Arthur W. Frank received the Natalie Davis Spingarn Writer's Award from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
in 1996. He teaches at the University of Calgary.
Summary
In this deeply affecting memoir, Arthur W. Frank explores the events of illness from within: the transformation
from person to patient, the pain, the wonder,and the ceremony of recovery. To illuminate what illness can teach
us about life, Frank draws upon his own encounters with serious illness -- a heart attack at age thirty-nine and,
a year later, a diagnosis of cancer. In poignant and clear prose, he offers brilliant insights into what happens
when our bodies and emotions are pushed to extremes. Ultimately, he examines what it means to be human.