Season in Hell, by Marilyn French (Virago, £7.99 in UK)

In 1992, Marilyn French, the indomitable feminist and author of The Women's Room, was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus and given one year to live. Seven years later, after chemotherapy, radiation, a heart attack, a near-death experience during a coma and a broken back, she is still alive, and shows no sign of cancer. This account of her struggle with the usually terminal disease, the harrowing treatment, her depression and the inability of the medical establishment to see her as a whole person is fascinating, moving and surprisingly uplifting. Despite being in constant pain, and having become an insulin-dependent diabetic, French feels that facing death has made her happier than ever before, liberating her from a lifelong obsession to create a perfect world.