Nearly Departed

By the time she was thirty, Gila Pfeffer was the oldest living member of her family, with both of her parents dead from cancer. She underwent genetic testing and after learning that she carried the BRCA1 gene decided to undergo a double mastectomy. It wasn't a choice - she had to stay alive.

This memoir follows Gila's journey to break the cycle of death in her family. After becoming a reluctant expert on how to sit shiva, she transforms into an independent adult, falls in love, and becomes a mother, before her life falls apart yet again.


Her double mastectomy reveals cancer already growing in one breast. After enduring eight rounds of chemo and the removal of her ovaries, she takes her last-ever dip in the mikvah waters as a bald, menopausal thirty-five-year-old mother of four.


Drenched in Gila's dark humor honed over years of repeatedly surviving the worst, Nearly Departed is a story about thriving despite poor odds, balancing life in the secular world while remaining true to her faith, and leaving a better legacy for her children than the one she inherited.

"This is the perfect book for anyone seeking levity in the face of devastation. Gila’s life is a master class on perspective and how to handle some of life’s darkest moments with fortitude and, most importantly, humor. Gila’s writing is honest, heartfelt, and impressive. It takes an incredible spirit to not only stare down death multiple times, but to also write about it with such a clear head and make it funny. Only read this book if you are okay with both crying and laughing out loud in public." -- Iliza Shlesinger, award-winning comedian, actor, writer, producer, and author
"Nearly Departed is a tribute to all of us who are trying to live this messy thing called life, and all the surprising beauty you can find within. Few authors can move you to tears with their words—Gila is one of them. Reading this book, I felt like she was my best friend telling me her story, describing the details with joy and faithfulness, and pulling me in and never letting go." -- Sarah Cooper, comedian and author of Foolish
"Pfeffer seamlessly blends tears and laughter in her vibrant debut memoir. . . The results are as funny as they are heartfelt and inspiring." -- Publishers Weekly
"A darkly funny memoir." -- katiecouric.com
"Pfeffer does not shy away from the grisly details of her treatments—or the agony of making what were often deemed risky medical decisions—but does so with a biting sense of humor that makes Nearly Departed as funny as it is revealing." -- Shelf Awareness
"Conjures the ghosts of not just one cancer but three . . . Pfeffer takes tragedy off its pedestal of pity, gossip, and clucking tongues, stripping it of much of its power. . . . Far from a horror story, [this memoir] reads like a heart-to-heart chat between friends." -- Jewish Book Council
"At turns deeply moving and absurdly funny, this is the unbelievably true story of a woman who made her own luck and saved her own life. One of the most hilarious memoirs I have ever read about surviving the worst." -- Leigh Stein, author of Self Care
"In her intensely honest memoir, Gila Pfeffer applies her sharp wit and superb storytelling skills to closely examine surviving enormous loss and adversity with her sense of humor remaining squarely intact. Gila’s strong voice is equal parts poignant, observant, gut-bustlingly funny, and uniquely her own. Her determination defies the odds. If you want to laugh, cry, and laugh some more while enjoying an intimate glance into the world of Orthodox Judaism, this is the book for you." -- Jen Mann, New York Times–bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat and Midlife Bites
"Nearly Departed is a book about loss, grief, and mortality that nonetheless sparkles with joy. And it is very, very funny. In fact, the darker it got, the more I laughed, which is how you know it was written by a Jew. I loved it." -- Catherine Newman, author of We All Want Impossible Things
"Bringing humor to tragedy is a tightrope act, but Gila does it beautifully. Her writing is compelling and contains an irresistible combination of depth and lightness." -- Wendi Aarons, author of I’m Wearing Tunics Now
"After her mom’s death upended her family, Gila was forced to take control of her own destiny in order to protect herself and the people she loved. A rallying cry for prevention, Pfeffer shows off her gift for turning tragedy, grief, and loss into something to laugh about." -- Emi Nietfeld, author of Acceptance
"Gila Pfeffer is the Gen X Erma Bombeck." -- Priscilla Kavanaugh, comedian
"An empowering and beautifully written memoir weaving humor, raw emotion, and education. Countless readers will be inspired by Gila’s bravery in taking control of her health, despite the difficulties she faced, and coming out the other side healthy and here to witness all of the family’s milestones she might have missed out on if she didn’t take steps to save her own life." -- New York Family
"An inspiring tale of courage and family, leavened by Pfeffer’s Jewish faith and her desire to not leave her children orphaned as she once was." -- The Reporter
"An inspiring tale of courage and family, leavened by Pfeffer’s Jewish faith and her desire to not leave her children orphaned as she once was." -- The Reporter

Gila Pfeffer is a Jewish American writer and humorist. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, McSweeney's, Today.com, and elsewhere. Gila's monthly "Feel It on the First" campaign reminds women to prioritize their breast health. She splits her time between New York City and London.

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