Otherwise grossly unremarkable is the record of the near total destruction of one woman’s physical and emotional self from misdiagnosis to stage three diagnosis, through treatment after treatment, and onward to recovery and survivorship.

At only 35 years of age, Ashleigh Matthews found a dense mass in her breast that was eventually diagnosed as stage-three, grade-three multifocal invasive mammary carcinoma: breast cancer. This memoir tells the story of a regular woman facing an irregular cellular divergence at a young age. Cancer always sucks, but being in your mid-30s at diagnosis adds an extra layer of garbage thrown on top. There is no silver lining here, rather this book is an honest and raw chronicle of what the human body can endure and from what depths the human spirit can forge a new path home from. otherwise grossly unremarkable demonstrates that any person that hears the word cancer used to medically describe their body becomes a survivor of cancer at that very same moment.

Advanced Praise for otherwise grossly unremarkable:

“A must read. Otherwise Grossly Unremarkable is both a tender and unflinching narrative about the grief and joy that can coexist in our bodies and lives when we’re sick, as well as a thoughtful field-guide of sorts for anyone who may find themselves staring into the unknown of a cancer diagnosis. This is a very refreshing take on an illness memoir as Matthews doesn’t shy away from the hard moments or attempt to set herself up as a beacon of inspiration, she just tells it like it is. This book is full of heart and hope, and just the right dose of humour. If you can relate to the author's experience with illness - this book will be an invaluable resource to read and return to when you need the support of a friend who gets it. And if you can’t relate to being sick but you’re simply looking for a compelling read, go ahead and add this book to your list.”

Lisa Walters
author of Damsel in a Dress blog