A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Chemo (Luke Ryan, Affirm Press)

Luke Ryan is a stand-up comedian whose his first Melbourne International Comedy Festival show, Luke’s Got Cancer, received rave reviews. This memoir grew out of his stand-up routine and it shows. Ryan is a natural storyteller and the humour throughout his book is tightly crafted and self-deprecating. At the age of 11, Ryan was diagnosed with an osteogenic sarcoma—an aggressive cancer that affects the body’s connective tissues and is resistant to most chemotherapies—discovered behind his left knee.  At 22 he was a diagnosed with a pleomorphic sarcoma found in his right lung. It is a testament to Ryan’s writing that he can describe the brutal procedures of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, ‘salvage’ surgery and the side effects with such hilarity. It is laugh-out-loud funny in places as Ryan relates his cancer to milestones in his life: the beginning of adolescence and the start of adulthood. But underneath the comedy is a heart-warming portrait of a supportive and loving family. Ryan’s parents and older brother shine on the page as they face his battles in both individual and collective ways, sometimes surprising each other in the face of adversity. This is a terrific debut from a new talent. It will appeal to fans of Anh Do and Alice Pung.

Sarina Gale is a freelance writer and bookseller at the Sun Bookshop in Yarraville