Fight Back With Joy

“Fight Back with Joy: Celebrate More, Regret Less. Stare Down Your Greatest Fears” by Margaret Feinberg is a book that stays with you.It finishes with “Bonus Tracks” – “5 Things to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say,” applicable not only to a cancer patient but also to any serious situation; “8 Things Those Facing Crisis Can’t Tell You (But Wish They Could);” “6 Lessons I Learned from Crisis;” “A Letter from Leif,” Feinberg’s husband and chief caregiver; and a playlist of music to accompany each chapter.Each of the tracks (well, perhaps not the playlist) could have been books. Instead, they’re short, succinct summaries, wisdom learned the very hardest way – the wisdom that comes from living an experience that at many points could have ended in death.It was the bonus tracks, in fact, that punched home something I knew from the beginning of the book but which I don’t think I acknowledged. Books are objects, yes, objects you hold in your hands or view on an e-reader like Kindle. You enjoy them or you don’t; you learn from them or you don’t. Good books become part of you; the best books change your life.:Fight Back with Joy” is a giving book. Feinberg gives away a good part of herself in this book. One of the lessons she learned from her fight with breast cancer is that serious illness changes you. She may have been a giving person before it; she is a different giving person after it, a person who gives with God’s sense of giving.It is a generous book. That’s not a redundant statement. Feinberg is lavish with her giving in this book. Little is excluded. If you want to know what experimental chemotherapy is like, or what to expect when you first look in the mirror after a double mastectomy, you will find it here. Or what you experience when you hair falls out in clumps.You want to know how difficult a cancer fight is for the primary caregiver, you will find that, too.It is an honest book. Feinberg gets angry. She gets angry with God, with friends who don’t know what to say so they stop coming around, with her family, and with herself. There were days and times when she wanted to curl up in a ball and die.It is a courageous book. Even being on the other side of the cancer experience, and having survived the cancer, its treatment, and related surgeries, it is clear that Feinberg never quit, although there were times when she wanted to. She fought, she fought with everything she had, everything her husband had, what friends and family had. She fought, too, with what God had, and what He had from the beginning was no guarantee she would survive. She fought with faith.And “Fight Back with Joy” is a profoundly human book. Feinberg made a choice early on in dealing with the disease. She would fight with joy. There were days when there was no joy left, and yet it was still there. One of those days, when she found despair, led her to give away red balloons to fellow cancer patients and their families. She discovered the joy again, enough to continue the fight. And it is often the joy of a child, an adult who learns the joy of being a child of God.This is a book for those who suffer a serious illness, and those who don’t. This is a book for caregivers to learn what to expect, and for those who are never called upon to be caregivers. This is a book for women and for men. It is about shock, and fear, and joy, and depression, and despair, and faith, and giving in, and fighting on when there’s little left to fight with.This is a book that will change you.

"Joy is one of those words that has been overused, distorted into a cliche."I nodded in agreement as I read that statement in the first few pages of this book. I confess I'm one of those people who doesn't really understand it and too often relates it to happiness and/or my circumstances. Besides Margaret's brilliant Biblical teaching, I was drawn to read her latest book to better understand "joy."Margaret drew me into her 18 month battle with cancer. We visit her doctors, the wards at the hospital, her standing in front of the mirror to inspect the surgeon's handiwork and the downtime spent with her husband and puppy, Hershey. My eyes were never far from tears as my heart cried out for her but always awestruck at her bravery at sharing such details of the battle.As I read this inspirational book I was constantly reminded of Brene Brown's words, "Numbing the pain numbs the joy" as I believe that is how I've lived much of my life. Margaret stepped into her battle mindful of this and sought to discover joy. "No one is immune to sorrow, and only those who learn to grieve well can recapture the healing it brings." and "Running from sorrow will only take you to scary places."Embracing our pain and sorrows enables us to experience joy. The sense of being intentional about experiencing joy was a key point I took from the book. Whether it's in choosing to be alert to how we numb our pain, to loving intentionally with simple gestures as "thank you" and "I'm sorry," or something grander like giving everyone in the hospital ward a red balloon as Margaret did, grabbing a hold of joy is a choice we make.Often a challenging read, this is one of the books that lingers long after you've read it. As you'd expect, it's full of relevant Biblical illustrations, Margaret's sense of whimsy and brave storytelling. It also comes with some added extras at the end including tips on what to say to people going through a battle when you don't know what to say and from Leif, her husband, on how a caregiver should care for themselves.

I purchased this book as soon as it was available, because I wanted to know how to fight with joy. It is a beautiful book about joy, and about Margaret’s battle with cancer. She shares with us her physical, emotional and spiritual battles with cancer. Cancer is much more than a physical battle, this is why Margaret chooses to “Fight Back With Joy”! She uses all the medical tools available, surgery, chemo, and radiation. Through it all, she chooses joy. To share her joy with the other cancer patients, she handed them cheery red balloons, and gave them hugs. This book is about walking through this battle with a friend. Margaret brings you into her life, into her mind, and gives you a gift. She gives you joy. She gives you the weapon needed to fight any battle, JOY! Once you read this book, you will be able to fight your own battles, with joy. Being a cancer survivor, I identified with many of her feelings, and experiences with harsh cancer treatments. But “Fight Back With Joy” is not just about cancer, it is about any difficult times in life. I have always used prayer in difficult times, but now I will be able to use joy, too.

JOY doesn't mean everything, or anything, goes the way you want or expect. Learn to take what comes with joy in this book, and then share that joy with others. I love it! And I know it works because that is what I have been trying to do for years. This book articulates how to do it in all situations.

Absolutely delightful book following the authors journey with breast cancer and her attempts to fight back with joy. Easy to read. Loved it.

A MUST read!! Regardless of your season in life; everyone's journey at some point is filled with sorrow or pain. This book is so inspirational; not only to help with your own grasp of grief but how to be empathic to others. Tears are shared by all. Never be fearful of death; but be fearful if you ever forget God is with you always!!

This book met all my expectations. Feinberg writes from experience and a faith that feels real. This is the first book on joy where I could learn about the practical as well as the spiritual. It did my heart good... this gets a BIG recommend!

I enjoyed reading this as a reminder of the bible study I did a couple of yours ago. It reminds of some aspects and is well written, but does not go as deep as the bible study, so if that’s what you are looking for, it would have only three stars.

I bought the book for my friend who is going through cancer. I think it will be a good book to read.