Praise for Carrying the Tiger
“Stewart crafts a beautifully devastating memoir honoring his late wife, Lynn Kotula, and their journey of navigating her terminal cancer…. In evocative, sometimes joyful prose, Stewart captures the intricacies of not just a losing battle with cancer, but also a love that must flex and adapt to the changing waters surrounding it. … His emergence on the other side comes with hard-won grace and a profound appreciation for the gift of life, making this a remarkable odyssey of learning to ‘live fully in the shadow of death.’” – Publishers Weekly Editor’s Pick / Booklife Prize Semi-finalist
“Tony Stewart delivers a moving memoir that explores love, loss, and resilience. What emerges is more than just an account of illness and grief; it’s a masterclass in facing life’s hardest moments with grace…. From the intimate details of his wife’s battle with stage IV lung cancer to his own path through grief, CARRYING THE TIGER… will resonate with anyone who has faced serious illness or the loss of a loved one.” – IndieReader
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“Tony Stewart’s Carrying the Tiger is a remarkably attuned rendering of his own and his wife’s experience of her receiving an immediately life-threatening cancer diagnosis, of their search for viable treatments, and of gaining and losing Time. The result includes intimate, detailed portraits, and a community of differing perspectives moving in synchrony toward a crescendo; a beautiful and very human love story which breathes an extraordinary generosity of spirit.”
– David Newman, author of Talking with Doctors
“The book is not about disease but about care and love, so that someone reading it might not fear the journey but find it miraculous, unexpected and enriching… Being able to accompany someone and hold their hand as they make their final journey is the gift, albeit a very painful one, but what could be more meaningful?”
– Cara Hyson, Director of the Writing Center, St. George’s School
“In Carrying the Tiger, Tony Stewart writes with unflinching honesty about love and loss at the deepest level. Being a caregiver is all-consuming, beautiful, and impossible, and Tony shares it all with the reader. The book is both devastating and hopeful as we accompany Tony through his wife's diagnosis and illness and his subsequent discovery that joy and grief can live hand in hand.”
– Jessica Fein, author of Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes
“A heart-wrenching cancer memoir… The author seamlessly weaves real-life scenes, emails, internet posts, and photographs from his life with Lynn into a varied and intimate narrative. He beautifully describes the couple’s unique relationship, highlighting details like Lynn’s rule that “every kiss had to be a real kiss: Your lips had to be alive.” [and] bravely shares his darkest thoughts, such as, “maybe it would be better if Lynn died sooner rather than later” and “I really missed being able to have sex the way we used to.””
– Kirkus Reviews
“As an oncologist and cancer survivor myself, I was deeply moved by Tony Stewart’s Carrying the Tiger. Tony captures emotions and experiences that will be familiar to anyone who’s stood by a loved one facing a cancer diagnosis: the frustration of navigating our often-byzantine health care system, the agony of being betrayed by one’s body, and, for caregivers, feelings of sheer, overwhelming helplessness. But here, too, are quiet moments of joy and triumph; this is a work that will strengthen all who read it.”
– Khalid Dar, MD, Oncologist, Mount Sinai Morningside
“Your book helped me transition through the painful loss of my best friend and then my brother and his wife. I know it will touch many others in a profound way.”
– Gail Dahl
“Carrying the Tiger delivers a gut-wrenching tale of love and loss, while also inspiring others. Though marked with sadness, it also serves as a testament of healing.” — Amy Wilson, NovelsAlive.com
“Carrying the Tiger is an emotive, intimate memoir about ... coping with loss, finding a community, and seeking a happily ever after in the wake of grief.”
– Foreword Clarion Reviews
“Anyone in their own battle against this dreaded disease — whether as a patient or caregiver — will draw hope and inspiration from this account.”
– BlueInk Review
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NetGalley reviews
NetGalley provided advance copies of the book to librarians and reviewers. Here are the first three reviews they published on the site.
Whew. This book knocked me on my ass. I thought I'd be okay to read it, but I absolutely was not. My mom is currently battling stage 2 breast cancer and while her prognosis is good, I had so many of the fears that came to life in this book. It's a gorgeous expose on the realities of cancer and what it can do to a life. — Elizabeth W, Librarian
Wonderful book. Cried thru a lot of it. Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it. — Kay O, Reviewer
Such a beautiful and heartbreaking memoir, which brought me to tears many times. Such strength and honesty amongst so many heartbreaking and painful challenges. A lesson in the power of friendship and love whilst facing unbearable grief. I'll be thinking about this book for a while. — Lucy E, Reviewer
Instagram Book Bloggers
This gripping story is both emotional and inspirational. How can death be a source of inspiration? By the profound love exhibited and a marriage that may not have always been perfect, as none are, but the love was everything you could hope for. The memoir is based on journal posts made during his wife’s journey at the end of life. And at the beginning of a new normal. We are reminded that life is certainly too short as Lynn battles to survive. And, ultimately, in the grips of grief, life goes on. - @OneMoreExclamation (Kim Wilch, Author)
Tony talks about his experience navigating the world of cancer as his wife fought the fight of her life. It's raw, real, and one of those books that's great to get out into the world so others can understand the caretaker's perspective and fighter's experience. There is sorrow and joy intertwined in the words of Tony. — @hogwartslittlefreelibrarymn (Clarrisa Bates, Author)