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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Angus Cunningham's Twice Before Twelve is a memoir in which he describes how he notices swollen lymph nodes in his neck, aged nine, and starts treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma at Sydney Children’s Hospital. Remission lets him return to school, but the cancer comes back two years later and spreads beyond his neck. Doctors move him into a plan that leads to a stem cell transplant. Isolation changes his days, a feeding tube changes how he eats, and each scan has the power to change his future. Angus longs school life while his family learns how much one child’s medicine can cost. When a maintenance drug is priced beyond reach, his case hits national television. This memoir follows Angus from a childhood disease into adult life as survival becomes a reason to stand beside other rare cancer patients.
Twice Before Twelve by Angus Cunningham follows a Sydney boy whose childhood is interrupted twice by Hodgkin lymphoma before he turns twelve. The author comes across as observant, generous, and quietly funny. That personality shows when he creates a shark quiz for other children in hospital, then later by auditioning for Annie with a fractured foot. The writing style is direct and easy to read, with scenes that move from medical facts to personal responses. The radiotherapy mask is described as a physical part of treatment, while his effort to breathe through the first session shows the fear inside it. This memoir matters now because the author shows what rare cancer treatment can demand from a family after a drug is priced far beyond reach. His later work with Rare Cancers Australia shows readers how survival can become public service. I would recommend this to readers who appreciate medical memoirs, coming-of-age stories, and books about families facing childhood cancer.
