Hundred Percent Chance: A Memoir

Brown examines the rigors of cancer treatment in his candid debut memoir. Confronted with the early signs of cancer­—constant exhaustion, odd bruises, fevers—Brown, a 20-year-old college student from the Pacific Northwest in his final year of studies in Lancaster, England, eventually visited a specialist and was given a diagnosis of leukemia. He went through months of chemotherapy and kept up hope that, given his condition’s 10% mortality rate, he had a good chance of surviving. During his treatment, he was supported by his friends, sister, and his separated parents, especially his mother, who overcame her fear of flying to be with him. Now nearly three decades cancer free, Brown, the father of two, concludes that life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured, and is grateful “for the extra chances I’ve been given to stay on this planet for a bit longer.” This intimate, passionate chronicle of recovery will appeal to those who’ve battled cancer. (Self-published.)