The Girl with Nine Wigs

A Memoir

De: Sophie van der Stap

Narrado por: Amanda Leigh Cobb

It's Saturday, and everything is different. No, I didn't go to the market this morning, and I didn't have my usual coffee on Westerstraat. And no, I wasn't getting ready for a new semester at college. Next Monday, January 31, I have to admit myself at the hospital for my first chemotherapy session. For the next two months, I'm expected each week for a fresh shot of vincristine, etoposide, ifosfamide, and loads more exciting abracadabra.

Sophie is 21 when she is diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer. A striking, fun-loving student, her world is reduced overnight to the sterile confines of a hospital. But within these walls Sophie discovers a whole new world of white coats, gossiping nurses, and sexy doctors; of shared rooms, hair loss, and eyebrow pencils. As wigs become a crucial part of Sophie's new life, she reclaims a sense of self-expression. Each of Sophie's nine wigs makes her feel stronger and gives her a distinct personality, and that is why each has its own name: Stella, Sue, Daisy, Blondie, Platina, Uma, Pam, Lydia, and BebE. There's a bit of Sophie in all of them, and they reveal as much as they hide. Sophie is determined to be much more than a cancer patient.

With refreshing candor and a keen eye for the absurd, Sophie van der Stap's The Girl with Nine Wigs makes you smile when you least expect it.

Sophie van der Stap was 21 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer. Today she is 31 and the international ambassador and spokesperson for Orange Ribbon International, a charity organization whose mission is to make the eradication of childhood cancer a priority. She has written two novels and lives in Paris, France.

©2015 Sophie van der Stap, Translation: 2015 Charlotte Caroline Jongejan and Sophie van der Stap (P)2015 Recorded Books

Reseñas de la Crítica

"An extraordinary book from an extraordinary girl." [ Marie Claire (Germany)]

"[Sophie's diary] will give you goosebumps." [ Elle Girl (Germany)]

"The grandeur of this book does not rest only in the description of pain that Sophie suffered but also the courage with which she suffered it. What Sophie van der Stap has written is truly a masterpiece; she has managed to seize the lightness in the gravest of situations." [ Der Spiegel (Germany)]

The Girl with Nine Wigs: A Memoir

A remarkable and unique memoir made more so by the insightful and talented narrator who is capable of making you believe you are actually listening to Sophie van der Stap herself as her personal journey unfolds! Well done, Ms. Cobb!