A book written by a Wimborne woman who fought cancer for 30 years, and who died in Forest Holme hospice at the age of 65 in 2021, has received glowing reviews.

A Horse, A Husband and Cancer by Elaine Kirsch Edsall, is a candid, thought-provoking, but humorous and often irreverent account of her life.

Described as ‘not a book about horses, nor a book about husbands and certainly not a book solely about cancer’, Elaine’s remarkable story nevertheless encompasses all three aspects as she tries to make sense of the path her life had taken and where it ultimately was going to lead.

Elaine, who was encouraged and supported by a friend and husband Mark to publish the book, discovered her love for writing and also began to write a blog, from which this book gets its title, a short time before her death. Mark has continued the blog to this day as he wanted her readers to know of her strength and bravery to the end despite the odds she faced. The first 13 of these blogs were subsequently included in the book.

Mark said: “Elaine was my wife for the last 25 years and six days of her life, in all we were together for some 30 years. One year into our (then illicit) relationship she discovered the first cancer; little did we realise then that it was going to be a recurring theme for the rest of her life, neither did we know the extent of the struggle to come or the battlefield our lives were to turn into.”

The book has proved a huge critical success, gaining 100 per cent five-star reviews on Amazon, where readers have described it as ‘a brave, hilarious, touching and authentic piece of writing’ and ‘a captivating memoir’, while a review from America said: “Elaine Kirsh Edsall is a wonderful writer and her husband Mark’s eloquent contribution adds a poignant continuation to this beautiful memoir.”

Mark said: “Her deep-seated and dark sense of humour, her even deeper love for me and for her friends and horses helped her to prevail, against the odds, for so long. She was bruised and battered in mind, spirit and body so many times, yet a two-fingered salute was all the ground she would give to the cancer.”

Mark is now hoping that the book will help and inspire others who are facing their own challenges in life. He said: “This isn’t some sort of self-help book for those suffering from cancer, nor another set of pages condoning positive thinking and affirmations to overcome despair and fear. Armaments for Elaine’s battle consisted of more than just the medical procedures and treatments she had to endure. She dug deep within to find her allies and always refused any hint of sympathy from others.”

Mark’s latest blog is available now along with previous ones via https://horsehusbandcancer.com/blog-feed/

a horse, a husband, and cancer