When a PR specialist, Marcia, gets diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and finds out she’s at the terminal stage, she and her husband are undeterred in their faith, and they brave out all medical procedures hospitals have to offer. During the process, their strength in love is renewed in the face of a truly trying situation. They deploy a non-conventional approach to the process of battling cancer and develop a realistic but clear perspective regarding the importance of life, which is greater than the circumstances they face.  

Even as she faces severe pain and has bouts of unfortunate news when the chemotherapy does not seem to be working, this couple finds strength in forming inner peace within themselves and a level of realistic conviction that helps them through their journey. The Smooth River: Finding Inspiration and Exquisite Beauty during Terminal Illness. Lessons from the Front Line by Richard S. Cohen is a beautiful and personal retelling of the wife of the author’s battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. This book is a memoir and support for cancer patients and those dear to them as it deals with finding peace in the worst of hardships. Readers will observe the power of their love as they maintain their generosity, humor, and gratitude for life. Richard S. Cohen writes the account with careful attention to detail and direct yet gentle language to provide an important practical guide for others. The voice is compassionate, compelling, and irresistible.

This is a deeply moving narrative that will keep you in awe of how the distressed couple made the conscious choice of experiencing life as a smooth river, constantly in motion, without disruptions, and going with the flow. Mortality is a reality and loss is inevitable; this book teaches readers to be courageous, open to change, and shun notions of society's expectations in order to forge themselves through the rough seasons that befall the human soul, many times too often. While this is the story of a couple’s journey through terminal illness, it is a powerful testament of love and a compelling statement that there is more beyond life than we can dare imagine.