Little earthquakes by Sarah Mandel
Today I want to tell you about a book that will stay with me forever. Little Earthquakes, by Sarah Mandel, is a warm and deeply moving account of a cancer diagnosis and its consequences.
When I bought Little Earthquakes by Sarah Mandel, I was convinced that she had recovered from the brain cancer she was diagnosed with while eight months pregnant with her second child. Halfway through the book, I broke my own rule of never looking up anything about an author or book while reading. I wanted to put a face to Sarah’s lovely husband, who plays such an important role in her story.
That’s when I discovered that Sarah had not survived. Little Earthquakes became the legacy of a brave and beautiful woman for all those facing such devastating life events—events that are often endured in solitude, within the circle of one’s closest family and friends.
When her cancer worsened, Sarah turned to social media—at first simply as a platform to promote her book. But Instagram offered far more than visibility. It became a community of people who followed her with affection and care, a connection that must surely have made her final months more bearable.
I am always drawn to books about people confronting illness and death. I read them because they give me strength, and also so I can recommend them in my coaching practice when I use bibliotherapy. Little Earthquakes touched me in ways I can’t fully explain. I have tried to understand why it sank so deeply into me.
Certainly, the fact that Sarah was diagnosed when she was eight months pregnant played a part. I can hardly imagine a crueller twist of fate—knowing that something inside you is growing that will eventually destroy you, even as you are creating the most beautiful miracle on earth: giving life.
I say “something that will eventually destroy you,” but Sarah never accepted that as inevitable. Throughout her ordeal, she never took it for granted that she would succumb to cancer. Indeed, she was one of the rare cases that achieved total remission after her daughter’s birth and the intense treatments that followed.
That was when she began writing Little Earthquakes. The cancer was gone, but it had left deep marks on her mind and emotions. And that is what Sarah chose to share with her readers: the emotional rollercoaster of facing the enormity of such a life-changing event, in all its facets.
Then the cancer returned. That’s when she turned to social media. On her beautiful, moving Instagram account, Sarah began sharing updates on her health, her feelings, and her emotions through the process—the small victories, the painful setbacks, the immense uncertainty that hung over everything, and the visible physical changes.
As I write this, I too am experiencing physical changes. A drop in my blood platelets has led to a heavy course of cortisone and countless IV drips. My face is swollen, and where the needles are inserted for the drips, I have large purple bruises. My legs are covered in dark patches from the platelet drop.
Seeing your body change is a profound experience. It shakes your inner solidity, stuns you, and shows how little control you have when life decides to play a trick on you. I have felt uneasy showing my face on webcam during work. I don’t like being swollen. Above all, there is a deep wish to remain as I have always been.
Of course, for me this is nothing truly serious or irreversible. I will finish my treatment and return to normal. Sarah didn’t have that chance. Her physical changes were immense. But her inner self—that trusting, joyful woman in love with life and her family—remained untouched. Throughout her ordeal, she shared her strength, her hope, her grace, her love. She did it first through her book, and then through her social media.
For that, I will always be grateful. And her story will stay with me forever.