the woman who breathed two worlds by selina siak chin yoke

I started my research on the Internet, at the same time jotting down a story structure. I never met her, though I grew up listening to stories about the formidable woman who stood up for herself and, despite being uneducated, raised a family – a true role model in my profoundly patriarchal culture. Not long afterward, I recalled a dream I’d once had – of writing a novel loosely inspired by my great-grandmother’s life. I showed the story to a friend who is a professional developmental editor, and she encouraged me to continue writing. I had no idea what I was doing, except that the act of putting words onto a page made me feel better. Out of desperation I took her advice – and commenced a story about my grandfather’s favourite chair. I saw a counsellor at the cancer charity, MacMillan, who suggested a bout of creative writing. Little changed the ground beneath me seemed to have collapsed I could find no equilibrium. Photos from that period still make me cry.

Once the sessions ended, the level of medical support dropped. I knew where to go, whom to see, what to do. For as long as it lasted, I had a medical routine in place. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach, but the day also had a surreal quality, as if I were in someone else’s life.Ĭhemo took place over four months. This time, there was no escaping radio and chemotherapy: I had cancer. The moment came 10 years later, in a consulting room in London, when I was told that the lump under my left breast was malignant. I continued living the way I had, but swore that if I ever had another critical illness, I would alter my life. In many ways, it felt like a blip, not a brush with death. The event was serious, yet somehow also not. Because it was also benign, I was spared chemo and left the hospital after a week. The tumor was in an accessible spot and therefore operable. You might have thought that a brain tumor would be a wake-up call.

No doubt my employment history contributed: the jobs I held were interesting and generally well-paid. When I looked back, I wondered why I had delayed pursuing a passion for so long. And when the book made a strong emotional connection with readers, I began to understand how affirming it was to realise an ambition that touched me to my core. With the publication of my debut novel, The Woman who Breathed Two Worlds, by Amazon Crossing in 2016, I achieved a long-cherished dream.

The woman who breathed two worlds by selina siak chin yoke