I'm Still Here - by Martina Reaves (Paperback)

About the Book

Martina Reaves weaves the story of her early life--coming of age in the 1960s, living and working in various small towns with her hippie husband, coming out in 1980, and eventually having a son with her life partner, Tanya--with that of her 2008 tongue cancer diagnosis, after which she fights to maintain hope even as she accepts that death might come.

Book Synopsis

In 1969, at age twenty, Martina moves to San Francisco. She lives in a
commune, marries her hippie streetcar driver, and moves away from the
city--first to Mendocino County, Oregon, and then to the Virgin Islands.
In 1980, Martina comes out. She finds her life partner, Tanya, at work,
and in 1986 they have a son, Cooper.

In 2008, Martina is diagnosed with serious tongue cancer. Her journey in
the aftermath of this diagnosis is one of hope, fear, family,
friendship, perseverance, and learning to live with a terminal
diagnosis.

Reaves braids these strands of her life together in I'm Still Here, presenting readers with a nuanced, poignant exploration of what it means to live--and love--authentically.

Review Quotes

2020 Living Now Book Awards Gold Winner in Grieving/Death & Dying

2021 IPPY Awards Bronze Winner in Autobiography/Memoir III (Personal Struggle/Health Issues)

2020 Readers' Favorite Book Awards Silver Medal in Non-Fiction: Health (Medical)

2020 Best Book Awards Finalist in Health: Cancer

2020 Best Book Awards Finalist in Health: Death & Dying

"A story rich in emotional description..."

--Kirkus Reviews

"Martina's story is poignant, inspiring, and funny, and she tells it with a fresh voice, imbued with self-awareness and wisdom. . . . This memoir will catch and hold you with its resonance. It will also breeze you through so smoothly, you might well find yourself turning back to reread when you reach the last page."

--Mollie Katzen, James Beard Hall of Fame laureate and author of the Moosewood Cookbook

"Immediate, visceral, loaded with humor and insight, I'm Still Here is like an intimate conversation with a wonderful friend--it leaves you feeling enlightened, enriched, and a little happier than you were before. Savor this book and share it with people you love!"

--David Schweidel, author of Milkweed National Fiction Prize winner Confidence of the Heart and coauthor of What Men Call Treasure