Incurable Optimist: Living with Illness and Chronic Hope

Perfect for readers moved by Between Two Kingdoms, this life-affirming memoir of a young woman's sudden autoimmune kidney failure reveals a resilient journey of chronic illness, unfailing love, and moving forward with joy.

JENNIFER CRAMER-MILLER was a twenty-two-year-old with a promising job, charming boyfriend, and cozy Seattle apartment. Then she was diagnosed with an incurable autoimmune disease, and suddenly, rather than planning for a bright future, she found herself soaking a hospital pillow with tears.

THAT DAY, Cramer-Miller crossed over from wellness to chronic illness: from thriving to kidney failure. Her chances of survival hinged upon expert doctors, selfless strangers, and benevolent loved ones. But what kind of life would that be?

SPANNING TWO-PLUS DECADES and four kidney transplants, this family love story explores the tightrope of uncertainty, the will to survive, and the determination to find joy. Cramer-Miller shines a bright light on the power of people helping people with a story that will inspire you to hug the humans you love. Because sometimes, it's the sorrows that threaten to pull us apart that ultimately unite us with hope.

Glowing Reviews

“...a knockout memoir on living with a life-threatening kidney disease.... openhearted.... There’s plenty of wisdom in these pages.”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“. . . energetic, well-observed prose . . . Her account of her journey through illness and healing is unfailingly entertaining . . .”

—Kirkus Reviews

"This book is an inspiration. Read it to find your own bravery or salute the bravery of Jennifer Cramer-Miller."

—Delia Ephron, author of Left on Tenth: A Second Chance of Life and screenwriter of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants