Elin Hilderbrand has been called the “queen of the beach read,” but when the best-selling author was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, she was also a 45-year-old single mom with three young children. Undergoing a double mastectomy and multiple reconstructive surgeries between publicity stints, her “entire perspective changed after cancer,” she says.
By Lisa J. Wise
Three years post-treatment, Hilderbrand introduced a character with breast cancer in her 2018 novel “The Perfect Couple,” which has been made into a Netflix series coming out Sept. 5. The series marks her first book-to-screen adaptation.
Hilderbrand has written 27 Nantucket-themed novels and one short-story collection since her debut in 2000, selling more than 20 million copies of her best sellers worldwide. After a surprising early retirement announcement, she published “Swan Song” this summer, which she says is the last of her Nantucket series.
Recently, Hilderbrand spoke with The Washington Post via email about cancer’s life lessons. The following conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.
You’ve written of your cancer diagnosis: “Every moment that had come before … seemed carelessly squandered and every moment in front of me seemed unspeakably precious. There is one gift that a cancer diagnosis gives: a new understanding of how precious life is.” Has cancer affected your writing, and was it a factor in deciding to retire your Nantucket-based novels?
My entire perspective changed after cancer. Things that used to bother me no longer did. I narrowed the scope of my life down to my children, my writing, my friends, my island, taking care of my body through exercise and delicious food and taking care of my mind through reading and travel. I don’t bother with a lot else.
My decision to retire the Nantucket-based novels came from a related place of wisdom. My kids are now 24, 22 and 18. I realize I only have a few more years before they have families of their own and I want to be present for them now; it’s amazing how much parenting is still required in these later years.
You once described cancer as “solitary confinement.” Do you hope your books bring comfort and optimism to those in treatment or experiencing untimely loss?
One of the things going through my cancer journey taught me is that we’re all alone in our bodies. I also came to realize how desperately people who are sick want to go somewhere else in their minds. Escapism is real! That I have been able to provide a mental vacation to people who are undergoing treatment has given me a different way of thinking about the purpose of a “beach read.”
After diagnosis, you founded #mamastrong, inviting women and their loved ones to share their cancer stories. Can you share how #mamastrong came to be, even though it’s no longer active?
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, my kids were 14, 12 and 8. My middle child, Dawson, immediately shaved his head and posted on his nascent Instagram account, “Mom is strong.” My youngest child, Shelby, adopted this in her own way and came up with the phrase, “mamastrong,” which she would accompany with flexing her bicep and kissing it. It was so funny and yet so poignant that I decided to use the saying as my motto.
After I was through my six-hour double mastectomy and subsequent reconstruction, I worked with my publisher, Little, Brown, to establish an initiative called #mamastrong, where they would send boxes of my books to cancer treatment centers.
I have heard from many, many women who have chosen to read my novels while sitting in the chemo chair, which is both humbling and an incredible honor.
Your books spotlight sunny beaches, but darker themes seep in. How has early loss impacted your storytelling?
Every single one of my novels is informed by the loss of my father, Robert Hilderbrand, in a plane crash when I was 16. I think dealing with that unspeakable grief at such a tender age made me understand the world differently. My life up to that point had been enormously blessed. … Once my father died, that all changed.
On a pragmatic level, it also motivated me to create a life for myself where I could recapture the magic of my first 16 years for my own kids. They grew up going to beach picnics and driving over the cobblestones of Nantucket’s Main Street in an open-top Jeep.
“Golden Girl” is dedicated to your three young children. How did you juggle kids, a book release and a double mastectomy?
It was hard! I guess my best piece of advice is: Don’t be stubborn about accepting help.
At the time of my cancer diagnosis, I was newly divorced, but my ex-husband was a huge support. My friends and community all showed up in a big way — my friends dropped off meals and boxes of my favorite macarons.
My surgery was scheduled for the same night as my son Maxx’s eighth-grade dance, his first formal. My friends sent an album of pictures that I was able to look at in the recovery room. Thinking about this makes me cry now.
The other important thing to remember is “this too shall pass.” Ten years later, I doubt my kids ever think about that time. We are all far too busy dealing with the challenges and joys of the present.
Tell us about your commitment to your hours-long exercise routine seven days a week.
We only get one body and we absolutely, positively have to take care of it. I don’t want to get up and exercise, nobody does, but it’s a discipline that sets up the rest of my day. It has benefits for my physical health obviously, but it also does wonders for my mental health.
Starting off the day by accomplishing something difficult provides a sense of accomplishment and motivation.
It’s not officially summer until your newest book drops so fans are grieving “Swan Song” as your final Nantucket adventure. Any hope for an encore?
I know a lot of my readers don’t understand why I’m retiring the Nantucket-based novels. I’m finishing here because I want to exit while I’m at my best. … Will there be other novels? Yes. Will any of them be set on Nantucket? Never say never.
