The author of THE ORGANIC GOD, THE SACRED ECHO and WONDERSTRUCK, Feinberg --- a speaker at the Catalyst and Thrive conferences --- introduces her newest book, FIGHT BACK WITH JOY, at a time when she was most vulnerable to defeat and despair. She became the unlikely victim of breast cancer in 2013 (she is in her early 30s). When the dreaded diagnosis came, she and her husband made the courageous decision to fight cancer with joy. Thus the title of this dynamic book and the theme of every harrowing experience the couple faced down.

Feinberg’s premise is that believers can will themselves to fight back against all the evil and terror that invade our lives through the gracing of God’s Holy Spirit. She shares in great detail the physical suffering she endured during her cancer treatments, and every chapter reads like a victory of sorts as she discloses how she fought against despair when her body was literally dying. Feinberg brings to her recollection, which reads almost like a journal, each step of the fight against her cancer beginning with her choice of surgeon, whom they lovingly dubbed “The Queen.”

"FIGHT BACK WITH JOY is not an easy book to read simply because Feinberg is such a skillful writer and expresses herself in the rawest of terms. That said, it is a resource that every individual would benefit from..."

Even when she is fighting for her very life, Feinberg is, indeed, funny. This wonderful attribute can be evidenced by how she decided which physicians would walk through this journey back to life and health according to how able they were to laugh. Her test? She used a magic marker to write a funny joke on her chest and waited for the reactions from each prospective doctor. Obviously, The Queen passed muster; others did not.

Feinberg shares her journey of clinging to joy through 12 intense chapters. Each one includes the next segment of her walk (or crawl) to beating breast cancer and personal biblical takeaways that feature numerous characters from the Bible who faced down their own “dreaded diagnosis” with fearlessness and faith. She completes her account of beating life’s foes with faith, hope and joy by including several weighty appendices. Readers will find much value in these helpful and oh-so-practical suggestions for coming alongside those who are mired in suffering in ways that are both effective and encouraging. Feinberg offers them:

• 5 things to say when you don’t know what to say
• 8 things those facing crisis can’t tell you (but wish they could)
• 6 lessons Feinberg learned from crisis
• A personal letter from Feinberg’s husband, Leif, on being a caregiver

FIGHT BACK WITH JOY is not an easy book to read simply because Feinberg is such a skillful writer and expresses herself in the rawest of terms. That said, it is a resource that every individual would benefit from, whether one is in the depths of suffering or loves someone who is facing down disease/depression/despair (and everything in between). Feinberg has been noted as one of the strongest voices in the church today --- and there’s no doubt why she has earned that distinction.