Hidden: young single cancer by Annabel Chown

Release: March 11th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Blue Door Press
Source: Love Books Tours
Find it at: Amazon UK

Annabel lies awake in the early hours after a night partying. She’s not worrying about how to get rid of an unsuitable man in her bed, but what to do about the hard lump she’s found on her left breast. An absorbing story of what happens when life swerves in unimaginable directions.

At the age of thirty-one – a successful architect and a single Londoner – Annabel has breast cancer. Overnight, her quest for love turns into a fight for life, and more.

Plunged into a world of treatment, which she keeps hidden from all but those closest to her, she learns a new way of living in London, a city whose moods and seasons reflect her own.

Hidden is a memoir of great courage and determination, told with wry humour and an architect’s eye. The story of how Annabel rebuilds her future will bring hope to anyone whose life radically changes unexpected.

About the Author:

Annabel Chown was born in London and read Architecture at Cambridge University. She worked as an architect for leading London practices and taught architectural design at Kingston University, then at thirty-one she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She started making notes while going through treatment and discovered a passion for writing.

‘Hidden’, her memoir about having cancer while young and single, emerged from this. Her writing about breast cancer has been published in ‘The Daily Telegraph’ and ‘Red’ magazine. Annabel is also a yoga teacher. She loves cities, particularly London, and food.

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Hidden: young single cancer Review:

Hidden is a beautiful book that depicts the seriousness of cancer, and was a very interesting book to read.

This is one is a hard book to read only because of its subject matter. The author did a very nice job of describing the various reactions Annabel has over her treatments. Moreover, she describes all the scenarios in a heart wrenching, realistic manner. My heart went out to Annabel as soon as the story started. Also, there are so many things she goes through like becoming thin, constantly vomiting, freezing eggs, chemotherapy, body pains, low self-esteem, wearing a wig etc. Hence, the author does not shy away from the gruesome details and depicts the harsh realities of a cancer patient. However, she also spins the events in a positive and hopeful manner.

Similarly, the supporting characters are drawn out well. I really liked how her mother and friends, Anat, Paola and Ioana support her during this phase of her life. Even when she is very difficult and lashes out to them, her family still stay by her side. It was also interesting to see Annabel’s love interests like Andreas, Vincent, Adam, Sean and Mark. I liked that the main character never gave up hope and still continued to try to live her life in a normal manner. Also, I feel like this is a book that anyone going through this process should read, to motivate them to a better future.

However, the only minor issue I had with the story was the pacing. The plot staggers at certain parts where nothing much happens. Annabel keeps reminiscing about her life before cancer at times, and some of the dialogues felt repetitious. Apart from that, this was a heart-warming story that I enjoyed reading.