.
To Richard Cohen's credit, the vignettes are so well written that you actually come away feeling that you know the subjects personally. You come to care about them and their struggles because the latter are so compellingly conveyed and the protagonists are so inspirational, and indeed heroic, in their pursuit of a full life despite incredible adversity. Simply put, it certainly helps those of us who are "chronically healthy" to put our problems and challenges into perspective (which was my primary reason for reading the book initially).
In closing, I recommend this book highly, as it will give perspective, hope and determination to those who allow its subjects to touch and inspire them. I appreciate both the incredible humanity therein displayed as well as the gift of heightened awareness about how we as a society (and even, perhaps, how I as a healthy person) are not sufficiently aware of or empathetic to those with chronic illness. Among other gifts from this book, this has been revealed to me and I am the better for it.
Now, it's not perfect - some of the sections are overly long without and the author's tendency to inject his own views into his subjects' stories to offer comparisons and contrasts can be unhelpful at times. This being said, the stories of these six people are so compelling that these shortcomings are minor distractions.
To Richard Cohen's credit, the vignettes are so well written that you actually come away feeling that you know the subjects personally. You come to care about them and their struggles because the latter are so compellingly conveyed and the protagonists are so inspirational, and indeed heroic, in their pursuit of a full life despite incredible adversity. Simply put, it certainly helps those of us who are "chronically healthy" to put our problems and challenges into perspective (which was my primary reason for reading the book initially).
In closing, I recommend this book highly, as it will give perspective, hope and determination to those who allow its subjects to touch and inspire them. I appreciate both the incredible humanity therein displayed as well as the gift of heightened awareness about how we as a society (and even, perhaps, how I as a healthy person) are not sufficiently aware of or empathetic to those with chronic illness. Among other gifts from this book, this has been revealed to me and I am the better for it.
July 19, 2012
I can't write the review as well as Goodreads did so am leaving most of it "as is":
Cohen spent three years chronicling the lives of five diverse "citizens of sickness": Denise, who suffers from ALS; Buzz, whose Christian faith helps him deal with his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; Sarah, a determined young woman with Crohn's disease; Ben, a college student with muscular dystrophy; Larry, whose bipolar disorder is hidden within. The five are different in age and gender, race and economic status, but they are determined to live life on their own terms. Intimately involved with these patients' lives, Cohen formed intense relationships with each, talked to their families and friends, and shared joy, even in heart-breaking setbacks.
Though each individual's illness wreaks havoc in a different way, Cohen shows how their experiences are strikingly similar and offer lessons for us all--on self-determination, on courage in the face of adversity and public ignorance, on keeping hope alive, and on finding strength and peace under the most difficult of circumstances.
We are strong at the broken places, stronger than we think. In sharing these inspirational and revealing stories, Richard M. Cohen and his fellow warriors against illness offer a chorus of hope.
As one of those who is suffering from chronic illness which has no cure but also is not life threatening, these stories gave me true inspiration and to say that "there but the grace of...." If they can do it, so can I!
Cohen spent three years chronicling the lives of five diverse "citizens of sickness": Denise, who suffers from ALS; Buzz, whose Christian faith helps him deal with his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; Sarah, a determined young woman with Crohn's disease; Ben, a college student with muscular dystrophy; Larry, whose bipolar disorder is hidden within. The five are different in age and gender, race and economic status, but they are determined to live life on their own terms. Intimately involved with these patients' lives, Cohen formed intense relationships with each, talked to their families and friends, and shared joy, even in heart-breaking setbacks.
Though each individual's illness wreaks havoc in a different way, Cohen shows how their experiences are strikingly similar and offer lessons for us all--on self-determination, on courage in the face of adversity and public ignorance, on keeping hope alive, and on finding strength and peace under the most difficult of circumstances.
We are strong at the broken places, stronger than we think. In sharing these inspirational and revealing stories, Richard M. Cohen and his fellow warriors against illness offer a chorus of hope.
As one of those who is suffering from chronic illness which has no cure but also is not life threatening, these stories gave me true inspiration and to say that "there but the grace of...." If they can do it, so can I!
July 11, 2010
I read this book not too long ago and was given a new insight into how people who live with illnesses try to cope. I didn't like how he was always giving his input in the stories. I wanted to be able to read the stories without him talking about his own opinions, experiences and how they compared the people in the book. I didn't mind that he was the one who was narrating, and I liked how he approached the people like friends. I didn't agree with everything that they said in the book though. I did appreciate that they shared their fears and challenges with us very much. It made me realize how grateful I am for my own health, too, especially when I read Sarah's and Ben's stories. I also didn't realize how much someone's self-esteem can drop from having a sickness or the many difficulties that come with it. I will definately remember these people for a long time. I just have to say that while there was a lot of information that helped me understand situations like these much more, I'm not exactly sure if everything from some of the accounts were true.
August 9, 2008
I thought this book was good in the aspect that it gives a very in depth look at the lives of people who have chronic diseases. It goes into detail how those people initially dealt with the understanding that they'd probably never lead normal healthy lives and also how they cope with the constant health issues that their diseases bring. I liked the idea of using 5 different people with 5 unrelated diseases and how in different stages of life they were dealing with everything. The only thing I really didn't care for was the author's insistence of offering his opinion about everything. I would have liked to have heard the peoples voices without the addition of his thoughts coloring everything. I would highly recommend this book to everybody, at some point everyone will have someone close to them who has a chronic disease and I think that it helps give a better understanding of what they may be required to go through.
May 22, 2009
The author, Richard M. Cohen, suffers from multiple schlerosis and has had two bouts of colon cancer. In this book, he highlights the lives of five people who fight personal battles with chronic and/or terminal illness: Denise (ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease); Buzz (non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma); Sarah (Crohn's disease); Ben (muscular dystrophy); and Larry (bipolar disorder). Different in age, gender, race, and economic status, they are alike in wanting to live life on their own terms. After forming intense relationships with each and talking with their families and friends, Cohen presents riveting case studies giving details of their setbacks, victories, persistence, and fight to live meaningful lives. I found the book extremely informative, interesting, and inspirational.
February 9, 2013
Richard Cohen interviewed five very different people all coping with serious illnesses. Some had faith, some did not. Some had a great deal of support - some had little support.
Despite the serious nature of their illnesses - the book is inspirational and hopeful.
It is helpful to read this book if you are now or will at some point in the future encounter a family member or friend with a serious illness. Richard's interviews with seriously ill individuals demonstrates that not all of us cope in the exact same way. We need to give seriouly ill individuals - the choice to handle it in their own unique way. All we can do is to be there for the person - we cannot choose for them how to handle it.
It'a a great read!
Despite the serious nature of their illnesses - the book is inspirational and hopeful.
It is helpful to read this book if you are now or will at some point in the future encounter a family member or friend with a serious illness. Richard's interviews with seriously ill individuals demonstrates that not all of us cope in the exact same way. We need to give seriouly ill individuals - the choice to handle it in their own unique way. All we can do is to be there for the person - we cannot choose for them how to handle it.
It'a a great read!
November 21, 2011
This is an excellent follow up to Richard Cohen's first book, which focused on his diagnosis of MS and then Cancer. Strong at the Broken Places follows five individuals' stories, interviewing them and their family members with sincere interest in both learning from them and in sharing with readers what was learned. Perseverance, courage, faith ... all of these shone brightly in each story, along with the sobering colors of realism.
Cohen also hosts a website where people with chronic illnesses can share thoughts and questions with each other. The URL is www.strongatthebrokenplaces.com, and I recommend it to anyone who has read or is interested in previewing these five stories.
Cohen also hosts a website where people with chronic illnesses can share thoughts and questions with each other. The URL is www.strongatthebrokenplaces.com, and I recommend it to anyone who has read or is interested in previewing these five stories.
April 1, 2015
The author, Richard Cohen lives with Multiple Sclerosis and a history of colon cancer. He is a journalist, the husband of Meredith Viera and a father. Richard interviews 5 people who live across the United States, all with different chronic diseases. His aim is to gain insight from each one of them, to find out how their lives have been impacted by their disease.
My favorite chapter was the last. All five people gather with Richard to speak to a medical school class at Harvard. Their reflections and insights in to life with disease are extraordinary. Not only do they effect the students and professor's views, but they come away invigorated to advocate in new ways themselves.
My favorite chapter was the last. All five people gather with Richard to speak to a medical school class at Harvard. Their reflections and insights in to life with disease are extraordinary. Not only do they effect the students and professor's views, but they come away invigorated to advocate in new ways themselves.
July 30, 2008
This book was an easy read -- it helped me to find camaraderie in the painful and difficult world of chronic illness. The 5 people who are a part of this book represent hope and coping in very different ways. What I most appreciated was how real they were.
I believe that this book would be a worthwhile read for anyone; I'm sure most people know someone with a chronic illness. Additionally, I believe this book would help anyone to find hope in their difficult circumstances and perhaps help the reader to set their priorities in order, and enjoy each day as the gift it is.
I believe that this book would be a worthwhile read for anyone; I'm sure most people know someone with a chronic illness. Additionally, I believe this book would help anyone to find hope in their difficult circumstances and perhaps help the reader to set their priorities in order, and enjoy each day as the gift it is.
March 25, 2012
Richard Cohen spent a year interviewing and getting to know five other people with chronic illnesses and their families. This book (or at least similar material) should be mandatory reading for all medical professionals to bring to the fore how chronically ill people see themselves and their situation, how they view others' perceptions of them, and how the medical community can be more empathic and supportive of them.
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