Book Review: From Me To You
by Brian Greenley and Alison Hitchcock
Two unlikely acquaintances, Brian Greenley and Alison Hitchcock in the United Kingdom, met on a yoga holiday and became friends when he got cancer and she promised to write him letters to cheer him up. They became each other’s life lines for almost three years as Brian’s bowel cancer moved from stage III to IV (miraculously, he is now cancer-free).
This beautiful book—From Me To You—is comprised of her letters interspersed with his journal entries. They tell a poignant story that was later featured on a BBC Radio 4 broadcast. From the amazing response to this program, the story became the launching pad not only for Alison’s dream career as a writer, but also for their 2017 founding of a charity called “From Me To You.” The organization, that has now gone global, describes their work this way:
“Our writers, from all over the world, send us their donated letters, which we then distribute to those most in need. We work with our letter outlets - hospitals, cancer centres and partner charities - as well as sending letters directly to people’s homes, which anyone can request whenever a boost is needed.”
The organization offers occasional letter-writing workshops—both virtual and in person—and their blog is full of tips for writing to cancer patients, writing to family and friends with cancer, writing to strangers, and much more.
Brian’s journal entries in this book taught me about the raw emotional roller coaster that cancer patients must ride. Alison’s letters—often edgy and even somewhat bawdy—are brilliant in their compassionate balance of humor and empathy.
I highly recommend this book to all my note and letter-writing friends. It will inspire and guide you in how to write to someone with cancer.
From Me To You links
The toughest note to write
56% of the respondents to my recent poll on “What is your toughest note to write?” answered “When someone has a terminal illness.” Even if you aren’t interested in writing for this organization, their site offers wonderful resources to help you with wording on these very difficult notes and letters.
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Thanks for the introduction to this book, Elizabeth. Sounds like a good companion to yours. I love the domino effect of them now having an organization for giving comfort to so many more people.
Their story should be turned into a movie, I would definitely watch it!