1. (NU) - What would you do if
you learned you had only one year
left to live?Anew novel from pub-
lished author Blaize Nolynne ex-
plores this question from the per-
spective of a volunteer fire captain
in River Falls, Maine. The novel,
The Captain’s Last Year, Fighting
Fire and Cancer, OneYear to Live,
depicts the reality of cancer and
examines its impact on patients
and their families.
The story centers on fire cap-
tain Steven Williams, whose doc-
tors have given him one year to
live after a diagnosis of stage IV
stomach cancer. Steven starts with
denial, but then he attempts to
come to terms with his situation
as treatments fail. His thoughts
turn to how to make the most of
his remaining year, and he grap-
ples with a range of issues. Could
he change his relationship with his
son, Christopher, or improve the
disrespectful attitudes that have
become an epidemic in his com-
munity? Ms. Nolynne’s intent is
to make readers consider what
they would do if they learned they
had one year left to live.
Fire and rescue services are the
venues of many of Ms. Nolynne’s
books, and she writes from per-
sonal experience. In an interview
with a local newspaper, The In-
dependent, she notes that her fa-
ther was a volunteer fire captain
with the fire department in Stan-
dish, Maine, and that she visited
the department often as a child.
Her paternal grandfather was a
volunteer firefighter and a driver
for the local rescue squad, and her
great-grandfather served as a fire-
man in South Portland, Maine.
Another family member -- Ms.
Nolynne’s grandmother -- also in-
spired the novel through her bat-
tle with terminal cancer.
Ms. Nolynne is honoring her
grandmother and the firefighters
in her family by assisting with the
medical expenses of Jeff Dou-
glass, a fire chief in Baldwin,
Maine, who has stage four pan-
creatic cancer.
A portion of the proceeds
from sales of The Captain’s Last
Year, Fighting Fire and Cancer,
One Year to Live will go to Team
Jeff, Code 3 for a Cure, in addi-
tion to other firefighter cancer
charities. Ms. Nolynne’s books
are available at amazon.com, bar-
nesandnoble.com and bam.com
(Books A Million).
For more information about
the book, visit www.ayresdelzar-
iopublishinginc.com.
Firefighter Battles
Flames and Cancer
HUMAN INTEREST
NewsUSA
What would you do with just
one year left to live?
NewsUSA