NEW RELEASE
Before I Go - Colleen Oakley (2015)
At 27, masters student Daisy has survived one bout of breast cancer but she now discovers that it has returned with a vengeance - and she only has months to live. Her biggest concern is what will happen to her domestically challenged husband, Jack. With Jack busy trying to finish up his veterinary degree, Daisy - a lover of organisation and lists - finds herself searching for someone to take care of him after she's gone. But the search for his new wife isn't something she can easily tick off her list - not least because she and Jack are struggling to come to terms with the inevitability of her illness. Although you know this isn't going to end well, this wasn't as heart-wrenching as I expected - and I mean that in a good way. The story is still powerfully emotional and captivating but those who fear a heavy and depressing read can rest assured, this is neither. Oakley explores Daisy's cancer diagnosis, her resulting grief and anger, and her changing relationships with others with complete assurance. It will be one of this year's must-reads.
In her debut novel Before I Go, Colleen Oakley has written about a woman with breast cancer who wants to find a new wife for her husband before she passes away. The summary says: "Twenty-seven-year-old Daisy already beat breast cancer three years ago. How can this be happening to her again? On the eve of what was supposed to be a triumphant "Cancerversary" with her husband Jack to celebrate three years of being cancer-free, Daisy suffers a devastating blow: her doctor tells her that the cancer is back, but this time it's an aggressive stage four diagnosis. She may have as few as four months left to live. Death is a frightening prospect - but not because she's afraid for herself. She's terrified of what will happen to her brilliant but otherwise charmingly helpless husband when she's no longer there to take care of him. It's this fear that keeps her up at night, until she stumbles on the solution: she has to find him another wife. With a singular determination, Daisy scouts local parks and coffee shops and online dating sites looking for Jack's perfect match. But the further she gets on her quest, the more she questions the sanity of her plan. As the thought of her husband with another woman becomes all too real, Daisy's forced to decide what's more important in the short amount of time she has left: her husband's happiness - or her own?" Before I Go is out in January 2015.