When she was only 17 years old, Marisa Bardach Ramel got news from her mother that shook their world: She had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

That news would be devastating for anyone, but for a girl already going through the ups and downs of teenagerhood, it was even tougher.

In her new memoir, The Goodbye Diaries, Marisa and her mother alternate authoring chapters, where each describes the rollercoaster of emotions that accompany a life-changing diagnosis.

Marisa must go through all the milestones of early adulthood–from prom dress shopping, to leaving for college, to working through relationship drama–all while processing the gravity of her mother’s diagnosis. What will happen? How will Marisa get through this?

I can’t recommend this book enough; I it in a matter of days. It’s intense, but it’s so beautiful. For anyone who holds their relationship with their mother dear, this book is for you.

The Goodbye Diaries comes out May 7th and can be purchased through online retailers or here.

IN THIS EPISODE WE TALK ABOUT:

• Motherless parenting
• Processing grief in your 20s
• Dealing with a life-changing diagnosis
• The complicated and beautiful mother/daughter relationship
• The power of hope
• The legacy we leave behind
• Family relationships through trauma

LISTEN TO OUR WHOLE CONVERSATION BELOW, AND DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO GET THE LATEST EPISODES SENT RIGHT TO YOUR DEVICE!

For more podcast episodes: Podcast Episode 15: Writer Amy Weatherly talks Mom Cliques, Why It’s Okay to Feel Alone, and Chin Hairs, and Ep 13: It’s Not Impossible to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy! Podcast with Dr. Julia Nordgren.