2000: a hot summer in Kyrgyzstan. A dry wind and an annoying cough prompt the author to visit a local hospital in the capital, Bishkek. In this strange land, he first hears the word 'cancer' applied to his condition. Robin Reid pulls no punches, spares us no details in his descent into choking illness, disastrous radiation therapy and final surrender to a laryngectomy. Then comes the recovery, the refusal to accept a 'mute inglorious state', and the rediscovery of his voice. How he did this, the methods he chose, the menatal state required and the back-up therapy available are all detailed in...