World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day is an international day observed every February 4th to raise awareness about cancer, encourage its prevention, and mobilize action to address the global cancer epidemic. Cancer touches countless lives, and books about it can offer understanding, comfort, and hope. The following titles explore the many dimensions of cancer—its medical challenges, emotional journeys, and stories of resilience—from both patients and those who care for them.

Updated November 3, 2025
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Fond du Lac Public Library
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Mailman : my wild ride delivering the mail in Appalachia and finally finding home
Grant, Stephen Starring
Paper Book
An exuberant, hilarious, and profound memoir by a mailman in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, who found that working for the post office saved his life, taught him who he was, gave him purpose, and educated him deeply about a country he loves but had lost touch with. ...
A fatal inheritance : how a family misfortune revealed a deadly medical mystery
Ingrassia, Lawrence
Paper Book
Nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction Named a best book of the year by Amazon, NPR, and Kirkus Weaving his own moving family story with a sweeping history of cancer research, Lawrence Ingrassia delivers an intimate,...
Fatal to fearless : 12 steps to beating cancer in a broken medical system
Giusti, Kathy
Paper Book
An empowering, soul-baring personal account and guide from a two-time cancer survivor and healthcare disrupter that shows anyone how to deal with a frightening medical diagnosis in America today, providing the knowledge necessary to take ownership of personal wellbeing and maximize...
Cancer is complicated : and other unexpected lessons I've learned
Shearer, Clea
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Clea has always been a helper, and she's doing it again with this incredible book. She is sharing her cancer journey and helping you through yours. She will walk with you . . . holding your hand every step of the way." --Hoda Kotb A comforting,...
How to lose your mother : a daughter's memoir
Jong-Fast, Molly
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "With propulsive humor and perspective on her annus horribilis, Jong-Fast achieves the memoir's transformative work of alchemy, arming us all with lines so good you won't just want to underline them, you will want to cut them out to share." --The...
All the way to the river : love, loss, and liberation
Gilbert, Elizabeth
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AN OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK "A delicious mashup of narrative that's by turns harrowing and healing." -People "Entertaining, insightful, wrenching ... punch-to-the-gut powerful." -The Washington Post
A family matter : a novel
Lynch, Claire
Paper Book
No one need know about her mother's deviation A mother following her heart A father with the law on his side A child caught in the middle 'I'll be thinking about it forever' Barbara Kingsolver 'Powerful ...smart and often...
What does it feel like?
Kinsella, Sophie
Paper Book
Been wrong so long it feels like right
Mosley, Walter
Paper Book
In the latest from "mystery master" Walter Mosley, a family member's terminal illness leads P.I. Joe King Oliver to the investigation of his life: tracking down his long-lost father, and meanwhile, a new case pits King's professional responsibility against his own moral code. (The...
Maggie; or, a man and a woman walk into a bar
Yee, Katie
Paper Book
Summer's Best Beach Reads by The New York Times * Books You Should Read This July by New York magazine * Books We're Most Excited About by Today * Best Beach Reads by Harper's Bazaar * Best Books of Summer by ELLE * Most Anticipated Books of the Summer by...

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