Cancer Is Complicated: And Other Unexpected Lessons I've Learned

"Clea has always been a helper, and she's doing it again with this incredible book. She is sharing her cancer journey and helping you through yours. She will walk with you . . . holding your hand every step of the way." --Hoda Kotb

A comforting, empowering, practical, and beautifully written guide to living with breast cancer from Clea Shearer, cofounder of The Home Edit

In 2022, Clea Shearer thought: This is going to be the best year of my life. The Home Edit, the company she had cofounded and worked so hard to grow, was acquired by Hello Sunshine. She had just finished filming the second season of her Emmy-nominated show Get Organized with The Home Edit. She turned forty surrounded by candles, flowers, friends, and family. And then, on March 8, 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her life as she knew it was over.

But life is full of nuances. As the months went by, Clea started to feel like she had been given an opportunity. What if she could share everything she experienced and learned throughout this process, so it would be a little less frightening for someone else? If she could manage to do that, maybe she could turn her cancer purposeful.

Cancer Is Complicated is the book that Clea wishes she'd had when she started on her cancer journey. It is a memoir and a guidebook, blending Clea's experiences and all the wisdom and advice she's gathered through this process. The book follows Clea through every step of her journey, from the moment she first felt a lump in her breast, through treatment, to where she is today. Clea also offers insights on questions big and small--from how to be your own biggest advocate, to knowing whom in your circle to share your diagnosis with, to understanding the emotional side of cancer, to what to bring with you to chemo, to things to eat when nothing else tastes good, and so much more.

Clea has built an incredibly successful career on empowering and helping people navigate the overwhelm of their homes--offering accessible ways for us to begin to put our lives in order. Here, she applies her wisdom to one of the most overwhelming and frightening experiences any human being ever has to face: cancer and illness.

Warm, honest, and straightforward in its approach, Cancer Is Complicated is for anyone with cancer or anyone who loves someone with cancer. It is a reminder to care for ourselves and one another, and it is here to help readers feel less alone and more prepared for the journey ahead.

Author: Clea Shearer
Publisher: Open Field
Published: 09/23/2025
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.60w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780593830611


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 05/01/2025 pg. 11
Publishers Weekly 07/14/2025

About the Author
Clea Shearer is the cofounder of The Home Edit, a global home and lifestyle company that began with the goal of reinventing traditional home organizing and merging it with design. The Home Edit has become a household name with a social following of over 9.8 million people; three New York Times bestselling books, The Home Edit, The Home Edit Life, and The Home Edit: Stay Organized; a successful line of organizational products sold in over thirty-one countries; and an Emmy-nominated Netflix show, Get Organized with The Home Edit. In 2025, Clea, and her cofounder Joanna Teplin, made their debut as hosts of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition airing on ABC and streaming on Hulu. Hello Sunshine, a division of Candle Media, acquired The Home Edit in the spring of 2022. Clea currently lives in Nashville with her husband John, two kids, and dog.