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Restored
A Self-Paced Grief Workbook for Your Journey from Loss to Life
Marilyn C F Willis
2020 Gold Medal
Kindle Edition
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
Restored: A Self-Paced Grief Workbook for Your Journey from Loss to Life by Marilyn Willis is a handy manual that gives good guidance to readers who are survivors of loss. This book will help them move on to the restored life they are seeking. The book is a good tool to reflect on loss and find peace, community, comfort, and compassion. Grief is a personal emotion and the way mourning happens, the support, and the relationships that sustain can vary from individual to individual and this workbook is the perfect model to the path of healing. Though everyone's grief process varies, the loss leaves everyone with more or less the same challenges. This book walks readers through five key parts of restoration and will help readers open the doors to healing.
Marilyn Willis's personal story and stories from other survivors will make readers going through loss realize they are not alone. The author's compassionate mindset and her ability to understand the pain of others will encourage readers experiencing loss to become strong, resilient, love more, be grateful, and enjoy life. She speaks about the topic extensively and expansively, helping readers find a balance in their grieving. The Suggested Exercises and Reflection Questions are equally useful when it comes to restoring life after a loss. The approach to the topic is engaging and interesting and will pull readers in to participate in the Suggested Exercises and Reflection Questions and find peace and comfort. The author also gives biblical examples and how they overcame their grief by connecting with God. The book is comforting and leaves those who are struggling to overcome their grief and pain with hope and a sense of peace.
Restored: A Self-Paced Grief Workbook for Your Journey from Loss to Life by Marilyn Willis is a handy manual that gives good guidance to readers who are survivors of loss. This book will help them move on to the restored life they are seeking. The book is a good tool to reflect on loss and find peace, community, comfort, and compassion. Grief is a personal emotion and the way mourning happens, the support, and the relationships that sustain can vary from individual to individual and this workbook is the perfect model to the path of healing. Though everyone's grief process varies, the loss leaves everyone with more or less the same challenges. This book walks readers through five key parts of restoration and will help readers open the doors to healing.
Marilyn Willis's personal story and stories from other survivors will make readers going through loss realize they are not alone. The author's compassionate mindset and her ability to understand the pain of others will encourage readers experiencing loss to become strong, resilient, love more, be grateful, and enjoy life. She speaks about the topic extensively and expansively, helping readers find a balance in their grieving. The Suggested Exercises and Reflection Questions are equally useful when it comes to restoring life after a loss. The approach to the topic is engaging and interesting and will pull readers in to participate in the Suggested Exercises and Reflection Questions and find peace and comfort. The author also gives biblical examples and how they overcame their grief by connecting with God. The book is comforting and leaves those who are struggling to overcome their grief and pain with hope and a sense of peace.
Recommend this book:
Mending the Shattered Mirror
A Journey of Recovery from Abusive Therapy
Analie Shepherd
2019 Finalist
296 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Chris Fischer for Readers' Favorite
Wow! Just, wow! That's exactly what I thought when I finished reading Mending the Shattered Mirror: A Journey of Recovery from Abuse in Therapy. This intriguing and horrifying true story of the abuse that author Analie Shepherd went through at the hands of her therapist kept me reading into the wee hours of the night; I was that engrossed in the story. Analie, a woman who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, sought the help of a therapist after suffering a terrible tragedy. What she found from her therapist, instead of help, was physical, verbal and emotional abuse. Finally freeing herself from this horrible person, she finds retired psychiatrist, Laurie, through an abuse survivor's support group, TELL. The book recounts their four-year email relationship and the healing that both women are able to achieve from the past wrongs they have suffered.
I loved Mending the Shattered Mirror: A Journey of Recovery from Abuse in Therapy. Loved. It. How's that for a review? Well, it is absolutely how I felt about this amazing book. This heart-wrenching story will definitely make you question the therapist and patient relationship, and realize how much harm a person with the wrong intentions in a helping profession can do to a vulnerable person. Author Analie Shepherd is clearly an amazing and resilient woman, and I thank her for being willing to share her very difficult story with the public. I could not give this book a higher recommendation, and I certainly hope that the author will consider writing a second volume that details her continuing life.
Wow! Just, wow! That's exactly what I thought when I finished reading Mending the Shattered Mirror: A Journey of Recovery from Abuse in Therapy. This intriguing and horrifying true story of the abuse that author Analie Shepherd went through at the hands of her therapist kept me reading into the wee hours of the night; I was that engrossed in the story. Analie, a woman who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, sought the help of a therapist after suffering a terrible tragedy. What she found from her therapist, instead of help, was physical, verbal and emotional abuse. Finally freeing herself from this horrible person, she finds retired psychiatrist, Laurie, through an abuse survivor's support group, TELL. The book recounts their four-year email relationship and the healing that both women are able to achieve from the past wrongs they have suffered.
I loved Mending the Shattered Mirror: A Journey of Recovery from Abuse in Therapy. Loved. It. How's that for a review? Well, it is absolutely how I felt about this amazing book. This heart-wrenching story will definitely make you question the therapist and patient relationship, and realize how much harm a person with the wrong intentions in a helping profession can do to a vulnerable person. Author Analie Shepherd is clearly an amazing and resilient woman, and I thank her for being willing to share her very difficult story with the public. I could not give this book a higher recommendation, and I certainly hope that the author will consider writing a second volume that details her continuing life.
Recommend this book:
Surrender
A Love Letter To My Daughter
Lou Alpert
2019 Honorable Mention
228 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Surrender: A Love Letter To My Daughter by Lou Alpert is a memoir about addiction that is poignantly written, heartbreaking and filled with light. It begins on December 1, 2017 as the author wakes up to images of her daughter, Crystal, doing heroin in an alley. She is confronted by an Albuquerque policeman. In less than twenty hours, the story goes viral, picked up by other networks. The sensational story sets the mother on a journey to connecting with her daughter. This is a story that is filled with love and light, a journey of acceptance and compassion told with utter honesty.
Readers are introduced to the pain the author experienced for more than two years of her daughter living on the streets. They get powerful insights into what it feels like to live on the streets. Readers will understand the behavior and mental disposition of someone with an addiction. Lou Alpert does an incredible job in exploring feelings and emotions, allowing readers to feel her pain and to see her hope. The story is filled with factual images and text message exchanges that substantiate the story. The author explores themes of love, family, and parenting and exposes the dangers of addiction to both personal and family life. It is a page-turner that will bring tears of joy and pain to readers' eyes. The emotion is raw and gives credibility to this book. Surrender: A Love Letter To My Daughter is bold, engaging and very inspiring. Highly recommended.
Surrender: A Love Letter To My Daughter by Lou Alpert is a memoir about addiction that is poignantly written, heartbreaking and filled with light. It begins on December 1, 2017 as the author wakes up to images of her daughter, Crystal, doing heroin in an alley. She is confronted by an Albuquerque policeman. In less than twenty hours, the story goes viral, picked up by other networks. The sensational story sets the mother on a journey to connecting with her daughter. This is a story that is filled with love and light, a journey of acceptance and compassion told with utter honesty.
Readers are introduced to the pain the author experienced for more than two years of her daughter living on the streets. They get powerful insights into what it feels like to live on the streets. Readers will understand the behavior and mental disposition of someone with an addiction. Lou Alpert does an incredible job in exploring feelings and emotions, allowing readers to feel her pain and to see her hope. The story is filled with factual images and text message exchanges that substantiate the story. The author explores themes of love, family, and parenting and exposes the dangers of addiction to both personal and family life. It is a page-turner that will bring tears of joy and pain to readers' eyes. The emotion is raw and gives credibility to this book. Surrender: A Love Letter To My Daughter is bold, engaging and very inspiring. Highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Shackled
A Journey From Political Imprisonment To Freedom
Adam Siddiq
2019 Bronze Medal
308 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Shackled: A Journey From Political Imprisonment to Freedom by Adam Siddiq is the true story of Khaled Siddiq, a heartbreaking story of injustice and betrayal and a sinister plan to eliminate an entire family. Khaled is just six when his entire family and extended family are betrayed, his father exiled and his uncles executed. His family used to be favored by the King of Afghanistan, but now everything has changed with the new regime. This family of men who stood by the king ends up in a dungeon in one of the forgotten corners of Kabul. Follow this gritty tale of hardship, of painful loss, and hope. Young Khaled makes the best use of his time and studies, learning five different languages and philosophy. When this family is finally released, life will never be the way it once was and it is difficult to walk any street without feeling as though they were being followed. And can Khaled be reunited with his father?
This story of grit and a young man’s struggle to survive against impossible odds is beautifully told. I have read a few books from authors from Afghanistan — including The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini — and there is always this surprising blend of insight and humanity that emerges from the ashes, and Shackled handles this aspect of the story beautifully. The narrative is smooth and the setting comes out clearly, with copious references to the culture and the traditional language of the protagonist. Readers will understand what key moments and places are called in the protagonist’s language. This masterful handling of setting gives authenticity to the story and reinforces the realism in the narrative. Shackled: A Journey From Political Imprisonment to Freedom is deeply moving, infused with deep values of humanity, a tale of hope and resilience. It is an incredible journey to freedom.
Shackled: A Journey From Political Imprisonment to Freedom by Adam Siddiq is the true story of Khaled Siddiq, a heartbreaking story of injustice and betrayal and a sinister plan to eliminate an entire family. Khaled is just six when his entire family and extended family are betrayed, his father exiled and his uncles executed. His family used to be favored by the King of Afghanistan, but now everything has changed with the new regime. This family of men who stood by the king ends up in a dungeon in one of the forgotten corners of Kabul. Follow this gritty tale of hardship, of painful loss, and hope. Young Khaled makes the best use of his time and studies, learning five different languages and philosophy. When this family is finally released, life will never be the way it once was and it is difficult to walk any street without feeling as though they were being followed. And can Khaled be reunited with his father?
This story of grit and a young man’s struggle to survive against impossible odds is beautifully told. I have read a few books from authors from Afghanistan — including The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini — and there is always this surprising blend of insight and humanity that emerges from the ashes, and Shackled handles this aspect of the story beautifully. The narrative is smooth and the setting comes out clearly, with copious references to the culture and the traditional language of the protagonist. Readers will understand what key moments and places are called in the protagonist’s language. This masterful handling of setting gives authenticity to the story and reinforces the realism in the narrative. Shackled: A Journey From Political Imprisonment to Freedom is deeply moving, infused with deep values of humanity, a tale of hope and resilience. It is an incredible journey to freedom.
Recommend this book:
You Are Not Alone
A Heartfelt Guide for Grief, Healing, and Hope
Debbie Augenthaler, LMHC, NCC
2019 Silver Medal
268 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
You Are Not Alone: A Heartfelt Guide to Grief, Healing, and Hope by Debbie Augenthaler is the author's personal story of grief, trauma, and loss after losing her husband. Grief connects people and there is no particular way to grieve. It can be messy, chaotic, and hard. Through her book, the author tells people that it is okay to be a griever and healing and recovery does not mean that the person has been forgotten. The purpose of the book is to help others deal with their feelings of grief and offer them tools to deal with their inconsolable loss. The healing insights offered will guide readers who are grieving through their personal maze of loss and healing.
You Are Not Alone is a beautifully expressed book that will give readers the confidence to deal with their loss and grief, and appreciate the deeper compassion they develop while dealing with grief. Coping with grief is not easy and it is something that has to be learned. The book is honest and straightforward. The themes of loss, grief, healing, recovery, and a spiritual journey will connect with readers. The combination of prose, poems, and tips for quick meditations make it an interesting guide and, at the same time, it shows readers how to find their direction. Most importantly, the book gives hope to all those who are grieving. This book is not only about the author's personal loss but also her road to recovery and her spiritual journey.
You Are Not Alone: A Heartfelt Guide to Grief, Healing, and Hope by Debbie Augenthaler is the author's personal story of grief, trauma, and loss after losing her husband. Grief connects people and there is no particular way to grieve. It can be messy, chaotic, and hard. Through her book, the author tells people that it is okay to be a griever and healing and recovery does not mean that the person has been forgotten. The purpose of the book is to help others deal with their feelings of grief and offer them tools to deal with their inconsolable loss. The healing insights offered will guide readers who are grieving through their personal maze of loss and healing.
You Are Not Alone is a beautifully expressed book that will give readers the confidence to deal with their loss and grief, and appreciate the deeper compassion they develop while dealing with grief. Coping with grief is not easy and it is something that has to be learned. The book is honest and straightforward. The themes of loss, grief, healing, recovery, and a spiritual journey will connect with readers. The combination of prose, poems, and tips for quick meditations make it an interesting guide and, at the same time, it shows readers how to find their direction. Most importantly, the book gives hope to all those who are grieving. This book is not only about the author's personal loss but also her road to recovery and her spiritual journey.
Recommend this book:
Riding Standing Up
A Memoir
Sparrow Spaulding
2019 Gold Medal
267 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
Riding Standing Up: A Memoir is an autobiography written by Sparrow Spaulding. Sparrow’s earliest memories were idyllic ones centering around a picture-perfect family with an adoring dad and a mom who was patient, loving and fun. But things changed and much too quickly. Her dad left, taking her little brother with him, and then he kidnapped her one morning, while she and her mom were on a doughnut run in town. Sparrow’s last vision of her mom was of her looking broken and twisted on the pavement and screaming. She and her dad drove to his mother’s trailer home in upstate New York, a terrifying trip that lasted, it seemed, forever. Nana was scary, with a stiff face that never seemed to smile even if a smile ever found itself on her painted red lips. Sparrow’s mom and dad had been from different worlds, and when they parted Sparrow’s perfect world seemed to end. Later on, her mom would explain that the breakup had happened because of his infidelities, something she could never forgive or get over.
Sparrow Spaulding’s autobiography, Riding Standing Up: A Memoir, reads like the most enthralling fictional account you’ve ever read and there’s a very good reason for it. No, it’s not that this is really fiction, rather it’s that Spaulding is an extremely gifted writer. That said, I did have to check for myself several times while reading Riding Standing Up, that this was, indeed, a memoir. Spaulding speaks with a wry detachment that works perfectly with her story. I would think to myself, what a great character Sparrow is, and then remind myself that she is also the author. How confusing and yet how incredibly awesome is that? I especially loved those parts of the story where Frank, her mom’s first love, comes to live with them and found the passages about the bikes to be memorable and moving. If you enjoy memoirs, you’ll have a marvelous time reading this exceptionally good one. If you prefer fiction, try it anyway. This memoir may have you rethinking your preferences, and, yes, it’s that good. Riding Standing Up: A Memoir is most highly recommended.
Riding Standing Up: A Memoir is an autobiography written by Sparrow Spaulding. Sparrow’s earliest memories were idyllic ones centering around a picture-perfect family with an adoring dad and a mom who was patient, loving and fun. But things changed and much too quickly. Her dad left, taking her little brother with him, and then he kidnapped her one morning, while she and her mom were on a doughnut run in town. Sparrow’s last vision of her mom was of her looking broken and twisted on the pavement and screaming. She and her dad drove to his mother’s trailer home in upstate New York, a terrifying trip that lasted, it seemed, forever. Nana was scary, with a stiff face that never seemed to smile even if a smile ever found itself on her painted red lips. Sparrow’s mom and dad had been from different worlds, and when they parted Sparrow’s perfect world seemed to end. Later on, her mom would explain that the breakup had happened because of his infidelities, something she could never forgive or get over.
Sparrow Spaulding’s autobiography, Riding Standing Up: A Memoir, reads like the most enthralling fictional account you’ve ever read and there’s a very good reason for it. No, it’s not that this is really fiction, rather it’s that Spaulding is an extremely gifted writer. That said, I did have to check for myself several times while reading Riding Standing Up, that this was, indeed, a memoir. Spaulding speaks with a wry detachment that works perfectly with her story. I would think to myself, what a great character Sparrow is, and then remind myself that she is also the author. How confusing and yet how incredibly awesome is that? I especially loved those parts of the story where Frank, her mom’s first love, comes to live with them and found the passages about the bikes to be memorable and moving. If you enjoy memoirs, you’ll have a marvelous time reading this exceptionally good one. If you prefer fiction, try it anyway. This memoir may have you rethinking your preferences, and, yes, it’s that good. Riding Standing Up: A Memoir is most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
The Gifted Storyteller
The Power is in the Story You Tell
Gregg Korrol
2018 Gold Medal
128 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
The Gifted Storyteller: The Power is in the Story You Tell by Gregg Korrol is an inspirational story. Michael did everything he thought he should do for a successful life. He had a good job, he had money in the bank, friends and a few decent dates too. It wasn’t all he expected it to be though; something was missing. That was until he walked into a bar, hoping beyond hope that tonight would be the night he met someone special. That fateful night he met Jeannie. Jeannie is about to change Michael’s life forever when she introduces him to the Gifted Storyteller. Jeannie is the woman who will introduce us all to our inner Genie, the storyteller within us who gives us the power to change our lives, the way she did with Michael.
The Gifted Storyteller: The Power is in the Story You Tell by Gregg Korrol is one of the stories that make you sit back and consider your own life, look at it in a new light and assess whether the place you are now is the place you truly want to be. Gregg Korrol has written a truly inspirational story, a tale that makes us explore our lives and minds, and makes us think more clearly about everything we have done or will do. It is written in motivating language, it flows well and it is, to be honest, riveting. We all need encouragement in our lives, we all need that little push every now and again to wake us up and make us smell the coffee, as it were. If anyone is looking for that push, this is the book to do it and I defy anyone who reads it not to reflect on their own lives. This is exceptionally well written and I enjoyed every page of it.
The Gifted Storyteller: The Power is in the Story You Tell by Gregg Korrol is an inspirational story. Michael did everything he thought he should do for a successful life. He had a good job, he had money in the bank, friends and a few decent dates too. It wasn’t all he expected it to be though; something was missing. That was until he walked into a bar, hoping beyond hope that tonight would be the night he met someone special. That fateful night he met Jeannie. Jeannie is about to change Michael’s life forever when she introduces him to the Gifted Storyteller. Jeannie is the woman who will introduce us all to our inner Genie, the storyteller within us who gives us the power to change our lives, the way she did with Michael.
The Gifted Storyteller: The Power is in the Story You Tell by Gregg Korrol is one of the stories that make you sit back and consider your own life, look at it in a new light and assess whether the place you are now is the place you truly want to be. Gregg Korrol has written a truly inspirational story, a tale that makes us explore our lives and minds, and makes us think more clearly about everything we have done or will do. It is written in motivating language, it flows well and it is, to be honest, riveting. We all need encouragement in our lives, we all need that little push every now and again to wake us up and make us smell the coffee, as it were. If anyone is looking for that push, this is the book to do it and I defy anyone who reads it not to reflect on their own lives. This is exceptionally well written and I enjoyed every page of it.
Recommend this book:
The Amazing Afterlife of Animals
Messages and Signs From Our Pets On The Other Side
Karen A Anderson
2018 Silver Medal
178 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite
In this age of heightened psychic understanding and awareness, animal communication and its practitioners have gained both increasing credibility and respect. Consequently, a genre previously devoted to the afterlife of humans has expanded to include the afterlife of animals, and in her book titled on this theme, Karen A. Anderson brings to the ranks of Dr. Doolittle successors a variety of uniquely warm and pleasing stories regarding our furry pets and friends. In a rather condensed and anecdotal format, Ms. Anderson offers examples of afterlife communication precise and detailed enough to comfort any semi-skeptical reader, such as passed-over cats and dogs helping to solve cold case murders, as well as reassuring interactions with human family members who have also transitioned to the other side.
The description of the afterlife dimension, as told by the deceased animals in Karen A. Anderson’s The Amazing Afterlife of Animals, is fully compatible with that related by such famous mediums and psychics as John Edward and Annie Kagan, and one will feel quite uplifted by their revelations. Ms. Anderson pays due respect to these, her predecessors, including an authenticating Foreword by the author of The Afterlife of Billy Fingers by Ms. Kagan. Such anointing and referral by an illustrious author in this genre should calm any reservations an interested reader might have regarding Ms. Anderson’s contribution. And while this book does leave one wanting a bit more information and background on the stories and their interpretations, a bit more storytelling as it were, these marvelous snippets are truly quite unique, and they are as fun to read as they are too quick to end.
In this age of heightened psychic understanding and awareness, animal communication and its practitioners have gained both increasing credibility and respect. Consequently, a genre previously devoted to the afterlife of humans has expanded to include the afterlife of animals, and in her book titled on this theme, Karen A. Anderson brings to the ranks of Dr. Doolittle successors a variety of uniquely warm and pleasing stories regarding our furry pets and friends. In a rather condensed and anecdotal format, Ms. Anderson offers examples of afterlife communication precise and detailed enough to comfort any semi-skeptical reader, such as passed-over cats and dogs helping to solve cold case murders, as well as reassuring interactions with human family members who have also transitioned to the other side.
The description of the afterlife dimension, as told by the deceased animals in Karen A. Anderson’s The Amazing Afterlife of Animals, is fully compatible with that related by such famous mediums and psychics as John Edward and Annie Kagan, and one will feel quite uplifted by their revelations. Ms. Anderson pays due respect to these, her predecessors, including an authenticating Foreword by the author of The Afterlife of Billy Fingers by Ms. Kagan. Such anointing and referral by an illustrious author in this genre should calm any reservations an interested reader might have regarding Ms. Anderson’s contribution. And while this book does leave one wanting a bit more information and background on the stories and their interpretations, a bit more storytelling as it were, these marvelous snippets are truly quite unique, and they are as fun to read as they are too quick to end.
Recommend this book:
Frock Off
Living Undisguised
Jo Dibblee
2018 Bronze Medal
320 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Carine Engelbrecht for Readers' Favorite
The saying goes that clothing maketh the man, but all too often, clothing serves as armor and disguise, hiding the pain and heartbreak of derailed human lives. Jo Dibblee knows all about hiding. As Frock Off: Living Undisguised chronicles, some of her earliest lessons in life revolved around hiding her dysfunctional family's doings from the outside world and protecting her flawed and damaged parents from the interference of social workers. At times, an 'earth angel' offers a respite from the tension. At times, hurtful family secrets are uncovered. With grim determination and an occasional lucky break, she is able to turn her life around.
Frock off: Living Undisguised is ultimately a well-written and uplifting tale of survival - both physical and emotional - against great adversity and against all odds. The book graphically illustrates exactly what potential dangers are faced by youth at risk, (especially when parents are incapable of providing adequate support) as well as the potential for damage that is realized when society turns a blind eye. I liked the honesty and introspection with which the author tackles her own past. I enjoyed her voice and her fighting spirit - people who have faced a struggle or two in their lives make worthier role models than overachievers born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouths. I think this book can serve as great inspiration for anyone who strives to turn a damaged life around. It could also provide greater insight into the dynamics of dysfunctional families. Jo Dibblee should be praised for sharing her past with such courage and integrity.
The saying goes that clothing maketh the man, but all too often, clothing serves as armor and disguise, hiding the pain and heartbreak of derailed human lives. Jo Dibblee knows all about hiding. As Frock Off: Living Undisguised chronicles, some of her earliest lessons in life revolved around hiding her dysfunctional family's doings from the outside world and protecting her flawed and damaged parents from the interference of social workers. At times, an 'earth angel' offers a respite from the tension. At times, hurtful family secrets are uncovered. With grim determination and an occasional lucky break, she is able to turn her life around.
Frock off: Living Undisguised is ultimately a well-written and uplifting tale of survival - both physical and emotional - against great adversity and against all odds. The book graphically illustrates exactly what potential dangers are faced by youth at risk, (especially when parents are incapable of providing adequate support) as well as the potential for damage that is realized when society turns a blind eye. I liked the honesty and introspection with which the author tackles her own past. I enjoyed her voice and her fighting spirit - people who have faced a struggle or two in their lives make worthier role models than overachievers born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouths. I think this book can serve as great inspiration for anyone who strives to turn a damaged life around. It could also provide greater insight into the dynamics of dysfunctional families. Jo Dibblee should be praised for sharing her past with such courage and integrity.
Recommend this book:
I Know It in My Heart
Walking Through Grief with a Child
Mary E. Plouffe Ph.D.
2018 Honorable Mention
256 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite
I Know It in My Heart: Walking Through Grief with a Child by Mary E. Plouffe Ph.D. is a powerful, heart wrenching memoir that takes a visceral, somewhat clinical look at loss, grief, and healing, the journey of a woman and a child through devastating loss. Mary had thought that her sister’s last and desperate treatment for breast cancer could offer a final solution to her condition, but she was wrong. Her sister, Martha, died unexpectedly because of the treatment, leaving behind a three-year-old daughter, Liamarie.
How can Mary explain the situation to the young child? How can she fill the void left by a loving mother in her child’s tender heart? In this captivating memoir, the reader follows the story as the loving sister navigates the path of recovery from grief with her niece and a father who seems as terrified of the loss as he is broken. The memoir starts with the phone call in which Martha informs her sister, Mary, of her decision to undergo treatment, asking her to take her daughter for a short period that would last only for about three to four weeks. Things change, and Mary soon finds herself with a loss that she never saw coming.
The pathos comes out strongly in this narrative and the reader is pulled into the hearts of the characters, feeling the contours of their grief and their pain. Mary E. Plouffe Ph.D. writes with expertise on the subject and the reader has no doubt that she is one of those authors who write from experience, from what she’s felt. I Know It in My Heart: Walking Through Grief with a Child offers great wisdom in dealing with loss and what people with children suffering from grief need to know. This story is both entertaining and inspiring.
I Know It in My Heart: Walking Through Grief with a Child by Mary E. Plouffe Ph.D. is a powerful, heart wrenching memoir that takes a visceral, somewhat clinical look at loss, grief, and healing, the journey of a woman and a child through devastating loss. Mary had thought that her sister’s last and desperate treatment for breast cancer could offer a final solution to her condition, but she was wrong. Her sister, Martha, died unexpectedly because of the treatment, leaving behind a three-year-old daughter, Liamarie.
How can Mary explain the situation to the young child? How can she fill the void left by a loving mother in her child’s tender heart? In this captivating memoir, the reader follows the story as the loving sister navigates the path of recovery from grief with her niece and a father who seems as terrified of the loss as he is broken. The memoir starts with the phone call in which Martha informs her sister, Mary, of her decision to undergo treatment, asking her to take her daughter for a short period that would last only for about three to four weeks. Things change, and Mary soon finds herself with a loss that she never saw coming.
The pathos comes out strongly in this narrative and the reader is pulled into the hearts of the characters, feeling the contours of their grief and their pain. Mary E. Plouffe Ph.D. writes with expertise on the subject and the reader has no doubt that she is one of those authors who write from experience, from what she’s felt. I Know It in My Heart: Walking Through Grief with a Child offers great wisdom in dealing with loss and what people with children suffering from grief need to know. This story is both entertaining and inspiring.
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