Allison Sweet Grant
LUMP
Allison Sweet Grant
A dazzling, daring memoir—in essays and verse—of a young woman’s sojourn with breast cancer; a chronicle of the most tragic moments in loss, and a celebration of the most tender moments in life.
Question:
If one breast is triple positive
and the other triple negative,
do they cancel each other out?
Asking for a friend.
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In this intimate meditation, Allison Sweet Grant begins at the place she assumed was the end. Barely 40, a mother of three, and just embarking upon her literary career, she started coping with her cancer experience the only way she knew how. In poems and compositions, Grant deftly explores every emotion, from the gripping panic of diagnosis to the bittersweet relief of recovery, and the heartbeats in between.
Unpretentious, gut-wrenchingly honest, and at times devastatingly funny, Lump illuminates the fear, hope, and everyday indignities of illness—as well as the unexpected joys of healing—with sobering clarity and wisdom. Whether you’re on a similar course, supporting a loved one through theirs, or simply appreciate lyrical musings and poignant prose, this evocative collection is one you will savor and share.
A memoir in ineloquent reflections
September 15, 2026
Praise for LUMP
“Many people have written about their cancer diagnoses, but few have turned their experience into poetry. Those who have been there, will recognize themselves in Grant’s stunning verse. Those who are, right now, will find a friend. Those who have never been on this road themselves will form a deeper understanding of what it means to be a cancer patient.”—Katie Couric
“Lump gives voice to a quiet pain experienced by millions of women and their families… If you want to understand breast cancer in the most human terms, this memoir is for you.”
—Vivek Murthy, 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States and author of Together
“In Lump, ballads, lists, and glorious free-verse riffs become a container for what cannot be contained, a way to express the maelstrom. To say what’s often impossible to put into words. To make peace with fortune.”
—Suleika Jaouad, author of Between Two Kingdoms
“Reading about cancer can be depressing. Lump is not. Grant covers the gravity of illness with remarkable levity…You’ll find yourself returning to it again and again.”
—Jenna Fischer, author of The Office BFFs
“Gutting when it needs to be and soothing in all the right places. Lump makes the unspeakable feel relatable.”
—Rupi Kaur, author of Milk and Honey
“Grant walks us into anguish and helps us find a way through it at the same time. She makes us shudder and laugh in the same turn of phrase.”
—Brene Brown, PhD, author of Strong Ground
Also from Allison Sweet Grant:
I AM THE CAGE
Allison Sweet Grant
Fish Creek, Wisconsin—Beautiful. Quiet. Isolated. Anonymous. It’s all that nineteen-year-old Elisabeth needs, and everything she wants. Cloistered in her tiny cabin, Elisabeth is determined to be alone, hiding from her memories and making sure that no one can ever hurt her again.
But when a massive snowstorm strikes, plunging the town into darkness, Elisabeth finally allows herself to accept help from her neighbor, Noah, the town’s young sheriff. Forced to show him more vulnerability than she ever intended, Elisabeth realizes she can no longer outrun the scars of her childhood, and facing the darkness might be exactly what she needs to let the light in.
In a searing own-voices story accented by poignant childhood flashbacks and stunning poetry, Allison Sweet Grant’s young adult debut is a quietly powerful portrait of a young woman’s journey to confront the medical trauma inflicted to “fix” her—and heal her heart in the process. An emotional coming-of-age story about a young woman running away from herself, yet grasping to find a way back. Deeply moving, authentically raw, and humming with the possibility of new love.
“A brilliant book about what we survive—and how. Visceral, wrenching, and beautiful, Grant’s triumphant novel will stick with you.”
–John Green, #1 bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars
“Heartfelt, human and true—a novel that feels real from the first word to the last. I loved it.”
–Markus Zusak, #1 bestselling author of The Book Thief ​
“A tender, heartfelt story about the wounds childhood trauma can leave on its survivors. The sense of powerlessness—and redemption—will stay with you.”
–Jojo Moyes, #1 bestselling author of The Giver of Stars and Me Before You
“A beautiful and poetic book about the many ways pain, and love in all its forms, leaves a lasting stain. Elisabeth’s story of childhood trauma, both physical and emotional, is brutal, heartfelt, and a testament to finally breaking free and moving forward on your own terms.”
–Kathleen Glasgow, #1 bestselling author of Girl in Pieces ​
“Allison Sweet Grant is a natural storyteller with the keen eye and ear of a poet. Deftly toggling between past and present, childhood trauma and its painful aftershocks, I Am the Cage is a story of love, resilience, and healing. What a beautiful, moving, and insightful debut.”
–Maggie Smith, bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful ​ ​
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“Grant’s YA debut emerges with a captivating sparkle...
introspective and rhythmic prose.... outstanding character study.... powerful.”
–Booklist starred review
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“Artfully showcases the complicated back-and-forth between keeping oneself safe and staunching one’s own growth…. Crackles with tension and sincerity… cathartic.”
–Publishers Weekly