from Maggie’s Centres: some quotes about the books

“The first instalment of books has gone down incredibly well. There is something very humanising about being offered a book. People’s first reaction is not to believe they are allowed to keep them .. we have to persuade them quite hard that it isn’t a library system… then the books have induced round the table chats (we left them in a pile on the kitchen table for a day and explained what they were for.. ) most people hadn’t read the selection or only knew a bit about them but the fact they look so new and nice makes them very enticing.

There is also a sense of being surprised by the books. You are so overwhelmed by cancer literature both in hospitals and because kind meaning friends give cancer books to you that it is so nice to be given a book that has nothing to do with your illness but is for you as a person.“

“When you’re undergoing cancer treatment you can suddenly find yourself with a lot of time on your hands. Being given a book is one of the best ways I know to escape the reality of everyday and move into another world.”