Again and Again

Again and Again takes place in cancerland, a world no one wants to visit. The novel's story is told by Paula, a nurse, and Chloe, a 23-year-old with a terminal diagnosis. Chloe, fierce, fragile, passionate, generous and self-absorbed--yes, all those things--is determined to defeat her own death and to save four-year-old Colin, whose insurance company is refusing the treatment that can save his life. The two women and a handful of other patients embark on a quest that veers between comedy and tragedy. They help and encourage each other, weep and rejoice together, and refuse to give up a task that often seems impossible. After all, they reason, what do they have to lose? Again and Again is about illness, female bonding, love and fear, and the intense joy and vitality that can inform lives lived in the shadow of death.