Flying Crooked

You never know how you’d react if it happened to you, and the last thing I want is to dictate to people. I don’t wonder: why me? But: why not me?’ – Elizabeth GabrielThere are many books about the processes people go through when they discover they have cancer. What makes Flying Crooked different is the way in which Elizabeth Gabriel accepts the disease and its consequences. She continues to enjoy life, refuses radiotherapy and rejects the idea of wearing a prosthesis after one of her breasts has been removed. The choices she makes are in sharp contrast to those made by her ex-lover Simon when he, shortly after her operation, is diagnosed with prostate cancer. Their different ways of coping form a well-balanced diptych: on her part, acceptance and the peace that this brings, as opposed to, on his part, fighting and anger at the cost of precious energy and enjoyment. Flying Crooked describes the process of a search for balance. The open, direct and unsentimental manner in which Gabriel describes her decisions as well as her experiences in hospital and out of it are deeply refreshing. And yet this autobiographical novel is more than an account of coping with disease; it is an inspirational story of love and friendship and faith.