So, what's the book about?

It’s been over a month since I announced the release of my book.

The response and support so far has been overwhelming.

I’ve been asked many questions but the most common one is definitely along the lines of, “So, what’s the book about?”

If you know me, you’ll know that I already find it difficult to answer the simplest of queries in a straightforward way.

You can imagine that condensing the overarching theme of a book I spent the best part of six years writing into an easily digestible paragraph has been challenging, to say the least.

So, I’ve decided to turn towards my tried-and-true method of coming to a better understanding of things for myself, in the hope of having a clearer way of articulating to others what it is that my book is about.

I do this through writing.

Perhaps I will start by saying what the book is not.

It is not a memoir.

It is not a prescriptive text.

It is certainly not a self-help book.

The best way I can describe it is like an open journal.

I was very conscious of writing only from my own perspective, to not speak to or for anyone in particular.

It is an in-depth examination of life through my own eyes, with a particular focus on the past decade which followed my cancer diagnosis.

I don’t feel like the book belongs in any genre in particular, but if I had to classify it, I would say it fits best as a philosophical text.

It is a sincere attempt at understanding moments that felt more significant than most others.

Ultimately, it is a story of how a cancer diagnosis revealed the reality of life, how volatility and uncertainty was in fact the norm and not the exception.

It is the retelling of a journey of finding peace, contentment, and joy in the moments between moments.

It is a tale of navigating hard times, perceived or otherwise, and coming out the other end.

I’ve framed all of this within a handful of pivotal experiences that have formed the foundation of what is now a way of life for me.

It all boils down to the stripping back of a unknowingly complex life, a deep dive into an experience that appears simple and unremarkable at surface.

Who knew that seemingly mundane acts like pulling weeds and folding laundry could also be enlightening?

True to form, my attempt at answering a question in a clear and concise manner has resulted in this rather drawn-out soliloquy — sorry, not sorry.

In the end, it is quite fitting to how I intend for readers to digest the book, and that’s to arrive at their own impressions and to take from it what they need, if anything, at the point in time in their lives as they read it.

If you haven’t already and you’d like to get yourself a copy, head over to my website, www.leslieklau.com

Peace, love, and blessings.