Better Off Bald by Andrea Wilson Woods

Synopsis: Memoir of young woman fighting for her sister diagnosed with stage IV liver cancer.

Writing Style: Straightforward, Passionate

Pacing: Fast (considering length)

Personal Highlights: What attracted me to wanting to read ‘better off bald’ was wanting to know how a young woman herself, handled caring for her young sister through this extremely challenging life event.

What struck me instantly, was the level of detail this memoir covers. Aside from the meticulous hard read, the narrative is crisp, passionate and straight to the point. I liked that. A lot. It made for an exceptionally informative read. I, as well, appreciated the transitioning of the narrative, in a back and forth fashion, allowing readers to learn a little about Adrienne through her own notes and backstory. ‘Build Your Bliss’… loved that quote. The chemo quilt was quite touching, as were Dr. Aquino’s words (page 172); which really stood out. Those were poignant words that might make readers appreciate ‘quality of life.’

‘better off bald’ contains a wealth of information that anyone can learn from, particularly caregivers of patients diagnosed with aggressive forms of cancer. Highly recommended.