A Crooked Smile (A Memoir)

"This book is a refreshing story of great courage, revealing how one can embrace life in its entirety in order to live more fully and offering readers a depth of humanity we need badly in today’s world." —Michael Finkelstein, MD, author of Slow Medicine

How do you keep going when the doctors give you a 2% chance of survival? For Terri Tate, it was a blend of faith, perseverance, prescription-strength humor—and most of all, a heart that never quit. "I had to stop reproaching myself for not being able to adhere to any one system of treatment," writes Terri. "I needed to create my own recipe for healing."

A Crooked Smile invites you to share Terri’s astonishing experiences through cancer diagnosis, multiple surgeries, and the labyrinth of modern health care. Most of all, her physical challenges compelled her to take a spiritual journey she could never have imagined. Writing with a mix of gentle wit and courageous vulnerability, Terri recounts her years of living in a crucible of inner growth—and shares her surprising adventures with unlooked-for helpers, shamanic guides, and unexpected openings to spiritual sources of wisdom and healing.

"I do believe that our bodies possess self-healing mechanisms that we’re only beginning to tap," writes Terri. "Whatever contributed to my survival, I am certain that something mystical beyond the medical was at work, and the final decision was out of my hands." With A Crooked Smile, she shares an unforgettable story of perseverance, love, and the small miracles that can save our lives.