The Real Fight A Memoir of a Life Interrupted

Early in 2003, 21-year-old Taekwondo champion Kim Dalton was diagnosed with a rare and terminal form of cancer. This is her incredible account of coming to terms with the disease she calls Fred the Freak. An important feature of the book is the author's trenchant criticism of the cancer industry: the inspirational books, quack cures and doctors who play God; her recognition that most people find her illness confronting - not least because of her youth - is also described with perception and sympathy. Throughout, she emphasises the importance of knowledge: finding out everything possible about her cancer, she says, even at the risk of alienating her doctors, has been crucial in taking control of her treatment. This book describes a journey through a parallel universe of despair, hope and anger to some kind of understanding.