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Cancer Crossings: A Brother, His Doctors, and the Quest for a Cure to Childhood Leukemia
When Eric Wendel was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 1966, the survival rate was 10 percent. Today, it is 90 percent. Even as politicians call for a "Cancer Moonshot," this accomplishment remains a pinnacle in cancer research.
The author’s daughter, then a medical student at Georgetown Medical School, told her father about this amazing success story. Tim Wendel soon discovered that many of the doctors at the forefront of this effort cared for his brother at Roswell Park in Buffalo, New York. Wendel went in search of this extraordinary group, interviewing Lucius Sinks, James Holland, Donald Pinkel, and others in the field. If there were a Mount Rushmore for cancer research, they would be on it.
Despite being ostracized by their medical peers, these doctors developed modern-day chemotherapy practices and invented the blood centrifuge machine, helping thousands of children live longer lives. Part family memoir and part medical narrative, Cancer Crossings explores how the Wendel family found the courage to move ahead with their lives. They learned to sail on Lake Ontario, cruising across miles of open water together, even as the campaign against cancer changed their lives forever.
The author’s daughter, then a medical student at Georgetown Medical School, told her father about this amazing success story. Tim Wendel soon discovered that many of the doctors at the forefront of this effort cared for his brother at Roswell Park in Buffalo, New York. Wendel went in search of this extraordinary group, interviewing Lucius Sinks, James Holland, Donald Pinkel, and others in the field. If there were a Mount Rushmore for cancer research, they would be on it.
Despite being ostracized by their medical peers, these doctors developed modern-day chemotherapy practices and invented the blood centrifuge machine, helping thousands of children live longer lives. Part family memoir and part medical narrative, Cancer Crossings explores how the Wendel family found the courage to move ahead with their lives. They learned to sail on Lake Ontario, cruising across miles of open water together, even as the campaign against cancer changed their lives forever.
- GenresNonfiction
256 pages, Hardcover
Published April 15, 2018
6 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
Tim Wendel
27 books69 followersTim Wendel is an award-winning novelist and journalist. He is the author of 16 books, including Rebel Falls: A Novel, Summer of '68: The Season When Baseball, and America, Changed Forever, and Castro's Curveball. His stories have appeared in Gargoyle and The Potomac Review, and his articles in The New York Times, Esquire, GQ, Washingtonian and USA Today. A longtime writer-in-residence at Johns Hopkins University, Tim teaches fiction and nonfiction writing. Tim has worked has worked on both coasts, covering everything from the Olympics to the America's Cup. More information and his blog can be found at www.timwendel.com."
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 13, 2018
CANCER CROSSINGS by Tim Wendel is a memoir that details an important time in cancer research--a time with which the Wendel family was all too familiar as the author's brother, Eric, was diagnosed with leukemia in 1966 at age 3 and given a year to live.
Wendel's book could have been crushingly depressing. Reading about a young boy's efforts to beat a disease that killed 90% of those diagnosed is sure to be heart-wrenching, right? But instead of a sob-fest, it's an interesting look at the doctors who were fighting to keep children alive against all odds, and a nostalgic visit to perhaps the best time to be a kid. Part memoir and part medical mystery, CANCER CROSSINGS shows one family's role as a part of medical history, and it details how they navigated an almost impossibly difficult time by banding together
It would be hard to pick favorite segments of this book. I loved reading about the adventures of the Wendel family as the navigated Lake Ontario on their boat, but I was also fascinated by the doctors and the work they were doing. I wish I had been able to get to know Eric a little more--he's a hazy figure considering that he's the central figure in the book. The photos included were helpful in bringing him into focus, and I found myself staring at the school picture toward the end of the book and wondering about a world where someone so young and so good can die. As noted by one of the people who met the boy before Eric's death at age 10, he deserved a lot better.
Kudos to Tim Wendel for the amount of research that went into this book, and for his willingness to revisit a time that wasn't easy for his family. My thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Wendel's book could have been crushingly depressing. Reading about a young boy's efforts to beat a disease that killed 90% of those diagnosed is sure to be heart-wrenching, right? But instead of a sob-fest, it's an interesting look at the doctors who were fighting to keep children alive against all odds, and a nostalgic visit to perhaps the best time to be a kid. Part memoir and part medical mystery, CANCER CROSSINGS shows one family's role as a part of medical history, and it details how they navigated an almost impossibly difficult time by banding together
It would be hard to pick favorite segments of this book. I loved reading about the adventures of the Wendel family as the navigated Lake Ontario on their boat, but I was also fascinated by the doctors and the work they were doing. I wish I had been able to get to know Eric a little more--he's a hazy figure considering that he's the central figure in the book. The photos included were helpful in bringing him into focus, and I found myself staring at the school picture toward the end of the book and wondering about a world where someone so young and so good can die. As noted by one of the people who met the boy before Eric's death at age 10, he deserved a lot better.
Kudos to Tim Wendel for the amount of research that went into this book, and for his willingness to revisit a time that wasn't easy for his family. My thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
May 10, 2018
I may be biased, the author’s mother is a friend from book club, but I don’t think so. Having had two parents survive cancer and numerous friends survive and all four grandparents die from cancer, the history contained in this book is fascinating because although the author’s brother had leukemia, the doctors who treated him and researched how to treat leukemia affected probably all treatments of any type of cancer. So this memoir, part history and part personal narrative, is an important one. Living nearby and having been raised in the Lake Ontario communities mentioned, I was thrilled to see the author’s use of family lore to give a backdrop and add a bit of humor to this family’s story.
May 1, 2018
I will admit to being biased, as the author is a friend of mine.
That being said, the only reason I put the book down after starting it was because I had to go. The author intertwines the story of his family and how they dealt with his brother’s leukemia with the story of the doctors who, at the same hospital, were working to discover a cure for leukemia. The juxtaposition can make a book choppy but he brings the two stories together so that it flows well,
I learned a lot about the fight to cure cancer at a turning point in the battle as well as how a family works through it.
This is a touching story that brings to life the people in the book.
That being said, the only reason I put the book down after starting it was because I had to go. The author intertwines the story of his family and how they dealt with his brother’s leukemia with the story of the doctors who, at the same hospital, were working to discover a cure for leukemia. The juxtaposition can make a book choppy but he brings the two stories together so that it flows well,
I learned a lot about the fight to cure cancer at a turning point in the battle as well as how a family works through it.
This is a touching story that brings to life the people in the book.
March 28, 2018
The book is an exceptional emotional as well as educational experience. I think it is provides those whose children may be afflicted with any form of cancer hope, education, and ways to cope with the emotional toll such diagnoses bring on the parent. The historical perspectives offered in this quick read provide optimism for anyone dealing with pushing the envelope of the healthcare bureaucracy through the examination of promising emerging therapies. Cancer Crossings brought tears to my eyes but also many smiles and I highly recommend it.
September 23, 2025
The writing in this was just unfortunately a letdown. The story is really disjointed and doesn’t make for a good reading experience. We go from sailing on the Great Lakes, to some information about the author’s brother, to an in depth description of how sailboats work, to an interview 50 years in the future, to some information about ALL research in the 60s, to hockey and back around. It just feels like the author didn’t really know what story he wanted to tell and therefore it gets really difficult for the reader to feel invested in a cohesive story. Disappointed to say the least.
May 7, 2018
Engrossing, important and uplifting.
This is a memoir like no other. It's a medical thriller. It's a sailing memoir. And it's the story of a family's quiet courage. Tim Wendel masterfully weaves together the stories of doctors and patients, nurses and researchers, siblings and parents and one brave little boy who happened to be the author's youngest brother, and creates a tale that will at once break your heart and fill it with admiration and hope. Bravo!
This is a memoir like no other. It's a medical thriller. It's a sailing memoir. And it's the story of a family's quiet courage. Tim Wendel masterfully weaves together the stories of doctors and patients, nurses and researchers, siblings and parents and one brave little boy who happened to be the author's youngest brother, and creates a tale that will at once break your heart and fill it with admiration and hope. Bravo!
March 19, 2018
A lovely, heartwrenching, and fascinating look into childhood leukemia and the history of the research for this disease. Marvelously, the cure rate has wildly improved since Eric Wendel passed away, and Tim Wendel details how and why this medical innovation was able to transform cancer research as we know it. A moving personal story paralleled with the history of great medical genius.
April 17, 2018
It was a wonderfully written book, with insight on the early years of cancer treatment, as well as a family's ability to cope with the diagnosis. Thanks, Tim and family for sharing. The information on early treatment and how it was viewed by some medical professionals was very interesting.
December 20, 2017
Gorgeous, thoughtful and informative, Wendel has written a touching memoir, a fascinating history of Leukemia research, and all with a dash of sports as per usual.
April 23, 2018
3.5 stars. Interesting enough, particularly the medical “history” of leukemia, but overall a little disjointed.
July 17, 2019
A really lovely book. Fast moving, as the stories intertwine and engross you.
Fascinating to learn the evolution of treatment methods and the path of the courageous doctors.
Sweet family memories and sailing stories woven throughout. Plus, such a tribute to the author's brother and a life cut short.
Loved the mix of science and biography and sentiment. Excellent read!
Fascinating to learn the evolution of treatment methods and the path of the courageous doctors.
Sweet family memories and sailing stories woven throughout. Plus, such a tribute to the author's brother and a life cut short.
Loved the mix of science and biography and sentiment. Excellent read!
April 1, 2018
When Eric Wendel was 3 years old he was diagnosed with leukemia. At the time doctors didn’t know how to help these young cancer victims. At best a child with leukemia could hope to live 12 to 18 months. But the Wendels lived near a pioneering group of doctors in Buffalo. Eric, through many treatments, lived until he was 10 years old.
In Cancer Crossings Eric’s older brother, the writer Tim Wendel, tells his story. Tim Wendel, who has written five books about baseball, understands teamwork. He uses that insight to bring a maverick group of doctors – “the cancer cowboys” -- to life. What comes across in Cancer Crossings is a noble patience, and bravery in the face of pain and the unknown by Eric Wendel, his family, and his doctors. His parents decide to let Eric be a little boy when he’s free from the hospital. He plays hockey and touch football. He sails with the family on their many crossings of Lake Ontario. These sailing trips are the surprising heart of the book. Sailing was how Peter Wendel kept his large family with six kids together, going forward. Cancer Crossings is a well-told, moving story.
In Cancer Crossings Eric’s older brother, the writer Tim Wendel, tells his story. Tim Wendel, who has written five books about baseball, understands teamwork. He uses that insight to bring a maverick group of doctors – “the cancer cowboys” -- to life. What comes across in Cancer Crossings is a noble patience, and bravery in the face of pain and the unknown by Eric Wendel, his family, and his doctors. His parents decide to let Eric be a little boy when he’s free from the hospital. He plays hockey and touch football. He sails with the family on their many crossings of Lake Ontario. These sailing trips are the surprising heart of the book. Sailing was how Peter Wendel kept his large family with six kids together, going forward. Cancer Crossings is a well-told, moving story.
May 7, 2024
If you have a child or loved one dx with leukemia, especially ALL. … while difficult to read, it is very informative of the progress we have made. Although until it no longer exists, we aren’t done. Beautiful tribute and memoir.
March 13, 2018
Wendel’s usual fare is the world of sports. In this departure, he interweaves family memories with scientific history to tell the story of the early days of treatment for children’s leukemia. His brother, Eric, died of leukemia at the age of 10, but outlived his prognosis by years thanks to the innovations and discoveries of a group of US doctors who called themselves the Acute Leukemia Group. This history is not as dramatic as some other scientific tales, but I appreciated learning about the foundations of one of the success stories of cancer care in this personal way. (Childhood leukemia had a mortality rate of 96% and a life expectancy of 18 months when Eric was diagnosed; the 5-year survival rate now is 85%.)
Read if: You enjoyed the mix of the personal and the scientific in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Read if: You enjoyed the mix of the personal and the scientific in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews