BOOK REVIEW: All You Could Ask For

If you are a big sports fan, or, as in my case, married to one, "Mike and Mike in the Morning" is a regular part of your life. I have to admit that I watch the show because of the personalities of the two hosts, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. Naturally, I had to read Greenberg's book, ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR to see how well he could write.

Brooke, Samantha, and Katherine are three women with very different lives. Brooke has been married to her college sweetheart for fifteen years. They are the parents of twins and her life is perfect. She works hard to keep it perfect. Samantha is on her honeymoon in Hawaii when she accidently finds proof of her new husband’s infidelities. The marriage lasts all of two days. Katherine is very successful. She has a power job, a penthouse, a personal driver, and a broken heart.

These women come from different lives, do not know each other, and each has her very individual story. With the news that cancer is now a part of their lives and with the help of social media, three very different women form a bond that, at least in one case, will last a life time.

At first, I could not get the fact that this book was written by a male sports analyst. Few male authors can capture a woman’s voice and this is definitely a book about women and their reactions to life’s challenges. It did not take me long to get lost in Brooke, Samantha and Katherine.

The book is rich in character development. My first reaction to the ladies changed as their stories moved along.

At first, I really liked Brooke. Her devotion to her family was admirable. I loved that she considered a nude photograph of herself as the perfect fortieth birthday gift for her husband. I could identify with how hard this to pull off with two youngsters in her life. By the end of the book I wanted to shake her. I will wonder how her life continued long after the book is back on the shelf.

Samantha came across as the naive, rich, spoiled, daddy’s little girl when we first meet her in Hawaii. (By the way, I LOVED the secret password on her husband’s computer). Her hidden strength and her loyalty were a beautiful part of the story.

My original opinion of Katherine was “powerful bitch”. Here was a woman with all the trappings of great wealth, beating herself up because a man had done her wrong. Instead of feeling sorry for her I wanted to scream at her to get over herself and move on. By the end of the book she was the one who impressed me the most; the one whose development brought a tear to my eye.

The book stands on its own as a good read, but to add that extra something, Greenberg tells in his acknowledgments the story of his friend Heidi and her battle with cancer. This a touching tribute to everyone who has battled cancer and lost. I will see Mike Greenberg with different eyes each morning and wait to see if he has another good book in him.

Mike and his wife Stacy have created a foundation called Heidi’s Angels and all proceeds of this book will go to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.