A Series of Catastrophes and Miracles

A wry, witty account of what it is like to face death-and be restored to lifeAfter being diagnosed in her early forties with metastatic melanoma-a "rapidly fatal" form of cancer-journalist and mother of two Mary Elizabeth Williams finds herself in a race against the clock. She takes a once-in-a-lifetime chance and joins a clinical trial for immunotherapy, a revolutionary drug regimen that trains the body to vanquish malignant cells. Astonishingly, her cancer disappears entirely in just a few weeks. But at the same time, her best friend embarks on a cancer journey of her own-with very different results.Williams' experiences as a patient and a medical test subject reveal with stark honesty what it takes to weather disease, the extraordinary new developments that are rewriting the rules of science-and the healing power of human connection.