Just as a young life is opening up with promise, a diagnosis of leukemia disrupts everything.

Then and Now takes us inside the mind of a cancer patient as she comes to terms with her new reality and grapples with the unimaginable. This profound book is full of hope, growth, and triumph but refuses to withhold the unpleasant truth of a life-threatening diagnosis. Back “then” we follow her relentless search for answers and meaning, revealing immense strength and resilience despite the heavy toll of treatment. And “now” we see a renewed reflection of self and examination of cancer’s permanent impact on life.

Paul Brooke, professor of English at Grand View, says about Then & Now: “Alicia Elifritz just rivets with this deeply reflective narrative. The voice is honest and revealing, while taking us through an amazing journey of pain and persistence. In the end, we are transformed by the experience, left breathless at her story and her love of life.”

About the Author

Then & Now is Alicia Elifritz’s first book. It was selected by Grand View University as the 2022 Alumni Book Prize Winner. Her poetry has previously appeared in the university’s undergraduate literary journal Bifrost as well as the alumni magazine Grand View. Alicia has been creatively journaling since she was able to write and, at age twenty, designated a special portion to chronicle the diagnosis, treatment and remission of leukemia.