Green wrote the book after living through breast cancer while raising her two children, Ebony and Louis. During that period, the kids tried to make sense of their mother’s sudden changes. They saw her sleep more, lose weight, and struggle through rounds of treatment. In the way only kids can, they formed their own explanation. They decided she must have been “bitten by the cancer bug,” which became the title and the heart of the story.
The book follows the kids as they watch their mother move through the hardest moments of treatment. They ask questions, offer help, and try to add their own kind of comfort. Sometimes they make her laugh without meaning to. Sometimes they try to fix things in ways that are sweet but wildly off target. Those moments feel real because they come from real life. The manuscript shows the messy truth of parenting through illness, and it does it with a clear voice that avoids the sterile tone often found in medical stories.
What makes the story work is its focus on the family rather than the sickness. Green does not hide the rough parts. She also refuses to let the pain overshadow the love that keeps the family steady. Even when she is exhausted, she finds ways to show her kids they still matter. Even when the kids are scared, they find ways to remind their mom she is not fighting alone. The result is a book that carries weight but never feels heavy.
Parents and educators will likely find the book useful because it gives children language they can handle. The kids in the story respond the way children genuinely respond, with big feelings, simple logic, and a belief that problems should have simple answers. That honesty helps open real conversations without overwhelming young readers. It also helps adults who may be struggling with how to explain cancer without causing more fear.
Green’s writing shines in her ability to keep the story grounded. Nothing feels forced. The humor comes from the natural chaos of family life, not from jokes placed there for effect. The tender moments come from lived experience, not sentiment. Readers can tell this comes from a mother who has stood in the middle of that storm and found a way forward.
Mommy Was Bitten by the Cancer Bug is more than a book about illness. It is a portrait of a family trying to stay connected while life shifts under their feet. It shows how children can surprise us with the strength they carry, and how parents can fight for hope even when the days feel long. For families facing a similar challenge, the book offers comfort. For everyone else, it offers a reminder that love often grows stronger in the toughest seasons.
Author Biography
Lesley Davis Green was born in Los Angeles, California in 1978 to her parents, Louis and Lynda Davis. They encouraged her to dream big and to live by the Girl Scout motto, “be prepared.” She and her husband, Stephen Green, are raising their two children, Ebony and Louis, while building a life filled with love, growth, and humor.
She enjoys reading, writing skits, dressing up as different characters, diamond painting, and dancing around the house while lip-syncing to old school music. Before writing children’s books, she explored several paths, including working as a veterinarian assistant, dental assistant, and preschool teacher.
Lesley writes nonfiction children’s stories inspired by her own health challenges and parenting experiences. Mommy Was Bitten by the Cancer Bug is her first book, created from her journey through breast cancer and her belief that storytelling can turn even the hardest moments into connection and courage.
Availability & Contact
Mommy Was Bitten by the Cancer Bug will soon be available on the official website, Amazon, and other online platforms in multiple formats: paperback, hardcover, and e-book.
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