Deborah Masel (–2011)

I wanted to like this book. I wanted to like this author, to ride her fearful journey of life’s cruel detours that rip apart one’s world; to learn if or how Masel reinvents her life, or whatever would be left of it, or how one crumbles under the weight of the actualization of uncertainty and the fear of pain, mortality, and the manifold losses of mourning one’s health in rebellion.

Instead, I found myself unenamored by her story, her storytelling and structure, and her inconsistent writing style, waffling between bland, banal, and underwritten to its opposite - overwritten sections that popped out as much as they seemed to be dropped in and revised again and again until any lyric was overturned by over-punctuation, over- and under- writing, detailed in the easiest parts of life’s lessons and skimming over a forced religious spirituality that Masel used to cope with her triumph through cancer; a triumph that was revealed way too early in the story, among other details that could have been delayed to keep the reader invested in the unfolding of her experience, or the deftness of seasoned writing.

It’s valiant to share one’s darkest, most frightening experiences with the world, an unknown readership of whom most may not be able to relate, and if Deborah Masel accomplished the goals she set out in her memoir, to “share,” even the unsavviest reader might be filled with empathy and a more sympathetic view toward the cancer fighters, succumb-ors, or survivors in their lives - an epidemic that most likely has six degrees less than our normal seven degrees of separation.

As I wrote notes in the borders of the novel’s pages intended to explicate, my observations turned to bountiful edits - punctuation, phrasing, paragraph starts and stops, word choices, copious hackneyed phrases, telling, telling, telling, rather than showing us the way into her struggle and redemption and a unique way that she may have discovered to live through dying and the often heart-rendering story of redemption of life over death, or death over life.… (lisätietoja)

Soul to Soul by Deborah Masel is a moving memoir from a woman whose faith shouts out from the pages even while the darkness creeps between every word, every line. It took me some to finish this book as I had a family member and co-worker who were dealing with their own battles with cancer and a granddaughter-to-be who was diagnosed with anencephaly, a condition which is 100% fatal and the darkness in the book was overwhelming at times. But the faith called me back to continue reading and gave me hope. Masel is a remarkable woman who has blessed all who read this book by sharing a part her journey.… (lisätietoja)

Soul to soul is, in my opinion, a compelling read regarding the journey one takes from learning about illness to acceptance of it and the repercussions it has on one's self.

Deborah Masel does not mince words in describing her journey upon learning she has metastatic breast cancer. It took her almost three years to write her book, a book filled with so many emotions, within the backbone of logic. Her descriptions of her feelings and roller coaster of emotions is vividly described within the pages.

Her struggles brought upon by her illness heightened her religious foundation through her readings of the Torah scholar Kalonymus Kalman Shapira. Although he was murdered during the Holaocaust, he became her mentor. She thrived on his words, and they brought her comfort during times of extreme distress, while dealing with her illness.

While focusing on life's beauty, the Rebbe's words, positive and heartfelt compassion from friends, she was able to accept her cancer, and accept the fact that her life would come to an end, sooner than she expected it to.

I highly recommend this book for many reasons, including its inspirational content. Masel's writing is forthright and filled with the struggles one endures while trying to accept a disease that has taken over her body. Soul to Soul is a legacy to those who are suffering illnesses that may or may not be terminal. It is her legacy to her Jewishness and to her mentor, who was instrumental in guiding her spiritually through the most difficult and toughest of times.… (lisätietoja)