Moonface: A True Romance

“Angela Balcita's love story takes a couple of artsy wanderers off the road and into the bright, scary world of transplants, dialysis, and neonatal intensive care.” —Marion Winik, author of The Glen Rock Book of the Dead

From the pages of the New York Times’ Modern Love column comes one woman’s moving and uproarious story of how love and laughter rescued her from life-threatening illness. Angela Balcita’s cathartic memoir of finding love while wrestling with kidney failure will strike a chord with anyone yearning for a poignant, true-to-life romance…with a real fairy tale ending.
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The moving and hilarious true story of a young woman who found romance and laughter in the midst of illness

At the age of eighteen, Angela Balcita had reached a point in her life when her health could not keep up with her optimistic personality. After suffering kidney failure and after her body's rejection of the kidney her brother donated to her, she was in desperate need of a transplant.

Lucky for Angela, she had found the ultimate partner in crime: her boyfriend, Charlie. Although they had known each other for only a short period of time, Charlie offered Angela his kidney. The ensuing story is unforgettable, with readers following Angela and Charlie's journey through preparations for their respective surgeries; the procedures themselves, difficult yet emotionally riveting; the process of recuperation through the relapses; and the eventual healing—both inside and out—that greets this undeniably powerful duo.

Expanded from Angela's unforgettable "Modern Love" column in the New York Times and by turns funny, bittersweet, and heartwarming, Moonface will make readers laugh, cry, and, above all, appreciate the importance of unconditional love.

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“[Moonface] will restore your faith in humanity.” - People

“A triumphant story of hope and love. Buy this book—and a box of Kleenex—immediately.” - OK! Magazine

“With her sharp ear for dialogue and unflinching honesty, Balcita offers a sweet story of love and healing.” - BookPage

“Girl meets boy, girl gets boy, girl gets kidney....Angela Balcita’s love story takes a couple of artsy wanderers off the road and into the bright, scary world of transplants, dialysis, and neonatal intensive care. Most striking to me was her finely detailed portrait of her husband, whose equanimity, good humor, and love were tested again and again. He’s not a saint, but a real man, occasionally saying the wrong thing, always doing the best he can. In fact, Moonface is full of people doing the best they can to take care of each other, and reading it is a rare refresher course in ordinary human kindness.” - Marion Winik, author of First Comes Love and The Glen Rock Book of the Dead

“Girl meets boy, girl gets boy, girl gets kidney. . . . Moonface is full of people doing the best they can to take care of each other, and reading it is a rare refresher course in ordinary human kindness.” - Marion Winik, author of First Comes Love and The Glen Rock Book of the Dead

“What makes Balcita’s memoir so brightly entertaining is the unequaled sense of humor and perspective with which she and her devoted boyfriend-cum-spouse, Charlie, challenge these health problems. Certainly, Balcita’s pitch-perfect prose and intrinsic sense of timing don’t hurt either.” - Booklist

“A wonderfully composed, moving tale...Whether reflecting on her nomadic postcollege days or her emergency C-section, Balcita balances drama and comedy with finesse.” - Publishers Weekly

“Balcita gratefully reiterates how she has been blessed with the healing power of friends and family, who collectively bolstered her faith in love. A heartwarming and inspiring memoir.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Balcita paints a picture of [her and her husband’s] commitment and empathy for each other that is sweet and compelling enough to keep readers engrossed into the wee hours.” - USA Today

“In this unexpectedly upbeat memoir about her ordeal with kidney disease, three-time transplant patient Angela Balcita demonstrates her gift for walking on the sunny side of her challenging life. Her story is a sweet testimony to the power of family, love, perseverance, and hope. And three cheers for her husband, Charlie, a natural comic and all-around great guy.” - Julie Metz, New York Times bestselling author of Perfection

“[Angela Balcita’s] story is a sweet testimony to the power of family, love, perseverance, and hope. And three cheers for her husband, Charlie, a natural comic and all-around great guy.” - Julie Metz, New York Times bestselling author of Perfection