Overview

By the time she was thirty, Gila Pfeffer was the oldest living member of her family, with both of her parents dead from cancer. She underwent genetic testing and after learning that she carried the BRCA1 gene decided to undergo a double mastectomy. It wasn't a choice - she had to stay alive. This memoir follows Gila's journey to break the cycle of death in her family. After becoming a reluctant expert on how to sit shiva, she transforms into an independent adult, falls in love, and becomes a mother, before her life falls apart yet again. Her double mastectomy reveals cancer already growing in one breast. After enduring eight rounds of chemo and the removal of her ovaries, she takes her last-ever dip in the mikvah waters as a bald, menopausal thirty-five-year-old mother of four. Drenched in Gila's dark humor honed over years of repeatedly surviving the worst, Nearly Departed is a story about thriving despite poor odds, balancing life in the secular world while remaining true to her faith, and leaving a better legacy for her children than the one she inherited.

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9781891011627

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Reviews

This is the perfect book for anyone seeking levity in the face of devastation. Gila's life is a master class on perspective and how to handle some of life's darkest moments with fortitude and, most importantly, humor. Gila's writing is honest, heartfelt, and impressive. It takes an incredible spirit to not only stare down death multiple times, but to also write about it with such a clear head and make it funny. Only read this book if you are okay with both crying and laughing out loud in public.--Iliza Shlesinger, award-winning comedian, actor, writer, producer, and author Gila Pfeffer's writing is so sharp and funny that you almost don't notice when it starts to break your heart.--Rax King, author of Tacky If you want to laugh, cry, and laugh some more while enjoying an intimate glance into the mystical world of Orthodox Judaism, this is the book for you.--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch In the Throat and Midlife Bites Not only does she generously share how she has been able to defy the statistics and outsmart her own genetic destiny of the worst of the worst, she illustrates for us the hows and the whys so we can too.--Jess Buchanan, New York Times bestselling author of Impossible Odds Part coming-of-age saga, part rallying cry for prevention, Pfeffer shows off her gift for turning tragedy, grief, and loss into something to laugh about.--Emi Nietfeld, author of Acceptance At turns deeply moving and absurdly funny, this is the unbelievably true story of a woman who made her own luck and saved her own life.--Leigh Stein, author of Self Care Bringing humor to tragedy is a tightrope act, but Gila does it beautifully.--Wendi Aarons, author of I'm Wearing Tunics Now Nearly Departed is a book about loss, grief, and mortality that nonetheless sparkles with joy. And it is very, very funny. In fact, the darker it got, the more I laughed, which is how you know it was written by a Jew. I loved it.--Catherine Newman, author of We All Want Impossible Things

At turns deeply moving and absurdly funny, this is the unbelievably true story of a woman who made her own luck and saved her own life.--Leigh Stein, author of Self Care Bringing humor to tragedy is a tightrope act, but Gila does it beautifully.--Wendi Aarons, author of I'm Wearing Tunics Now Gila Pfeffer's writing is so sharp and funny that you almost don't notice when it starts to break your heart.--Rax King, Author of Tacky If you want to laugh, cry and laugh some more while enjoying an intimate glance into the mystical world of Orthodox Judaism, this is the book for you.--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch In the Throat and Midlife Bites&l Not only does she generously share how she has been able to defy the statistics and outsmart her own genetic destiny of the worst of the worst, she illustrates for us the how's and the whys so we can too.--Jess Buchanan, New York Times bestselling author of Impossible Odds Part coming-of-age saga, part rallying cry for prevention, Pfeffer shows off her gift for turning tragedy, grief and loss into something to laugh about.--Emi Nietfeld, author of Acceptance

Author Information

Gila Pfeffer is a Jewish American writer and humorist. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, McSweeney's, Today.com, and elsewhere. Gila's monthly ""Feel It on the First"" campaign reminds women to prioritize their breast health. She splits her time between New York City and London.

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