A Lucky Life Interrupted: A Memoir of Hope

Anyone who is familiar with Tom Brokaw’s journalism knows he has had a lucky life. He has reported the news from all over the world and remains a voice of baby boomers everywhere, even today, well into his seventies. But Brokaw was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that also affects bones, in his early seventies. Brokaw’s new book, A Lucky Life Interrupted: A Memoir of Hope, is Brokaw’s diary during the time of his cancer treatment. During that time, Brokaw fought his battles with cancer privately, letting his wife know, as well as a few close friends. Brokaw details the moment he found out about his cancer, as well as the day-in, day-out routine of his treatment. Like a good journalist, Brokaw makes connections between himself and those his age with similar health problems. He documents his state of mind during treatment. He even includes medical facts about his illness, as well as statistics about the state of the health care system today. Interwoven in his narrative are anecdotes about his fellow journalists and foreign dignitaries he met in remote corners of the world as well as all of the opportunities that have been afforded to him in his long, storied career.

I definitely found hope in Brokaw’s story. While his book, The Greatest Generation, discusses baby boomers and their impact on American life, A Lucky Life Interrupted seems to find hope in the future, in children, in the country and in the young doctors who treat aging cancer patients.