It only gradually dawned on Robyn Michele Levy that something was wrong. Levy had a rigid left arm, frozen facial expressions and an embarrassing limp. She lost her job after five years of depression. But she resisted her doctor's suggestion that she might have Parkinson's - a neurodegenerative disease that usually strikes the elderly-even though her father had the disease and had exhibited similar symptoms. Most of Me (Greystone $21.95) describes how Levy was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's at age 43, then breast cancer eight months later. Along the way, she repairs a broken relationship with her daughter, re-connects with new and old friends, and gains a new appreciation for her husband, Bergen. Levy describes disease-coping mechanisms from deranged sexual fantasies about her dentist-turned-rock-star flossing her teeth to descriptions of her Cry Lady-a sobbing, blubbering woman that inhabited her body. It's proof positive that hardship can rekindle relationships, and a healthy mindset can overcome severe physical challenges. 978-1-55365-632-6

[BCBW 2012]