“Round The Twist is a memoir about being incredibly alive and deeply loved, crackling with detail, intensity, and wit. A balm for the soul, a love story in disguise.”
Round the Twist: Facing the Abdominable
Memoir of a Young Cancer Survivor
Coming: September 2023
"It's a heavy burden being a young cancer survivor," the words at the heart of the debut novel by Lisa Febre, drive her to find purpose and meaning in a life unexpectedly consumed by a diagnosis of late-stage colon cancer at the age of 47. She reveals her deeply emotional journey with raw intensity, humor, and heartbreaking honesty.
What People Are Saying
Her inspirational soul emanates from every page as if she hasn't already given enough. Able to make you weep one moment and then guffaw the next, Lisa's book is a beautifully written testament to the power of love, friendship, and self-worth, and is essential reading for cancer sufferers, cancer survivors, or cancer curious. — Neil Baker, Author, Owner "April Moon Books"
"Round The Twist" is a memoir about being incredibly alive and deeply loved. Lisa Febre’s journey through the best and worst of what modern medicine has to offer is crackling with detail, intensity, and wit. A balm for the soul, a love story in disguise. — Emily Wright, Assistant Editor, Strings Magazine
"Round the Twist: Facing the Abdominable" is Lisa Febre’s detailed, raw, honest, humorous, and mesmerizing story about battling and surviving both cancer and the ensuing treatments. You will be inspired by what can be accomplished through courage, tenacity, spirituality, and hope. This is a must-read. — David B. Seaburn, Author of nine novels, most recently, "Give Me Shelter"
“Round The Twist: Facing The Abdominable” explains the author’s cancer journey with insight, humor, forethought, and empathy for not only other cancer patients but those who love and care for them. Lisa’s journey is not for the faint of heart; she lays her soul bare at a sometimes heartbreaking level. This book shines a spotlight on Lisa’s strength and courage while giving others hope that there is light at the end of the battle. — Barbara A. Luker, Author of several novels, most recently, "The Right One"
With heart and candor, Lisa welcomes you along on her harrowing journey with the sole purpose of helping others understand what it is like to endure all the tests, all the treatments, and all the ups and downs of fighting cancer. For those facing "The Big 'C' ", for those who know someone enduring the unimaginable, "Round the Twist" is a must-read. — Melinda Wolf, Writer, Editor
"Round the Twist: Facing the Abdominable" submerges you into the dark reality of a Stage-4 Cancer diagnosis where survival is the only option. An inspiring, emotional investment sending the eye-opening and powerful message that even when a diagnosis is dire, miraculous healing and restoration can happen. Truly inspiring! — Michelle A. Dick, Freelance Writer and Editor
"A story of cancer told with truth and inspiration. One doesn’t necessarily need positivity and resilience to survive a cancer diagnosis. But positivity and resilience are crucial if one is to thrive in the aftermath of such terrifying news. Lisa Febre is quintessential proof that these elements should be part of any treatment plan and she demonstrates that beautifully in her memoir." — Yvonne deSousa, author of "MS Madness!" and the soon to be released, "Shelter of the Monument"
Synopsis:
In 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic stretched into its second year, a different kind of disease was brewing inside of Lisa, a 47-year-old vegan and yoga practitioner. Without any of the classic risk factors or symptoms, she was desperate to rationalize away the obvious tumors on her scans, wanting to believe anything except cancer was possible.
The long and difficult journey to diagnosis was fraught with pitfalls and wrong turns, ambivalent doctors, and insensitive nurses. Through the efforts of a strong advocate, she was finally placed in the care of some of the best doctors Los Angeles has to offer, only to be devastated to learn that she had Stage-4C Colon Cancer.
Facing unspeakable odds, she dove head first into aggressive treatments that decimated her body but never destroyed her innate optimism and positivity.
Through the lens of the natural world around her, the young cancer survivor reveals the intensely private and deeply emotional aspects of fighting for her life. Sometimes with a pinch of humor but always with raw honesty, she holds on to bright hope that warmly invites you to share in her journey.
"You will be inspired by what can be accomplished through courage, tenacity, spirituality, and hope."
"Able to make you weep one moment and then guffaw the next, Lisa's book is a beautifully written testament to the power of love, friendship, and self-worth."
Lisa Febre
Lisa Febre began typing stories at the age of 8, which was just a few short years after she began playing the piano. An early adopter of the blog format in the late 1990s, she has been writing about music, teaching, food, and fitness for over two decades, and has had several articles on veganism and eating disorders printed in the Canadian publication T.O.F.U. Magazine. A devoted Ashtanga yogi, trail runner, and vegan, she credits her healthy habits for helping save her life from Stage-4C Colon Cancer in 2022.
"Round the Twist: Facing the Abdominable" is her first published novel, and hopefully not her last! Her music career has been through many metamorphoses, the most recent being a switch from oboe to cello, so she is not surprised to discover a new career in writing has emerged. She enjoys the challenge of a new direction.
Lisa lives in Chatsworth CA with her husband, Composer Louis Febre, son Andrew, and two rescue dogs: Dusty & Luna
Lisa is available for speaking engagements at cancer wellness centers, ostomy and cancer support groups, book readings, and other events that bring positivity and peace to anyone with cancer and the people who love them.
Round the Twist
"Gone ‘round the twist” is slang that implies someone has gone crazy. Certainly, with my cancer diagnosis, my life went ‘round the twist. The visual of going down the U-bend in a pipe appealed to me as an allusion to the sigmoid colon (the body’s U-bend) and to describe this whole crazy experience with colon cancer.
This story is my version of the events that transpired after my diagnosis, pieced together from my sketchy memory, peppered with stories my husband told me of events of which I have no memory, and the many journal entries I wrote during this period of my life. I have changed a few of the names for privacy and moved some events around in time for narrative purposes, but everything included in this story happened.
(You'll just have to read the book to find out where the term, The Abdominable, came from...)
Anticipated Release Date:
September 7, 2023
Published by Black Rose Writing
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