Madhulika Sikka is a veteran broadcast journalist with decades of experience. She has worked at NPR News and ABC News, among other outlets.

In her new book “The Breast Cancer Alphabet,” Madhulika Sikka dissects the pros and cons of post-chemotherapy headscarves, turbans and big shiny earrings.

I never thought of my mother as a brave woman, but as I wrapped her body in a red sari for her funeral, it dawned on me that her refusal to dress in Western clothing was more pioneering than anything I had ever done.