Reflections on the C Word: At the Centre of the Cancer Labyrinth

By Carol Matthews

Written over a year in which the author was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery and radiation therapy, this memoir speaks of how the ordeal deepened her appreciation for friends, family and the fragile planet. Although she says that cancer was “a gift I would prefer not to have received,” the experience causes her to look deeply at what is most important to her, and how she might face further illness and, inevitably, death.

In this period of crisis and change, Matthews walks the labyrinth as a form of meditation. The winding path of the labyrinth is an appropriate frame for this meandering narrative, which circles past, present and future concerns. Matthews comes to realize that her goal is not simply to arrive at the centre of the labyrinth but to reach the centre of herself.

Nine original full-colour prints by Jennifer Waelti-Walters complement these vignettes.