Buoyant: What Held Us Up When Our Bodies Let Us Down

by Dotty Doherty

"A quietly heroic tale of two women's voyages through disease and dying, interwoven with voyages upon Chesapeake creeks that offer comfort and grace. Janet, a young mother, had months to live, doctors said in 1989. She and her husband would overcome staggering odds for 20 more years. Author Dotty Holcomb Doherty, afflicted by MS in 2002, became kayak buddy, confidante and biographer to Janet, her account both unsparing and loving. With a naturalist's eye, she frames their struggles with portraits of Chesapeake seasons, rhythms of migration and tide, the charms of water's edge. As their bodies betrayed them, the Bay buoyed them as they buoyed one another." --Tom Horton Chesapeake Bay environmentalist, reporter, nature writer, author, and filmmaker

356 pages, Paperback

Published September 22, 2021

Reviews

[Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book the afternoon following a sleepless, overnight international flight ... and I couldn't put it down. Finally, late in the evening I quit for some rest, but then picked it up again first thing the next morning and read through to the end. This is a gorgeously written story of friendship, facing life's deepest challenges, finding purpose, and the balm and inspiration of nature. Not normally the typical nonfiction I read, Buoyant captured me through and through with its story-telling and imagery. On reflection, it seems to me the book would speak to anyone who's faced any kind of health challenge, dealt with a rough setback, values the connection between people and nature (and between friends), or loves a compelling story. That casts a pretty wide net.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up this book I didn’t think that I would read it in 2 days! Was I surprised when I sat down with my coffee and my cat on my lap and read the day away. When I wasn’t reading it (yes I did have to eat and sleep) I found myself thinking about getting back to the story of Janet and Dotty. What an extraordinary book! The resilience of these women is so admirable. I was so drawn to the strength each woman had to get up every morning and get on with it. I found myself wondering if I had the strength to do it if I were in their shoes. I contemplated how I take my life and health for granted and felt guilty about that. At times this book was difficult for me to read as I often thought back to my teenage years when my mother was dying of cancer. But what was for me the most important message in this book was the enduring friendship. I will never forget this story!! I highly recommend this book.

[Madeline taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

So well written, such a tale of courage. Takes your breath away. And YAY to a fellow Earlhamite!!

[L. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dotty Holcomb Doherty’s newly released book, Buoyant, What Held Us Up When Our Bodies Let Down, has been a revelation to me, even though I was privileged to be part of a writing group with the author.
The quiet prose pulled me outside into a breezy day. I was transported as Dotty and her friend Janet, a cancer patient, floated in the kayak amid a spiral of oak leaves on the water, a squeak of the red-wing blackbird. Her simple words carried me to some unknown path in the woods, my favorite place to be. As the difficulties of the lives of these two women grew apparent, Dotty’s ongoing walk outdoors would soothe me.
I knew Janet briefly through our childrens’ school. But I had no idea of the long, extraordinary path her disfigured face represented. Dotty’s prose revealed the family’s tale with compassion and truth. I knew Dotty as a strong outdoorswoman able climb a canyon wall, step onto a bog, delight in any bird. Dotty’s own struggles with hidden illness was revealed with candor and truth in this tale. The unfolding story of Janet and Dotty’s friendship through a balance of tears and laughter, strength and compassion, despair and joy, reveals what held them up and allows the reader to be inspired by these two women of courage.
Thank you Dotty for your talent and heart to write this book.

[Sara Penhale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir is a lovingly written story of two women, each facing chronic, progressive, debilitating illnesses. The author provides a chronology of ordinary day-to-day life interrupted by the extraordinary challenges the women face. The two find solace and calm in the natural beauty of the Chesapeake Bay. This book would be an excellent choice for a book group discussion because the themes that it touches on are universal: family and friends, living with chronic illness, career struggles, personal identity, decisions about the level of intervention one might choose to sustain life, friendship, and love.

[Angela Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beautiful storytelling made me want to linger; the powerful story made me finish in one sitting. A celebration of joy, exploration of anguish, study of nature and human nature in all its complexity and beauty. Dotty and Janet's deep friendship and courage offer insights and inspiration. I know this will resonate for a long time and I'll be returning to this book again and again.

[Julie CS · Rating 5 out of 5]

By describing her own journey with MS, and her dear friend Janet’s journey with cancer, Dotty has created an unforgettable story that is both heart-breaking and heart-healing. This story is a testament to friendship that endures and deepens despite suffering, and a testament to the healing power of the natural world. Dotty’s precise and beautiful language makes it a pleasure to read.

Julie Cadwallader Staub, author of Wing Over Wing and Face to Face

[William Buskirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This chronicle of two women’s lives and their parallel experiences with health challenges is heart-warming, joyful and inspiring. The author’s deep familiarity with the natural world, particularly of the Chesapeake Bay region, sets a background of resilience and continuity that cradles their friendship through time. This is a book full of insights. Like her photography, the author’s writing projects rich imagery.

[Marianne Cope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is poignant and beautifully written. The author eloquently intertwines the calming power of the natural world with an endearing friendship that develops between two women over their disabilities.

[Melissa Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defying the Odds
Imagine receiving the devastating news that you have six months to live with no hope. What would you do? What if you were a parent of two young children? Janet and her husband Steve battled her cancer for 19 long years, exploring every avenue, from speaking with scientists to participating in clinical trials, enduring endless surgeries, medications, disfigurement, feeding tubes, pain, and financial hardship. Janet and Steve's remarkable courage, strength, and perseverance are truly inspiring.

Dotty Holcomb Doherty, a former teacher, and a young mother, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, quickly ending her teaching career. Both Dotty and Janet faced life-changing health challenges but shared a deep love for New England's natural beauty. With Steve's support, Dotty documented Janet's story at her friend's request.

As I read their story, I couldn't help but be taken back to when my friend and I were young mothers and new teachers fresh out of college. Around the same time, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Sadly, my friend passed away two years later, giving me a different life perspective. I have never felt sorry for myself because I raised my children and lived my life, despite having my career cut short due to my health. I strive to maintain a positive attitude daily, living life to the fullest in honor of my friend who never got the chance.

Janet, Steve, their family, and my friend and her family displayed incredible resilience during the most challenging times. Janet's story, as told by Dotty, is a testament to the power of perseverance in defying the odds. They are an inspiration to us all.

[Susan Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring true story of friendship and resilience, gently and honestly told. Buoyant affirms the power of the human spirit.

[Betsy Culbertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely writing from a fellow Earlhamite. While I would not have made the same choices as the one woman did, her process was true to herself which is one of many takeaways from the book.