Round the Twist: Facing the Abdominable
Memoir of a Young Cancer Survivor
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"It's a heavy burden being a young cancer survivor," the words at the heart of the debut novel by Lisa Febre, drive her to find purpose and meaning in a life unexpectedly consumed by a diagnosis of late-stage colon cancer at the age of 47. She reveals her deeply emotional journey with raw intensity, humor, and heartbreaking honesty.
“Round The Twist is a memoir about being incredibly alive and deeply loved, crackling with detail, intensity, and wit. A balm for the soul, a love story in disguise.”
Accolades
5-Stars: Readers' Favorite
2023 Finalist: Wishing Shelf Book Awards (Adult Nonfiction)
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Coming October 2024:
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The second installment in the "Abdominable Series" is set to launch in October 2024!
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After a year-long battle with Stage 4C Colon Cancer, chemotherapy and radiation treatments were over, she was technically disease free, and it was time to celebrate that success. She never expected how difficult it would be to transition from colon cancer patient to colon cancer survivor.
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Beginning a new regimen of treatments meant to prevent a recurrence, she faced the daunting task of returning to her former life. Plagued with debilitating panic attacks, she turns to nature to find the strength and inspiration she needs to navigate her rocky post-cancer recovery.
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Welcome to the Bright chronicles the year after Lisa's first clear scan and her discovery that the path through the second half of her life is going to be a long and winding road. Becoming a survivor is just the beginning.
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The early reviews are in:
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"Febre's writing is at its most lyrical, starting off quietly and gently, then swelling to a crescendo of awe before calming to a resolute whisper of self-affirmation. Welcome to the Bright is a celebration not only of the life we've lived, but of the living we have yet to do." —Troy Hollan, Award-winning author of Clucked
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"Lisa Febre’s heartfelt retelling is a wakeup call for all of us who know and love someone who has gone through cancer treatment only to discover that our loved ones continue to struggle with long-lasting physical and psychological effects well after they no longer physically look like a cancer patient." —Barbara A. Luker, Author of The Right One
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"Honest, gripping, tender and fearless, Lisa’s journey resonates not only with cancer survivors, but with anyone who has experienced profound trauma and must find a way back from it in order to go on with life." —Toni Runkle, author of The Pirate's Curse: Brigands of the Compass Rose and Glitter Girl
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Reviews
"Able to make you weep one moment and then guffaw the next, Lisa's book is a beautifully written testament to the power of love, friendship, and self-worth."
Lisa Febre
Lisa Febre burst onto the writing scene in 2023 with her first book, a memoir about her battle with Stage-4 Colon Cancer titled Round The Twist: Facing the Abdominable. The book was well received, earning a 5-Star review from Readers’ Favorite, a Sublime Book Review rating of 5/5, and placing in the Finalist Category of several book awards. Kirkus Reviews called the book “an engaging and unsentimental remembrance of fighting illness," and gave it a “get it” recommendation. ChickLitCafé called it “a wonderful, gentle reminder that each day is a gift.”
The second book in the series, Welcome to the Bright, has already received enthusiastic early reviews, calling it “a celebration not only of the life we’ve lived but of the living we have yet to do.” The book is set to launch in October 2024. She is already working on the third and final installment.
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An early adopter of the blog format in the late 1990s, she has been writing about music, teaching, food, and fitness for over two decades, and has had several articles on veganism and eating disorders printed in the Canadian publication T.O.F.U. Magazine. Round the Twist is her first published full-length book.
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Lisa grew up in Rochester, NY, and slowly made her way across the country until she finally landed in Los Angeles. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Ithaca College, and performs throughout the L.A. area as a freelance cellist. A lifelong practitioner of Ashtanga yoga, she is also an avid trail runner and hiker, and volunteers with the California State Parks Department.
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Lisa lives in Chatsworth CA with her husband, Composer Louis Febre, son Andrew, and two rescue dogs: Dusty & Luna
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Lisa is available for speaking engagements at cancer wellness centers, ostomy and cancer support groups, book readings, and other events that bring positivity and peace to anyone with cancer and the people who love them.
Lisa is a Mentor with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance (CCA) and has written several articles for the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) website.
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Lisa is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
"You will be inspired by what can be accomplished through courage, tenacity, spirituality, and hope."
Round the Twist
"Gone ‘round the twist” is slang that implies someone has gone crazy. Certainly, with my cancer diagnosis, my life went ‘round the twist. The visual of going down the U-bend in a pipe appealed to me as an allusion to the sigmoid colon (the body’s U-bend) and to describe this whole crazy experience with colon cancer.
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This story is my version of the events that transpired after my diagnosis, pieced together from my sketchy memory, peppered with stories my husband told me of events of which I have no memory, and the many journal entries I wrote during this period of my life. I have changed a few of the names for privacy and moved some events around in time for narrative purposes, but everything included in this story happened.
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©LisaFebre2023
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(You'll just have to read the book to find out where the term, "The Abdominable," came from...)
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