He's the author of more than 100 books, but John Grisham said his new book is the most important he's ever written.
"I write escapist popular fiction that entertains," Grisham said in an interview with the Washington Post. "It's entertainment. It doesn't pretend to be literature or anything else. But 'The Tumor' has the potential to one day save or prolong millions of lives."
This book isn't a crime thriller, unlike most of his books, and is free for anyone to download on Amazon. "The Tumor: A Non-Legal Thriller" tells the story of a fictional patient named Paul who is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. The book takes readers through the treatment and his family's pain, which doesn't end positively.
In the second part of the book, Grisham tells Paul's story again, but set in the year 2025 when a new treatment called focused ultrasound is able to extend Paul's life expectancy.
"Focused ultrasound is a revolutionary medical therapy that could potentially save so many lives. I’ve written this short book to help ensure it is part of our future," Grisham wrote on his Facebook page.
A focused ultrasound is an early-stage, non-invasive technology that serves as an alternative to surgery and radiation. It can treat dozens of conditions, including Alzheimer's, spinal cord injury, many types of cancers, Hypertension and Diabetes. On The Focused Ultrasound Foundation's website, it explains that many of the treatments are still in the early stage, several of them have FDA approval, but none have universal insurance reimbursement.
Grisham and Dr. Neal Kassell, founder and chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, held a TEDx Talk about what focused ultrasound could mean for millions of people. Grisham is on the board of the foundation.
"When I learned about focused ultrasound and it's potential to change lives, I knew it was a story worth telling," Grisham said.
The book is is available on Amazon and the foundation's website.