SECOND LIFE

Rating:
Summary: A riveting book
Review: This book is over twenty years old, yet I still read it every few years. In the late seventies Stephanie was a young New Yorker who seemed to have it all, a husband in the business world, a lovely daughter, another child on the way, and striking looks good enough for modeling. When her son arrives so early she delivers in her apartment this seems like a departure from the norm, but more is to come. In this searing book she reveals her oncoming illness, her affair with her doctor, and hints at issues in her relationship with her father. Yet Cook is intelligent and insightful and her journey with other cancer patients is clear and cooly compassionate. Cook's illness is eventually diagnosed and treated, but she and her husband go through terrible trials first. Although Cook handles strong material she does so without being sordid or overly confessional. This book was well received and Cook was profiled in People Magazine , although her husband and doctor reportedly had some issues with it. An internet search shows Cook is a an ad exec in New York. She certainly can write.