Although many Americans were touched by the tragedy of 9/11 or the deployment of loved ones to a far-away desert region or the crisis of breast cancer surgery and recovery - few dealt with all three at the same time. Even fewer were able to write about the experience in a voice that will help others with similar struggles. New York City native Marjorie Belson has captured the American spirit of recovery and redemption in her first novel by melding such a story in a brilliantly evocative tone while letting realism and her enduring spirit shine on center stage.

Set against the backdrop of September 11, 2001, Nothing Is Promised is a story of loss and personal chaos, which mirrors the dramatic changes a woman, and her city are forced to make during one of the most turbulent times in our nation's history. To survive in a world forever changed, each must reconstruct physically and emotionally.

It is the first person-account of a woman ultimately graced to transform her life and move forward with strength, humor, and wisdom. It is the story of a mother who would gladly endure any pain, if it spared her child and brought him home safely.

Written with brutal honesty, this memoir not only graphically illustrates the medical procedures she underwent, but also the pain and suffering her city endured because of the September 11, 2001, attacks. It vividly describes the gut wrenching awfulness one feels when a loved one is sent to do battle, and demonstrates the choices we can make to renew ourselves and move forward in our lives, though faced with horrific personal challenges. Nothing Is Promised has captured the American spirit of recovery and redemption, in an evocative tone.