The thoughts of breast cancer survivors accompanied by photographs of their postsurgery bodies explore the recovery process, describe reconstructive options, and celebrate the resilience of the female spirit. San Francisco-based photographer Davis, whose mother had breast cancer, felt that women who had faced surgery and the loss of their breast should be given a forum to express feelings about the experience and a means for others to see what they themselves saw upon their "first look" at a postmastectomy body. The pride and determination of these women are evident in the postures and body language of each headless figure. The words vary from elegant to simplistic, erudite to crude, while the photos run the gamut as well, from perfectly reconstructed breasts to unbelievable scars and emptiness. Some of these photos are inspiring; others will make you gasp and wail. A fine chapter on reconstruction and a brief discussion of lymphedema by, respectively, a plastic surgeon and a nurse who is the founder of the National Lymphedema Network, round out this slim volume. These portraits are not as artistic as those in Winged Victory: Altered Images (Photographic Gallery of Fine Art Bks., 1996), and the contributions are not as stirring as those in Art.Rage.Us (LJ 7/98), but the photographs in The First Look will have the most impact. No one who sees them will remain unmoved. For all libraries. Bette-Lee Fox, "Library Journal" Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. As breast cancer continues to be epidemic in America, despite technological advancements, what women most fear is how a breast may look after surgery. Davis' black-and-white photographs, coupled with their subjects' stark personal essays, take major strides toward disarming the dread in that first postsurgery look. Some of the women photographed, who are identified only by first name and age, have had reconstructive surgery, some haven't, and some have lost both breasts. All of these "invisible amputees" speak frankly about their fears and trials, joys and triumphs, sharing the most intimate physical and emotional scars in this long overdue, nonpareil book. Whitney Scott Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved