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Cancer, you picked the wrong girl
There's nothing funny about cancer. But humour can help take away some of its terrible power.
In Cancer, you picked the wrong girl, Shormistha Mukherjee offers a no-holds-barred account of her journey navigating a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Through getting a Brazilian wax and deliberating the pros and cons of breast reconstruction to finding a "setting" in the chemo ward, it's laughter that helped keep her fears in check.
It isn't all "cancer-lite", though. Mukherjee packs some emotional sucker-punches and hard truths in this book, making it a small piece of comfort for anyone touched by cancer.
In Cancer, you picked the wrong girl, Shormistha Mukherjee offers a no-holds-barred account of her journey navigating a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Through getting a Brazilian wax and deliberating the pros and cons of breast reconstruction to finding a "setting" in the chemo ward, it's laughter that helped keep her fears in check.
It isn't all "cancer-lite", though. Mukherjee packs some emotional sucker-punches and hard truths in this book, making it a small piece of comfort for anyone touched by cancer.
219 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
7 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 28, 2024
Didnt start reading the book with high expectations or to feel moved or anything at all. But this is one of those kinds, where its not about 'How' but 'What' is written. Shormistha decides to share her journey through Cancer, and also about mental issues she faced.
Her sharing of the experience is so raw, unfiltered and makes you appreciate the necessity of Humor in life. It reflects how having lived in a conservative society,the first thought that comes to mind when you think about sharing your mental issues or even about anxiety attacks, is you would be sent to an asylum. She shares how problematic it is when people do not know how to communicate , especially to the ones suffering through a life changing condition. She suggests how to avoid this wittily.
This book is not only for the cancer sufferers or women but for everyone who is interested in knowing , how to get through difficult times or understand pain in a more relatable context.
Her sharing of the experience is so raw, unfiltered and makes you appreciate the necessity of Humor in life. It reflects how having lived in a conservative society,the first thought that comes to mind when you think about sharing your mental issues or even about anxiety attacks, is you would be sent to an asylum. She shares how problematic it is when people do not know how to communicate , especially to the ones suffering through a life changing condition. She suggests how to avoid this wittily.
This book is not only for the cancer sufferers or women but for everyone who is interested in knowing , how to get through difficult times or understand pain in a more relatable context.
April 28, 2023
“There’s nothing funny about cancer. But humour can help take away some of its terrible power.”
A beautiful book mixed with a lot of information and humour, which makes it a perfect read for everybody who is interested in reading about cancer or just as an inspirational fun story.
This book is story of Shormistha Mukherjee and her fight with breast cancer. She has shared a lot of insights about how she discovered it, sacrifices she had to make, relatives and friends reaction and support and most importantly how strongly she handled it.
The book is beautifully designed, the cover is attractive. And the best thing- the writing style is superb. It is engaging and fun to read. I lost one of my aunt due to breast cancer and one of my sister-in-law is at the beginning stage of the same disease so this topic has always interested me.
A beautiful book mixed with a lot of information and humour, which makes it a perfect read for everybody who is interested in reading about cancer or just as an inspirational fun story.
This book is story of Shormistha Mukherjee and her fight with breast cancer. She has shared a lot of insights about how she discovered it, sacrifices she had to make, relatives and friends reaction and support and most importantly how strongly she handled it.
The book is beautifully designed, the cover is attractive. And the best thing- the writing style is superb. It is engaging and fun to read. I lost one of my aunt due to breast cancer and one of my sister-in-law is at the beginning stage of the same disease so this topic has always interested me.
December 20, 2021
Share this book with anyone you know who was/is associated with Cancer.
It's an honest memoir of a successful, young, passionate girl, whose life changed overnight after she got diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
Her pain, optimism, journey & efforts have been shared candidly.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
It's an honest memoir of a successful, young, passionate girl, whose life changed overnight after she got diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
Her pain, optimism, journey & efforts have been shared candidly.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
December 14, 2021
Great book. Such an engrossing read. Finished nearly all of it in one sitting. My wife had breast cancer two years ago and we went to the same surgeon as Shormistha, so it all sounded familiar.
This book is funny, sad, serious, frivolous, philosophical - all at the same time.
This book is funny, sad, serious, frivolous, philosophical - all at the same time.
January 28, 2022
I usually do not like to read true Life stories involving cancer and the struggles, due to some long-held fear for the word "Cancer" (Ok, so even I am guilty of Googling the word as soon as i spot any change in my body or have cough bouts for more than 24 hours)
But this time I am glad I decided to go ahead as the book is actually strewn with the right amount of humor that just hits you so much that you wonder whether it must be really really easy breezy for the author to write all this since her life chapter is over and now she has overcome it? Except I don't think so, In fact, she must have relived her cancer twice, Once while it actually happened and other while writing this book and so it is really brave of her to do so.
You will have to to read the book to understand the pain, trauma that she went through while dealing with the disease but nowhere she has overplayed the disease or the struggle or the suffering. Facts are being laid down and you actually keep thanking your stars for your health and body that you take for granted, as Shormistha rightly suggested and quoted from her book - All offenders, big or small, traffic or murder must spent a proportionate time working at the Tata Memorial General ward as there can be no greater lesson than having to see that level of suffering every day.
Having said all about her journey with Cancer, it is so refreshing to read about the author who with her chirpy nature describes her midlife crisis, her envy of others normal lives, how people have suggestions of alternate medicines, of doctors the patients should see, her Turtle Theory, how people expect a reaction of suffering and sadness when she talks, her relentless nature to talk, universe conspiring to put the right people at the right time and be a workaholic as a typical founder of a company etc which hit a familiar ground here.
I also love the way she describes how we always want to protect the ones we love especially our parents and don't want to subjugate them to the misery of seeing their kids broken but while battling the disease she realised that you have to allow them to be a part of your sorrow and let them help you hands on instead of them worrying sick from far away. Also the one piece of advice that you have to put yourself first no matter what, which helps her and I think for that matter would help anybody out there who have a difficult time keeping their needs n the forefront.
It is heartening to read the way she talks to her pets about cancer, the way her super awesome make a whatsapp group about her progress and her caring and supportive husband who stood besides her all the way through.
If there will be one takeaway from the book, It will be How to talk to somebody when you learn about the bad news and what not to tell, Thanks Shormistha, Even though I am a good conversationalist I find it difficult to talk to someone in the trying times but a simple "My prayers and Wishes are with you" OR " You will get through this" should always suffice.
But this time I am glad I decided to go ahead as the book is actually strewn with the right amount of humor that just hits you so much that you wonder whether it must be really really easy breezy for the author to write all this since her life chapter is over and now she has overcome it? Except I don't think so, In fact, she must have relived her cancer twice, Once while it actually happened and other while writing this book and so it is really brave of her to do so.
You will have to to read the book to understand the pain, trauma that she went through while dealing with the disease but nowhere she has overplayed the disease or the struggle or the suffering. Facts are being laid down and you actually keep thanking your stars for your health and body that you take for granted, as Shormistha rightly suggested and quoted from her book - All offenders, big or small, traffic or murder must spent a proportionate time working at the Tata Memorial General ward as there can be no greater lesson than having to see that level of suffering every day.
Having said all about her journey with Cancer, it is so refreshing to read about the author who with her chirpy nature describes her midlife crisis, her envy of others normal lives, how people have suggestions of alternate medicines, of doctors the patients should see, her Turtle Theory, how people expect a reaction of suffering and sadness when she talks, her relentless nature to talk, universe conspiring to put the right people at the right time and be a workaholic as a typical founder of a company etc which hit a familiar ground here.
I also love the way she describes how we always want to protect the ones we love especially our parents and don't want to subjugate them to the misery of seeing their kids broken but while battling the disease she realised that you have to allow them to be a part of your sorrow and let them help you hands on instead of them worrying sick from far away. Also the one piece of advice that you have to put yourself first no matter what, which helps her and I think for that matter would help anybody out there who have a difficult time keeping their needs n the forefront.
It is heartening to read the way she talks to her pets about cancer, the way her super awesome make a whatsapp group about her progress and her caring and supportive husband who stood besides her all the way through.
If there will be one takeaway from the book, It will be How to talk to somebody when you learn about the bad news and what not to tell, Thanks Shormistha, Even though I am a good conversationalist I find it difficult to talk to someone in the trying times but a simple "My prayers and Wishes are with you" OR " You will get through this" should always suffice.
January 30, 2022
I'm now totally in love with Indian women authors writing about things that we might all be aware of, but don't quite understand well. This book for breast cancer. "What's a lemon squeezer doing in my vagina" for infertility. There's something about hearing from a woman, who you can relate to so well. (Someone told Shormishtha, if you can show your feet, I don't feel so bad about mine. And that made her think, "wait, I have ugly feet? Why did I not know this already?!" - I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist)
So humour makes everything better, and this book just proves that beyond doubt. The most relatable parts of the book, are the denial in which Shormishtha is, for the large part. "This is surely cancer-lite. This is surely chemo-lite." This is how we think, isn't it? When shit really hits the fan, we tell ourselves, that it's ok, it can't be that bad, we are getting the better deal etc etc. Also, something Shormishtha does a beautiful job bringing to life, is that a super important part of dealing with any morbid treatment schedule, most of the time it isn't the rigmarole of the needles and drugs and unexpected nakedness and random strangers seeing your personal bits, but really the humiliation, or feeling humbled by the whole process. It's how your mind and spirit feels broken, how you constantly try so hard to get back in the driver's seat, try to get back in control, whether that's via food, exercise, supplements, or even alternate therapies like metal evaluation (this blew my mind!! 😂).
All in all, I loved this book, this is how memoirs should be.
I have to mention, the details of the emotions the author went through in the beginning made it seem a bit unbelievable, how could someone remember so much so vividly from the day of diagnosis? Sounded like someone knew there was a book coming out of this experience, although this doesn't take away from the book even a tiny bit.
Coming to the Audible/Storytel narration - doesn't translate well at all. I wish the narrator had either met the author, or maybe spoken to a couple of people who either knew her or had read the book and had an image in their mind of what she would sound like. I read the first ~40% of the book, and switching to the audiobook was a big disruption, because the image I had in my mind was of a sassy strong 40-something WOMAN, who took life head-on all the time, cancer or not. The audiobook narrator on the other hand sounded a bit more like a 20-something damsel in distress, who's tone didn't quite match the emotion in the book. I did have to struggle to ignore the voice and focus on the material.
So humour makes everything better, and this book just proves that beyond doubt. The most relatable parts of the book, are the denial in which Shormishtha is, for the large part. "This is surely cancer-lite. This is surely chemo-lite." This is how we think, isn't it? When shit really hits the fan, we tell ourselves, that it's ok, it can't be that bad, we are getting the better deal etc etc. Also, something Shormishtha does a beautiful job bringing to life, is that a super important part of dealing with any morbid treatment schedule, most of the time it isn't the rigmarole of the needles and drugs and unexpected nakedness and random strangers seeing your personal bits, but really the humiliation, or feeling humbled by the whole process. It's how your mind and spirit feels broken, how you constantly try so hard to get back in the driver's seat, try to get back in control, whether that's via food, exercise, supplements, or even alternate therapies like metal evaluation (this blew my mind!! 😂).
All in all, I loved this book, this is how memoirs should be.
I have to mention, the details of the emotions the author went through in the beginning made it seem a bit unbelievable, how could someone remember so much so vividly from the day of diagnosis? Sounded like someone knew there was a book coming out of this experience, although this doesn't take away from the book even a tiny bit.
Coming to the Audible/Storytel narration - doesn't translate well at all. I wish the narrator had either met the author, or maybe spoken to a couple of people who either knew her or had read the book and had an image in their mind of what she would sound like. I read the first ~40% of the book, and switching to the audiobook was a big disruption, because the image I had in my mind was of a sassy strong 40-something WOMAN, who took life head-on all the time, cancer or not. The audiobook narrator on the other hand sounded a bit more like a 20-something damsel in distress, who's tone didn't quite match the emotion in the book. I did have to struggle to ignore the voice and focus on the material.
November 26, 2021
This is an honest, from the heart book about a normal girl's life turned upside down because of cancer. Many things in this book resonated with me. Especially the way she was diagnosed and how she handled it afterwards was eerily similar to my own experience. I also liked how she walked through the whole experience holistically, not skimming over the uncomfortable and dirty parts and paying equal attention to the emotional upheaval. Kudos Shormistha for your first book. It's very interesting and well written.
November 7, 2021
Breasts, bra, nipple, cleavage – words that continue to make people uncomfortable! What happens when a person is diagnosed with breast cancer? Is it something to hush down? Should there be any shame?
We are obsessed with causality. We like to believe that there’s a reason behind everything. It might not seem so at present. Yet we connect the dots when we look back. This relationship between cause and effect is crucial in the face of arbitrariness. So is patience, to wait for the meaning, hoping there is one. And if not then we create one that satiates and validates our experience. We like to stay in control.
Cancer, You Picked The Wrong Girl is a true story of a 44-year-old Shormistha Mukherjee, an entrepreneur, who survived breast cancer. Upon her diagnosis, she made a decision that many people might not have been able to do – to talk about it as it is without any shame because it’s not even her fault to begin with!
Mukherjee’s life BC (Before Cancer, as she likes to call it) was consumed with work with little time left to spend with loved ones. Being diagnosed with breast cancer was not something that she could have possibly predicted. Her life, as she knew it, was about to change entirely and it did. Yet, in the midst of such upheaval, sank in the realisation of how loved she was, and how much she had missed spending time with the people she loved – a silver lining amidst buckets of puke and everything else that comes with the treatment.
Response to C-words, Cancer and Chemotherapy
As an outsider to the c-words, it often seems like a great tragedy has befallen a person. People who’ve survived cancer know that the more dreadful of the two is chemotherapy. When diagnosed with cancer, there’s sympathy, pity and unsolicited advices. What Mukherjee does is showcase the needs of a patient in great detail explaining what not to say to someone who’s just been diagnosed. Care and concern are appreciated, insensitivity isn’t. She does it with complete sass!
She doesn’t go into a spiral of depression as people expect her to. She’s willing to move forward with the healthy and workaholic life that she’s created for herself. Only to be hit by one earth shattering news after another. She has the most hilarious thoughts during what seem to be very serious tests. But her commentary of what went inside her head makes the reader chuckle every now and then. She’s the one who doesn’t accept defeat and that keeps her going irrespective of some extremely horrible days.
Surviving Cancer Requires Privilege
Mukherjee emphasises on medical insurance that includes critical illness right from the start. Coming from a middle class family, she might not have been able to afford the multiple visits to different doctors, various tests that one never hears of till they are in such a situation, the surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. The treatment is expensive and more importantly, it is available in India! It is common misconception that cancer can be treated only outside, perhaps deriving its roots from celebrity narratives.
Another point that the author gets right is focusing on finding a doctor you’re comfortable with. Anyone with an acute or chronic illness has seen their ‘self’ being reduced to a hospital number and a file that keeps growing thicker. It is crucial that your doctor makes you feel like a person, more so when you’re losing a part of you that’s socially seen as something that makes you a woman!
The depictions of grade 3 breast cancer and reconstruction are as personal as they can get. I think the most relatable part for any cancer survivor is the descriptions of hospital visits where you have the first glimpse of what the treatment might do to you – the most obvious one being baldness. Yet beyond that, the description of tube lights, using the washrooms, chemo wards are so on point that even though you know that something very serious is happening, you cannot help but laugh. You’ve been there and yes it feels exactly like that even in a private wing!
Why is this book important?
Mukherjee talks about the things that no one tends to mention. People mention the side effects of chemotherapy yet fail to mention the shame and the loss of dignity that comes with it. Hair fall is the most common side effect of chemo but it turns into a question on one’s self worth without any reasonable explanation. It’s just something that happens no matter how mature and old you are and it’s only the beginning. She fills the narrative with such remarks that many tend to brush off in order to showcase a blindly optimistic take on the situation!
The narration of the story is conversational. It includes bits of what people felt as the author took on this journey. This in itself becomes a manifestation of what a patient needs to be cautious about – it’s heartbreaking to see your loved ones suffer but you need to keep aside that guilt and prioritise yourself. It’s your battle, they are here to support you. It becomes the story of your loved ones too but the voice that tells it has to be yours! More so, when the disease continues to be a taboo topic. People are scared of cancer in itself, saying breast cancer adds more to it.
Drawing a balance between mental health and physical health, Shormistha Mukherjee writes a heart warming yet funny story of surviving breast cancer along with the breast reconstruction in such a way that just when you feel you want to enter her world whole heartedly, it comes to an end. You want to know the person, talk to her and every single person she mentions in the book. She beads precautions, mistakes, suggestions and lessons on an thread of humour! Cancer, You Picked the Wrong Girl is exactly what it claims to be, a lively depiction of survival that challenges the disease!
As does the cute bra on the cover!
Favourite quote from the book:
“Because in that instant I decided none of this was my fault. I had nothing to hide. I was not going to blame myself, or keep it a secret. It was cancer. The doctor said it was treatable. So that was it. There was some giant lucky draw that happened in the sky, or rather, some giant not-so-lucky draw, and I got picked. That was it.”
Rating: 3.5/5
added link: https://www.womensweb.in/2021/11/canc...
We are obsessed with causality. We like to believe that there’s a reason behind everything. It might not seem so at present. Yet we connect the dots when we look back. This relationship between cause and effect is crucial in the face of arbitrariness. So is patience, to wait for the meaning, hoping there is one. And if not then we create one that satiates and validates our experience. We like to stay in control.
Cancer, You Picked The Wrong Girl is a true story of a 44-year-old Shormistha Mukherjee, an entrepreneur, who survived breast cancer. Upon her diagnosis, she made a decision that many people might not have been able to do – to talk about it as it is without any shame because it’s not even her fault to begin with!
Mukherjee’s life BC (Before Cancer, as she likes to call it) was consumed with work with little time left to spend with loved ones. Being diagnosed with breast cancer was not something that she could have possibly predicted. Her life, as she knew it, was about to change entirely and it did. Yet, in the midst of such upheaval, sank in the realisation of how loved she was, and how much she had missed spending time with the people she loved – a silver lining amidst buckets of puke and everything else that comes with the treatment.
Response to C-words, Cancer and Chemotherapy
As an outsider to the c-words, it often seems like a great tragedy has befallen a person. People who’ve survived cancer know that the more dreadful of the two is chemotherapy. When diagnosed with cancer, there’s sympathy, pity and unsolicited advices. What Mukherjee does is showcase the needs of a patient in great detail explaining what not to say to someone who’s just been diagnosed. Care and concern are appreciated, insensitivity isn’t. She does it with complete sass!
She doesn’t go into a spiral of depression as people expect her to. She’s willing to move forward with the healthy and workaholic life that she’s created for herself. Only to be hit by one earth shattering news after another. She has the most hilarious thoughts during what seem to be very serious tests. But her commentary of what went inside her head makes the reader chuckle every now and then. She’s the one who doesn’t accept defeat and that keeps her going irrespective of some extremely horrible days.
Surviving Cancer Requires Privilege
Mukherjee emphasises on medical insurance that includes critical illness right from the start. Coming from a middle class family, she might not have been able to afford the multiple visits to different doctors, various tests that one never hears of till they are in such a situation, the surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. The treatment is expensive and more importantly, it is available in India! It is common misconception that cancer can be treated only outside, perhaps deriving its roots from celebrity narratives.
Another point that the author gets right is focusing on finding a doctor you’re comfortable with. Anyone with an acute or chronic illness has seen their ‘self’ being reduced to a hospital number and a file that keeps growing thicker. It is crucial that your doctor makes you feel like a person, more so when you’re losing a part of you that’s socially seen as something that makes you a woman!
The depictions of grade 3 breast cancer and reconstruction are as personal as they can get. I think the most relatable part for any cancer survivor is the descriptions of hospital visits where you have the first glimpse of what the treatment might do to you – the most obvious one being baldness. Yet beyond that, the description of tube lights, using the washrooms, chemo wards are so on point that even though you know that something very serious is happening, you cannot help but laugh. You’ve been there and yes it feels exactly like that even in a private wing!
Why is this book important?
Mukherjee talks about the things that no one tends to mention. People mention the side effects of chemotherapy yet fail to mention the shame and the loss of dignity that comes with it. Hair fall is the most common side effect of chemo but it turns into a question on one’s self worth without any reasonable explanation. It’s just something that happens no matter how mature and old you are and it’s only the beginning. She fills the narrative with such remarks that many tend to brush off in order to showcase a blindly optimistic take on the situation!
The narration of the story is conversational. It includes bits of what people felt as the author took on this journey. This in itself becomes a manifestation of what a patient needs to be cautious about – it’s heartbreaking to see your loved ones suffer but you need to keep aside that guilt and prioritise yourself. It’s your battle, they are here to support you. It becomes the story of your loved ones too but the voice that tells it has to be yours! More so, when the disease continues to be a taboo topic. People are scared of cancer in itself, saying breast cancer adds more to it.
Drawing a balance between mental health and physical health, Shormistha Mukherjee writes a heart warming yet funny story of surviving breast cancer along with the breast reconstruction in such a way that just when you feel you want to enter her world whole heartedly, it comes to an end. You want to know the person, talk to her and every single person she mentions in the book. She beads precautions, mistakes, suggestions and lessons on an thread of humour! Cancer, You Picked the Wrong Girl is exactly what it claims to be, a lively depiction of survival that challenges the disease!
As does the cute bra on the cover!
Favourite quote from the book:
“Because in that instant I decided none of this was my fault. I had nothing to hide. I was not going to blame myself, or keep it a secret. It was cancer. The doctor said it was treatable. So that was it. There was some giant lucky draw that happened in the sky, or rather, some giant not-so-lucky draw, and I got picked. That was it.”
Rating: 3.5/5
added link: https://www.womensweb.in/2021/11/canc...
January 7, 2022
Me and many of my friends are close to being 40. That’s when all the nonsense starts. Cholesterol, B.P., Diabetes, reading glasses and for some of us - Cancer.
I’m sure we know people who had cancer. They’ve either beaten it or in the process of a multi-year world-war and literally fighting for their life. One of the problem is the crazy level of secrecy around Cancer. Sometimes I think people are almost ashamed to talk about it like it were a STD.
Cancer, you picked the wrong girl is written by Shormistha, a cancer survivor herself. She’s a bong, a Bandra girl and loves cycling. Imagine Alia Bhatt in a Karan Johar movie writing in Bombay Times style Hinglish.
Shormistha takes us through a ring side view of her fight. I want to say that it’s about courage, fortitude, perseverance, etc etc but it’s not. The book is a laugh-riot and doesn’t try to be anything else.
This book is a good guide to know how it’s like after a mastectomy, PET scan and chemotherapy. You can read about nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and chemo-menopause.
Friends, relatives and colleagues of survivors are all affected by Cancer and this book is a good guide to what a patient goes through. I’ve shared some excerpts from the book on my Goodreads page. Check them out or just buy the book.😛
I’m sure we know people who had cancer. They’ve either beaten it or in the process of a multi-year world-war and literally fighting for their life. One of the problem is the crazy level of secrecy around Cancer. Sometimes I think people are almost ashamed to talk about it like it were a STD.
Cancer, you picked the wrong girl is written by Shormistha, a cancer survivor herself. She’s a bong, a Bandra girl and loves cycling. Imagine Alia Bhatt in a Karan Johar movie writing in Bombay Times style Hinglish.
Shormistha takes us through a ring side view of her fight. I want to say that it’s about courage, fortitude, perseverance, etc etc but it’s not. The book is a laugh-riot and doesn’t try to be anything else.
This book is a good guide to know how it’s like after a mastectomy, PET scan and chemotherapy. You can read about nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and chemo-menopause.
Friends, relatives and colleagues of survivors are all affected by Cancer and this book is a good guide to what a patient goes through. I’ve shared some excerpts from the book on my Goodreads page. Check them out or just buy the book.😛
April 4, 2022
I have never known someone close to me fighting with cancer. So, I can lie all I want but the truth is, I have no clue what it’s like to be someone fighting with Cancer or to be their family member. I honestly, wouldn’t even know what to say to them.
But thanks to “Cancer. You picked the wrong girl”, I know what not to say. They don’t need to hear “It will all be ok” by another person especially when nothing is certain in life. and they absolutely don’t need my advice. They already have plenty of it. But what they might really need is someone to just hold their hand, someone to just listen to them, be there for them. Sometimes silence does speak louder than words.
The author talks about her journey and her fight with cancer. But the story is much more than that. The author has poured all her raw thoughts and fears into the book. Her past, her present, and the transition. Her life, her fight with health problems in the past, her career, her family, and her fear that came along with the illness, the fear of how it was going to affect her family and work. The mental struggle to determine what was best for her recovery from choosing the right doctor, treatment, and beast reconstruction. The fight in deciding what the right thing was while holding herself together through that tough phase.
She not only showed how cancer changed her life but also how it affected the people around her. Some stayed by her side, some helped her whichever way possible. While some people didn’t know what to say or how to react, some people had a whole bunch of advice for.
While her friends, family and husband were her rock throughout her journey, I feel, she was her biggest strength. I’m stunned by how well she was able to hold herself and carry on with her life as normally as she could through all this. She took it as another challenge and instead of allowing cancer to take the happiness out of her life, she fought for it head on straight and won. And even while reliving through her fight with cancer once again while writing this book, the author somehow managed to keep it light. She managed to make me smile, laugh and be sad at the same time.
But thanks to “Cancer. You picked the wrong girl”, I know what not to say. They don’t need to hear “It will all be ok” by another person especially when nothing is certain in life. and they absolutely don’t need my advice. They already have plenty of it. But what they might really need is someone to just hold their hand, someone to just listen to them, be there for them. Sometimes silence does speak louder than words.
The author talks about her journey and her fight with cancer. But the story is much more than that. The author has poured all her raw thoughts and fears into the book. Her past, her present, and the transition. Her life, her fight with health problems in the past, her career, her family, and her fear that came along with the illness, the fear of how it was going to affect her family and work. The mental struggle to determine what was best for her recovery from choosing the right doctor, treatment, and beast reconstruction. The fight in deciding what the right thing was while holding herself together through that tough phase.
She not only showed how cancer changed her life but also how it affected the people around her. Some stayed by her side, some helped her whichever way possible. While some people didn’t know what to say or how to react, some people had a whole bunch of advice for.
While her friends, family and husband were her rock throughout her journey, I feel, she was her biggest strength. I’m stunned by how well she was able to hold herself and carry on with her life as normally as she could through all this. She took it as another challenge and instead of allowing cancer to take the happiness out of her life, she fought for it head on straight and won. And even while reliving through her fight with cancer once again while writing this book, the author somehow managed to keep it light. She managed to make me smile, laugh and be sad at the same time.
July 8, 2023
"Cancer, You Picked the Wrong Girl" by Shormistha Mukherjee is a compelling and inspiring true story of resilience, hope, and the indomitable human spirit. The author takes us on an emotional journey as she confronts the daunting challenge of battling cancer head-on.
In this book, She shares her personal experiences, capturing the rollercoaster of emotions, from fear and uncertainty to determination and triumph. Through her candid storytelling, she paints a vivid picture of the physical and emotional toll of the disease, while also highlighting the importance of unwavering support from loved ones and the strength found within oneself.
"In the darkest moments, light has a way of shining through, reminding us that even in the depths of despair, there is always a glimmer of hope."
Mukherjee's unwavering spirit and her ability to find strength in the face of adversity is something which makes this a must read for everyone who has been related to this disease anyhow. She beautifully depicts the power of hope, the resilience of the human spirit, and the determination to live life to the fullest despite the challenges.
It is a profoundly moving and inspirational true story that reminds us of the strength and resilience that lies within each one of us. The way she has humorously portrayed the story of struggle and delved into the psyche of individuals during tough times is truly inspiring. Shormistha Mukherjee's bravery and positivity in the face of cancer make this book a testament to the power of the human spirit.
In this book, She shares her personal experiences, capturing the rollercoaster of emotions, from fear and uncertainty to determination and triumph. Through her candid storytelling, she paints a vivid picture of the physical and emotional toll of the disease, while also highlighting the importance of unwavering support from loved ones and the strength found within oneself.
"In the darkest moments, light has a way of shining through, reminding us that even in the depths of despair, there is always a glimmer of hope."
Mukherjee's unwavering spirit and her ability to find strength in the face of adversity is something which makes this a must read for everyone who has been related to this disease anyhow. She beautifully depicts the power of hope, the resilience of the human spirit, and the determination to live life to the fullest despite the challenges.
It is a profoundly moving and inspirational true story that reminds us of the strength and resilience that lies within each one of us. The way she has humorously portrayed the story of struggle and delved into the psyche of individuals during tough times is truly inspiring. Shormistha Mukherjee's bravery and positivity in the face of cancer make this book a testament to the power of the human spirit.
March 19, 2022
We can’t always control what happens to us but we can control how we act in the face of adversity. Shormistha Mukherjee did just that when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, detailing her entire journey from diagnosis to treatment in her book “Cancer you picked the wrong girl” The book is what I’d assume the author is like in real life, honest, hilarious and gutsy. Everyone’s experiences are different so I wouldn’t recommend you to take this as a holy grail for all things cancer related and you don’t have to be suffering from cancer to relate to this book either. It’s the author’s personal humour filled take on her journey of dealing with something so debilitating and devastating with so much vigour and optimism and I for one found that extremely endearing and inspiring. Came to me at the perfect time which seems almost synchronic looking back. I was left with tears in my eyes and immense gratitude in my heart
February 8, 2022
Great information related to cancer patients. The story is very much related to me. My mother is having cancer uff breast cancer as the word is less scary with 8 chemotherapy sittings, surgery and 25 radiation’s.
In story I can relate the character to life as:
Anirban - venkatesh
Shormistha - Hazarathamma (breast cancer patient)
Some of the friends like Sarasvathi and Nirmala who continuously taken care of my mother Hazarathamma.
One more to mention while having chemotherapy if there is a blood clot in your hand then they will go with the central line near the neck.
In story I can relate the character to life as:
Anirban - venkatesh
Shormistha - Hazarathamma (breast cancer patient)
Some of the friends like Sarasvathi and Nirmala who continuously taken care of my mother Hazarathamma.
One more to mention while having chemotherapy if there is a blood clot in your hand then they will go with the central line near the neck.
December 5, 2022
Cancer, You Picked The Wrong Girl might be about a woman’s journey to beat breast cancer, but in reality, it teaches many lessons about life. This non-serious, non-fiction book makes one ponder the lessons learnt from a horrific experience.
You can read my full review on my blog
https://undecidedindubai.wordpress.co...
You can read my full review on my blog
https://undecidedindubai.wordpress.co...
June 21, 2025
I think everyone should read it once... the author has written her thoughts down. It's not a sad book, it's an inspiration, how she fought with breast cancer 6 I love how she made sure to give us information by using light, humourous tone and not frightening one. Also she has THE best people around her!
Loved the book!
Loved the book!
July 18, 2022
Shormishta, so effortlessly puts across her win over cancer while gripping the reader with her instantaneous humor. A good read in understanding that will power goes a long way in helping us achieve a lot of things
December 26, 2021
Great book - motivation for anyone who is fighting the dreaded C
March 28, 2023
This book is so bad its not even funny, I was surprised it even on published. Its all over the place!
February 2, 2025
Very much needed and refreshing. Just talk about it, say the name: cancer! Make it casual.
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