Thank you to NetGalley, Skyhorse Publishing and Catherine Guthrie for an ARC ebook copy for review. As always, an honest review from me.

My honest to goodness first thoughts were something along the lines of, well this will be a depressing read. And in some ways it is. Cancer sucks. But the book is also educating, validating, inspiring, harrowing, and thought provoking. The intersection of medicine, feminism, and the LGBTQIA+ community is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Her story fills a gap of information and experiences that’s not discussed in the world of pink on pink on pink of breast cancer.

Flat gives a voice to women who choose not to have reconstructive breast surgery after a mastectomy. At first thought it seems like such a radical idea, but after reading I’ve become so much more educated the autonomy that women should have over their own bodies, especially when dealing with a health crisis. The story is not a happily ever after fluffy feel good Lifetime movie nor is it so utterly depressing, but a real life look at living with cancer and fighting for your life and happiness.

As I’m writing this I cannot think of anything negative to say about the book, so I’m bumping up the star rating to a 5.

While it’s a bit of a heavy topic, do yourself a favor and read the book. The discussions about health, feminism, the medical world, relationships, chronic illness and body autonomy are fascinating, necessary and impactful.

FLAT by Catherine Guthrie is a stunningly raw cancer memoir. When Guthrie is diagnosed with cancer in her late-30s, she has a tough decision to make. Does she do reconstruction? Go flat? Use prosthetic breasts? In the end, she decides to go flat. This memoir shares her story--her cancer journey--and how cancer affected her relationships, self-image, and her faith in the medical system. 

Cancer memoirs are always hard to read, and I've read several. On one hand, I always feel like a voyeur, viewing the grimness of someone else's life through my healthy, rose-tinted glasses. On the other hand, cancer runs rampant in my family, so it's only a matter of time before it hits closer to home than extended relatives. I'm in my early 30s, and I've had two mammograms and two ultrasounds to check out suspect lumps. While both lumps have been negative, I understand the fear and panic of the not knowing--the ultimate question of, is this lump benign, or is trying to kill me? 

FLAT was a wonderful memoir--beautifully written and easily read in a single sitting. It's raw, real, and hides nothing. Guthrie leaves herself bare as she discusses how cancer made her feel during those first days, the missed lump, and the physician's critical mistake. Her cancer journey was not short, and she actively battled the disease for over two years. With those years behind her, she continues lives in wait, not knowing if cancer will make a reappearance or if it's gone forever. 

Throughout her journey, her partner, Mary, was by her side. Mary is the partner everyone could hope to have in a life or death situation. She's calm, patient, and unfailing in her love and support as Guthrie made peace with her diagnosis. I fell in love with their love story as I read this memoir. 

What I liked best about this memoir is that it showed the good and bad. Guthrie did not sugar coat anything, and shared the range of emotions she experienced during those early days. Depression, joy, heart-ache, hope--all of those emotions radiated from the pages as I read. 

While this book wouldn't appeal to everyone, if you enjoy memoirs, I highly recommend you check this book out!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Equal parts memoir, medical mystery, and love story, Guthrie's true tale of her diagnosis and treatments for breast cancer is a compelling read. As a women's health journalist, she knows how to tell a medical story in an interesting way, and this was full of twists and turns. I was sad to reach the end, because I felt an emotional connection to her and to her family and her partner. This is sure to be a bestseller when it comes out in September.