Boelhouwer lost her grandmother to breast cancer. Her granddaughter discovered that she is a carrier of the BRCA gene, which is the gene that causes breast cancer. This book contains a roller coaster of emotions, weakness, and heartbreaking choice of the removal of breasts as a treatment for this type of cancer. This book is also about close family ties and the unconditional love that can overcome the darkness in the belief that life is worth fighting for and that perseverance should be celebrated. Hanne Lies Boelhouwer was born in Leersum on 1980. She studied Education at the University of Groningen specializing in Civics. She is currently working as the Head of the Expert Team at Bureau ICE. In 1997, she was the winner of the Dutch European writing competition organized in Europe against Racism by the European Parliament. Threatening Breasts is her debut autobiographical story and was made into a KRO radio documentary.