Empowered: Grace, Grit, and a Miracle Paperback – March 18, 2026

“Amanda Dolan’s work is an insightful meditation of continuous growth and self-awareness in living with breast cancer. She highlights that the action of simply “showing up” is far more important to her than the more commonly stated phrase “let me know how I can help you.”In Empowered, Amanda sheds a new light on the strength and service that military spouses provide to the country and its people by standing strong still holding their families and home together. All while coping with the challenges of cancer, frequent moves across the country, changing schools and daily routines, to support their children and active duty spouses. Many of us mistakenly think we should be able to tackle life’s challenges by ourselves. Amanda’s story highlights the often-overlooked reality that one cannot do it alone; simply “showing up”, being present, can be the greatest gift to those burdened by cancer.”Claire M. Carman M.D. FACSHer diagnosis came during a season already full—motherhood, marriage, and the joyful chaos of raising a young family. The biopsy that confirmed her cancer was performed on her first son’s birthday, a moment forever tethered to fear, love, and resolve.In Empowered, Amanda shares her deeply personal journey through illness, healing, and the quiet rebuilding that follows. What unfolds is not a story about fighting harder or staying positive at all costs, but one of uncertainty, community, faith, and unexpected joy. Along the way, she learns that strength doesn’t always roar—and that healing is rarely linear.Now approaching ten years cancer-free, she looks back not from a place of loss, but from one of gratitude, growth, and renewed hope. Read more