The Brave In-Between - by Amy Low (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Amy Low resides in a room that is her last - she may have one healthy year in front of her, or perhaps a few more. Her medical team is clear-eyed with her: there is no cure for Stage IV metastatic colon cancer, and the odds of long-term survival are scant. If humans are especially fortunate, we enter our last room - or chapter - of life feeling physically run-down and exhausted. Which is to say, we're old. Or maybe we step into that room young and full of health, having no idea at all we're in the room at all. Which is to say, tomorrow we'll be hit by a bus. But Amy is in the room, relatively young and mentally healthy, a single mom to two teenage children who's been through a divorce-and she's had plenty of time to decorate. Through the swirl of prolonged trauma and unbearable grief, though, a vantage point emerged-a window, of sorts, that showed her the way to relish life and be kinder to herself and others while living through the inevitable loss and heartbreak that each of our stories includes. Instead of viewing joy and sorrow as opposites, she saw how both exist in harmony, full of mystery and surprise. Instead of seeing days as succeeding or failing, and physical selves as healthy or unwell, she's learned to carry both achievements and afflictions in stride. "The Brave In-Between" is an invitation to explore both triumph and tragedy as necessary, as well as the sacred components scattered throughout all our paths. Because we all have a heart to marvel at miracles, a lightness to spot the absurdity, and a more expansive imagination to pause and extend empathy for others when tragedy strikes-sometimes we just need a guide"--

Book Synopsis

This honest and emotional memoir presents much needed lessons and advice for navigating uncertainty in the worst of times.

Amy Low resides in a room that is her last--her medical team is clear-eyed with her: there is no cure for Stage IV metastatic colon cancer, and the odds of long-term survival are scant. Miraculously, she's lived four years with her diagnosis, and that life between life has changed her.

Through the swirl of prolonged trauma and unbearable grief, a vantage point emerged--a window that showed her the way to relish life and be kinder to herself and others while living through the inevitable loss and heartbreak that crosses everyone's paths. Instead of viewing joy and sorrow as opposites, she saw how both exist in harmony, full of mystery and surprise. Instead of seeing days as succeeding or failing, and physical selves as healthy or unwell, she's learned to carry both achievements and afflictions in stride. And instead of bitterness and betrayal, forgiveness--toward her body, toward others, toward herself--became her wisest light.

Mapping her experiences to the words that St. Paul wrote in his own last room, The Brave In-Between is a sacred invitation to explore that space between triumph and tragedy. We all have a heart to marvel at miracles, a lightness to spot the absurdity, and an imagination to pause and extend empathy for others--even when tragedy strikes. Sometimes we just need a guide.

Review Quotes

"Amy Low's journey of alchemizing life's wounds into hope, courage, and forgiveness is poignant and powerful. She finds grace in the depths, buoyed by her faith--and offers us guidance to do the same."--J. Dana Trent, author of Between Two Trailers

"Amy Low's story is at once fragile and strong. And yet in the hardest places, we know that fragility and strength are often intertwined. Amy brings us all closer to that intertwined space. This book gives us new ways to hold both, with renewed resilience and gratitude."--Arne Duncan, former United States Secretary of Education, CEO of Chicago Public Schools and founder of CRED

"Every day, all over the world, people get news they cannot bear--of a diagnosis, a coup, a melting polar ice cap, a sudden, wrenching loss, a newly named variant. With honesty, humor, wisdom and grace, Amy Low shines a light through the darkness. This book is a treasure to live by, to wrap up with a bow and give to everyone we know."--Amanda Ripley, New York Times bestselling author of The Smartest Kids in the World, The Unthinkable, and High Conflict

"So many of Amy's dispatches read like poetry-- deeply wise, profound, gorgeously written. Her words vibrate with optimism, humor, and her relentless spirit. In these dystopian days we need a voice like Amy's to shake us out of our stupor and remind us to take one more step forward, one more step up that mountain."--Dave Isay, founder of NPR's StoryCorps and New York Times bestselling author of Listening is an Act of Love, Callings, and more

"So many people are in pain these days, enduring hard times, facing challenges. They are wondering, 'How do I do this?' Amy Low is the perfect guide."--David Brooks, New York Times columnist and New York Times bestselling author of How to Know a Person

"Amy's story is a rich mix of courage, grace, persistence, and most important, love. This is a book to treasure."--Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president, Emerson Collective

About the Author

Amy Low has been a storyteller all her life. She grew up in and continues to live life through parables and metaphors. She sees her life as an invitation to discovering the new every day and even records some of these discoveries in her Substack, Postcards from the Mountain. As the managing director for fellowships and nonprofit journalism at the Emerson Collective, she directs efforts to empower individuals and newsrooms to strengthen our shared conversation in the public square. Most important, Amy is mom to Connor and Lucy. Her proudest achievement is raising a son and daughter who are unafraid, grateful, and curious, whether in class, at home, on stage, and especially in the band.