Stunned by a diagnosis of breast cancer at age 51, Maureen Egan is propelled into a period of turmoil that will test her most cherished notions of herself as a wife, mother and artist. Fearlessly rendered and spell-binding in its intimacy, The Light from Here takes us on an inner pilgrimage through illness and back—a journey of the soul filled with compassion and deep awareness of what it means to be human.
Accompanied by her luminous paintings, Egan’s poignant and humorous stories walk us through encounters with well-meaning professionals who say or do the wrong thing, her own fears and failings as a parent and partner, and her deep sense of isolation as she faces her own mortality. Through it all, Egan explores a growing understanding of what it means to be an artist as her work reveals an ever-deepening source of strength and comfort within herself.
Praise
“Maureen Egan’s The Light from Here is a stunningly beautiful, honest, and generous book. She resolutely confronts her own anger, pain, and fear, while at the same time celebrating the beauty, love, and grace she discovers within and all around her. Anyone, whether their lives have been touched by cancer or not, will benefit from the wise words for living which she offers with quiet humility. This book is a rare gem, a gift to all who are lucky enough to receive it.”
—Carolyn Locke, author of Always This Falling
“Maureen Egan notices the small and important things and knows what to do with them, both as a person and as a writer. Because The Light From Here is so well written, it reads fast, but it deserves and rewards the kind of attention that Egan gives to the brutal surprises that life gives her. Her searingly honest account of her confrontation with breast cancer pulls the reader along, gracefully shining light on the sources of her strength. If men who care about women read one book this year, it should be The Light From Here.”
—Ned Bachus, author of City of Brotherly Love and Open Admissions: What Teaching at Community College Taught Me About Learning
“Near the end of this wise and deeply moving memoir, Maureen Egan gets important advice from a friend: Maureen will be stronger at the end of her journey into disease than she was at the beginning. Egan’s readers can attest to bearing witness to this rich truth — and to the candor and authenticity with which Egan charts her path to recovery throughout these pages. It’s a clear-eyed, honest love story of recovery and understanding.”
—Susan Conley, author of The Foremost Good Fortune
“Maureen Egan is not merely a cancer survivor, but a waymaker through the dark turns of her journey with breast cancer, the luminosity of her words and her original painting guiding the way in her memoir, The Light from Here. She strives to be brave, but more importantly, honest. She shares the struggles cancer brings and accentuates in her marriage, and the joy and occasional hardship of being a mother, a wife, and an artist—always circling back to the gift of it all. Her bright spirit is perhaps best revealed through the number of family members, friends, strangers, and healers who hold the space for her to move back into the light. The Light from Here is a book for all souls who are striving to heal from cancer, and all those who have survived—women and men. She and her memoir are gifts to all of us striving to keep to the light.”
—Frank O Smith, author of Dream Singer
“Maureen Egan shares her intimate journey through breast cancer treatment against the evolving landscape of her emotional interior. Richly multilayered, the book interweaves the author’s art and storytelling to describe family relationships, personal growth, and health challenges as she confronts anxieties about her worth, marriage, and resilience. Her symbolic paintings are powerful, and her writing, honest and poignant. Hers is an authentic story which will remind all of the healing power of love and resonate with anyone on this journey.”
—Sally Loughridge, author of Rad Art: A Journey Through Radiation Treatment
READER PRAISE
“She drew me in and took me on her journey with such beauty of language, such power and honesty and courage and love. There was so much to relate to, learn from, and be inspired by. Her words and art have touched me and changed me. I will be forever grateful—and, I’ll be sharing this book.” —Kate O’Neill
“I felt like I was in a cocoon of love the entire time I was reading it. The love Maureen shares is contagious.” —Carol Miller
“This is not just a breast cancer story, it’s a cancer story, and a love story, and a story of strength and humor and giving. I feel charmed by Maureen’s life— charmed as in touched by magic. What a gift she has given to us. It’s as if she opened a window to a view of her inner landscape, and then has shared the images of what that landscape looks and feels like. It’s a blessing.” —Barbara Spaulding
“I fell in love with this book. I read it straight through, cover-to-cover, as soon as I got it. The art is beautiful. The writing is truthful and moving, wise, and funny.” —Robyn Pack