What People Are Saying about: Welcome to the Bright
Welcome To The Bright is an emotionally charged, compelling, and immersive read. Her narrative is filled with determination, hope, anxiety, and fear of the unknown, allowing readers to feel as though they are experiencing the journey alongside her. The book is a testament to her resilience and the profound transformation she undergoes. —Literary Titan
Welcome to the Bright follows up on Lisa Febre’s first book entitled Round the Twist. This second memoir chronicles her life since being told she had no visible signs of cancer left in her body. She is officially a colon cancer survivor, but the battle is far from over. Lisa needs to take on a new regimen of treatments and deal with the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of cancer on her life.
With raw honesty and unflinching courage, Lisa invites readers into the depths of her soul as she navigates the treacherous waters of post-cancer life. Lisa’s journey is a testament to the indomitable human spirit, as she grapples with the debilitating panic attacks that threaten to consume her. Her story is both touching and inspiring, as she shares the intimate details of her struggles. With exceptional writing skills, the author immerses us in her heart-wrenching journey. Lisa’s determination to rebuild her life, brick by brick, is a beacon of hope for anyone facing adversity. This memoir is a must-read for anyone who has been touched by cancer, or simply for those seeking a story of unwavering human spirit. —Sublime Book Review
Welcome to the Bright by Lisa Febre is an honest account of the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of cancer and its treatment. Febre portrays a raw and unflinching examination of her inner struggles, showing both the highs and lows of her emotional journey. I've read a fair share of memoirs, but this ranks among the most candid, if not the most candid. There is one part where Febre writes about the stress and guilt she feels over her sexless marriage, and the night she breaks down in tears, feeling like a failure as a wife. This moment is a powerful illustration of how her illness affects her self-esteem and personal relationships and made me empathize deeply with her experience. The writing is conversational in style and comes across as a heart-to-heart with a witty, intelligent, and sympathetic friend. Readers who are looking for work that has both substance and style will find it here. Very highly recommended.​—Asher Syed, for Readers’ Favorite
“Welcome to the Bright” is a deeply moving and inspirational memoir that offers a unique perspective on the cancer journey. Lisa’s resilience and her determination to find positivity and hope, even in the darkest times, is a testament to human strength and willpower. She transforms her fear and pain into a story of survival, demonstrating that it is possible to find light even in the bleakest circumstances.
“Welcome to the Bright” is highly recommended for cancer patients and survivors, as well as their families and friends. It offers a comforting sense of solidarity and valuable insights into the emotional and physical challenges of cancer. Healthcare professionals, especially those working in oncology, can also benefit from reading this book to gain a deeper understanding of the patient’s perspective. Additionally, readers who enjoy personal memoirs and stories of overcoming adversity will find this book compelling and inspirational. —Robert Atunda, for OnlineBookClub.org
"Welcome to the Bright is a glorious testimony to the choices one remarkable young cancer survivor makes both in struggling to navigate post-cancer recovery, and in reflecting on and finding purpose in the life she’s lived so far. With honesty, introspection, and wry humor, Febre shines a light on her year after the first clear scan is received, chronicling the debilitating effects of adjuvant therapy, her struggles to move back into a life she’s been denied for so long, and the looming fear that the cancer will return. With grit, grace, and humor, Febre explores a life in which she has not only surrendered to but embraced change and a new way of being. With faith in herself, hunger for knowledge, and the security of being loved, she sets off on a new journey to find her way back to herself. Drawing hauntingly beautiful parallels between her own experience and the rhythms of the California wilderness in which she immerses herself, Febre spins a captivating and comforting narrative about the power of the self, community, and love. Turning outward, connecting to the vastness of the natural world, Febre’s writing is at its most lyrical, starting off quietly and gently, then swelling to a crescendo of awe before calming to a resolute whisper of self-affirmation. Welcome to the Bright is a celebration not only of the life we’ve lived but of the living we have yet to do.”
—Troy Hollan, Award-winning author of “Clucked”
Welcome To The Bright is an open and sometimes brutally honest recounting of the author’s attempt to return to normal following invasive and ravaging Stage IV colon cancer treatments. It’s every cancer survivor’s dream to get back to “normal,” but all too often, the damage done by the very treatments meant to save a life have changed that life forever in ways that will have lasting and sometimes life-altering side effects. Author Lisa Febre’s heartfelt retelling is a wakeup call for all of us who know and love someone who has gone through cancer treatment only to discover that our loved ones continue to struggle with long-lasting physical and psychological effects well after they no longer physically look like a cancer patient. A must read for all! —Barbara A. Luker, Author of “The Right One”
In Welcome to the Bright, Lisa continues her symbiotic and spiritual relationships with flora and fauna as she did in Round the Twist—the metaphors continuing as a comforting through line.Reengaging with friends and family after the trauma of cancer, she learned when to lean on her loved ones and caregivers, while always feeling the comforting embrace of Mother Nature. Lisa challenges readers to understand what it feels like to summon the unfair amount of strength necessary to conquer the anxiety she felt in her post-disease universe. Welcome to the Bright makes sense of common and complex emotions. “Be it bad or good,” we’re gifted permission to feel them. Like a park ranger, Lisa has mapped out her journey to bury PTSD into fertile ground and nurture its growth into something as resilient as the manzanita trees she admires during her hikes. —Traci Asher, Author of “1 Cancer Patient”
With humor and heart, Lisa Febre shares her struggle to regain a new normal as she transitions from cancer patient to cancer survivor. This brave memoir addresses the less-discussed aspects of cancer recovery, including female sexual dysfunction, hair regrowth, the emotional challenges of weight gain, and the lurking fear that remission could be transient. Febre’s eloquent narrative draws parallels between her own journey and the fate of the Miranda Trail she so loves to hike. A truly empowering read that reminds us to care for our loved ones long after the visible challenges of disease have faded. — Niamh McAnally, Award nominated author of Flares Up
Lisa Febre’s sequel to Round the Twist invites the reader into a cancer survivor’s viewpoint of her new world, which varies from joyful to cautious to angry to heartbreaking. Again, I learned so much about the effects of cancer, not only on the person themselves but also the people around them, things I never imagined. Skillfully written, the author opens her heart and soul to share her experience with a disease that ravaged her body and spirit, and changed her perspective on life, relationships, and daring to hope. —AJ McCarthy, Award-winning author of the “Charlie & Simm” series.
After Survival Comes Healing. Lisa Febre once again shares her heart, her soul, and her journey in this latest look at her life following a diagnosis of colon cancer. And she does it with brutal honesty and her expressive, yet poignant parallels. Her way of comparing the natural world to the human body first amazed me in Round the Twist and now does it again in this book. The first step after a cancer diagnosis is surviving. What one does not often think about is the second step: healing. Ms. Febre’s latest work reminds us how while neither is easy, both are necessary in the process of not only surviving cancer but thriving in its frightening aftermath. We often feel that the aftermath of surviving a cancer diagnosis is smooth sailing. But Welcome to the Bright helps us to understand that survival is part of a whole new journey.
—Yvonne deSousa, author of “Shelter of the Monument”
Lisa Febre insightfully and poignantly explores the trauma that comes with being a cancer survivor. Rather than a happily ever after world, hers is a post war landscape where the joy of overcoming a death sentence is tempered by PTSD brought on by the battle. She must fight a new battle to reclaim her former self before cancer. A journey without roadmaps, Lisa approaches it with the same determination and self-awareness, she finds a path to psychic healing and acceptance of the new person she is after cancer. Honest, gripping, tender and fearless, Lisa’s journey resonates not only to cancer survivors, but to anyone who has experienced profound trauma and must find a way back from it in order to go on with life. —Toni Runkle, author of The Pirate's Curse: Brigands of the Compass Rose and Glitter Girl
Blooming flowers and deep alligator scars! Welcome to the year after, where no visible signs of disease doesn’t mean what you think it does. Lisa Febre pulls back the curtain—like no one else can—on cancer and its psychological toll post-treatment. Febre pens another gift!
—Cam Torrens, award-winning author of Stable and False Summit
.png)