The Story Behind The Healing Train
The Story Behind The Healing Train
After battling breast cancer, I began working on the novel I had started before I got sick. But the words wouldn’t come no matter how hard I tried, so I set it aside in favor of getting more rest. As I lay in bed, thinking about all that occurred over those two years, I realized it could make a great story. The only problem is that no one would want to read a book about someone fighting cancer. It would be too depressing and rank about as high on someone’s to-do list as having a root canal.
But then a plot formed. I thought of how my father left me and my brother behind and moved out of state when we were young. We’ve had a rocky relationship and only recently started getting along. I pictured us estranged at the beginning of the book and him trying to push his way back into my life after learning I had cancer. That would’ve been the kind of stress no cancer patient needs.
And so, I began writing again, telling the tale of my cancer battle while weaving the family drama throughout. I had a great time creating the scenes with the brother, a replica of my real brother—a funny guy who never met a swear word he didn’t like.
The best friend of the novel is based on a fellow patient I met while getting chemotherapy. She and I only sat next to each other for a few hours once, but her inspirational advice had a positive effect on me, so I made her an important character in the book. I don’t know her last name or if she’s still alive. I like to think she’s out there somewhere enjoying herself and doing well.
I also address the issue of cancer ghosting in this book. It’s a weird phenomenon where a close friend or family member will stop talking to you when they learn you have cancer. Sadly, this happened in our family. I was hurt by it until I discovered it was a common occurrence. Of course, I used the experience to advance the book’s plot.
A large part of the story takes place on the train. My mom and I took so many train rides to and from the cancer center in downtown Chicago that we got to know some of the conductors. One told me he’d seen many women heading to that hospital throughout his twenty-year career. He told me not to worry and said I’d be okay. That’s why I decided to call my novel The Healing Train.
Thankfully, people enjoyed the book. A breast cancer survivor told me she could relate to the story. Another reader grabbed a copy because her grandmother was undergoing treatment and wanted to hear a message of hope. One reviewer said The Healing Train was an uplifting novel about the ultimate second chance. Kind words like those make me happy that I got out of bed and started writing again.
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Kim Cano is the author of six women’s fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On the Inside, Eighty and Out, His Secret Life, When the Time Is Right, and The Healing Train. Readers say her books are about strong women who struggle but survive, hard-won second chances, family life, and friendship.
Kim lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and cat.
Visit her website to receive a free copy of The Rescue: www.kimcano.com
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
THE HEALING TRAIN
A devastating diagnosis. A family with a broken past. Embark on an uplifting journey of love, hope, and the ultimate second chance.
When health-conscious Sarah gets diagnosed with breast cancer, her world spins out of control. She’s supposed to grow old with her husband and see her daughter graduate college. Her future is all planned out. Getting sick wasn’t part of her plan.
Friends and family rally around Sarah as she battles the disease. Her best friend offers inspirational advice while her mother takes her to treatment, her daughter makes green juice, and her older brother provides emotional support and makes her laugh with his ever-present potty mouth.
Then Sarah’s estranged father returns. She gave up on him long ago and doesn’t want to reconnect, but he won’t go away, so she’s stuck dealing with him at the worst possible time. His presence forces her to face a past she’d rather forget as she uses all her strength to fight for her life.
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Category: On Writing
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