Why we recommend it
This memoir explores the experience of illness and survivorship, focusing on identity, loss of normal life, and the transition back into everyday reality. It helps readers process feelings of disconnection, grief for their “old life,” and the challenges of rebuilding meaning after cancer.
About this bookA Journey from Illness to Recovery
Suleika Jaouad's memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, is a poignant exploration of the journey from diagnosis to healing. After graduating college, Suleika was ready to embrace her dreams in Paris, only to face an unexpected battle with leukemia. This narrative captures her transformation from a young woman with aspirations of becoming a war correspondent to a patient fighting for survival.
From Hospital Beds to Open Roads
The memoir takes readers through the harrowing years spent in hospital wards, enduring chemotherapy, clinical trials, and a bone marrow transplant. Yet, the journey doesn't end with a cure. Jaouad's story is about the struggle to find a new normal, to live beyond survival. She embarks on a 100-day, 15,000-mile road trip across America with her dog, Oscar, seeking connection and understanding from those who reached out to her during her illness.
A Universal Tale of Resilience and Rebirth
Through encounters with diverse individuals—a teenager recovering from cancer, a grieving teacher, and a death-row inmate—Jaouad discovers the fluidity between sickness and health. Her memoir is a testament to human resilience and the perpetual quest for meaning and belonging. Between Two Kingdoms is a deeply moving narrative that inspires readers to reflect on their own journeys of healing and self-discovery.
