Honest and incredibly moving, The C-Word explores the taboo topic of ovarian cancer. This is the poignant story of two women, of the joys and difficulties of any relationship, and the unexpected terror of ovarian cancer, which strikes one of them down. The C-Word is also a complex and moving story of love, of family, of activism, of insurmountable challenges and the anger and fear they invoke. In diary format this difficult journey is interspersed with the delights of grand-motherhood, festivals, conferences, films, coffee and cake on one of Melbourne’s famous cafe strips and performances of the Performing Older Women’s Circus (POW) and the Women’s Circus, of which both Maureen and Jean were members. Honest and forthright, The C-Word is a personal account of cancer. It explores topics rarely acknowledged including the loneliness of the partner, the gruelling treatments of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and the terror and calm of facing death. The story of a powerful partnership, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of a community, The C-Word is an emotional and uplifting experience, and utterly unputdownable.