A son looks back to when his mother was diagnosed with and treated for pancreatic cancer. During the course of her treatments they find comfort and commonality in books, the ones they both loved, the ones they disagreed over and what the books taught them about life. His mother, Mary Anne Schwalbe was a fascinating woman who grew up privileged but early on developed a deep concern for the welfare of the rest of the world and worked in refugee camps in some of the poorest, most violent ridden places in the world. The founding director of the women’s refugee commission and once a director of admissions for Harvard and Radcliffe, she grew up in and raised her children in New England and New York in a world of books, the ballet, museums and travel (including travel to refugee camps). A touching, lively story of a mother and son relationship, and a fascinating life that remained so even after being confronted by cancer. Rachel

posted Feb 27, 2013 at 12:12PM

2013 Selection for On the Same Page Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)

posted Mar 27, 2013 at 2:18PM

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