Reviewed By Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favorite

In this truly inspirational memoir, author Elizabeth Gross details the agonizing reality of learning about terminal cancer. As an active mother and loving mother, Gross is thrown into the debilitating world of chemotherapy, multiple medical procedures, humiliating diagnoses, and trial and error testing. Forced to rely upon medical knowledge and misguided conclusions, Gross states, “The medical industry, … seemed to forget we should be, and could be, in a symbiotic relationship. Perhaps, reading this, someone will remember that, and make a change.”

As the victim of a “silent disease”, Elizabeth Gross discovers the injustices that accompany such a condition. As she throws herself into a mission that envelops the entire family, Gross fights the onset of depression and self-obsession in her pursuit of meeting her daughter’s hero, Taylor Swift. Recognized the world over as a widely known philanthropist, Taylor Swift holds the key for a positive outlook on the Gross family. While the search for Taylor Swift gains momentum, Elizabeth, Page, and Mark Gross redefine the challenges of facing a life-threatening disease.

Dream Accomplished: A Story of Cancer, A Mother’s Love & Taylor Swift by Elizabeth Gross is told with positive energy and believable dialogue that only a person in her position could understand. As a fellow warrior of an invisible disease (I was diagnosed with MS in 2001), I strongly relate to the statement: “You must have something as of yet undiagnosed. On I persevered…” As a mother, Gross puts her daughter’s hope before facing her own deadly challenge. I so enjoyed reading this author's journey.

Reviewed By Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The Olive Picker: A Memoir by Kathryn Brettell is a great book that will make you believe in strength and courage. Kathi’s life has never been easy, but this hardcore woman has kept her head held high and made sure that she had positives in her life along with the negatives. You will join Kathi on her journey where she fights domestic abuse, rebuilds her confidence, and becomes the person she is today.

Her story is heartbreaking, but her recovery is inspiring and very, very brave. The way she has written the book makes you understand her personality and how she is a fighter. The book is sometimes sad, sometimes happy, and sometimes hysterical. But when you are reading it, you will never ever feel pity for her, and that is because she never feels pity for herself. She is a strong, resilient woman and it shows in her words.

It is written perfectly; you can feel her emotions, feel her fear, and the way she makes up her mind. You can actually imagine her voice reading her words to you. It is very powerful and very dynamic. Reading the book was almost like meeting her in person. I guess some people are just gifted like her. After reading this book, you will learn to appreciate yourself, learn to love yourself for who you are, and never settle for anything less than what you deserve. You will cherish your mind, body, and soul because you will know that it is a gift.

Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Veronica's Grave: A Daughter's Memoir by Barbara Bracht Donsky is the compelling memoir of a woman coming to terms with the loss of her mother. In the process of discovering her mother, she ends up discovering herself. The author speaks about her lost childhood, the loss of her mother, breaking away from a family that raised her with a lot of secrets, and finally going out into the world and getting educated. This poignant story will reach out to readers and take them through her trials and triumphs, sorrows and joys, and her coming of age.

The book is heartrending and the author's narration is descriptive, drawing readers into her world, her emotional pain, and her angst. The pictures shared in the book help readers connect with the author, making her life more tangible to them. The author also shares the problems she faces with her father and her step mother, and how she moves away from her family secrets and guilt to be her own person. The pain of the author is palpable through her words, and shows how the people in our lives can directly and indirectly influence us and cause an impact on our lives. It's a good book for everyone, especially parents as it reminds them that they need to hear their children at any and every age. The author does an excellent job in capturing the sights and sounds of her life through this memoir.

Reviewed By Tracy Slowiak for Readers' Favorite

Cancer. The very word strikes fear into the heart of many. And for parents, the thought that cancer might affect one of their children, well, it's a thought that can actually make the blood run cold. In There is a Reaper: Losing a Child to Cancer, author Michael Lynes generously shares the story of his family's experience with cancer. When his five-year-old son, Christopher, always a vivacious and rambunctious boy, starts exhibiting signs of illness, an illness that at first is mysterious and goes unnamed, his parents are plunged into the nightmare of the unknown. Eventually Christopher is diagnosed with cancer and sadly succumbs to this demon of a disease. Michael continues with the family's journey from their overwhelming grief and then their eventual return to a semblance of normalcy and healing.

Every person should read There is a Reaper: Losing a Child to Cancer. Every single person. I don't know anyone who has not been touched by cancer in some way, and author Michael Lynes has written a thoughtful, touching and emotional book that gives us an insider's look into both the world of medicine and the world of a family shattered by this disease. I learned so much from the experiences he shared, and I feel that I just might be able to relate and interact with a family that has undergone a similar loss through learning from this book. I will think about this book for a long time to come, and simply could not recommend it more highly. To Michael Lynes, I thank you for sharing such a personal and intimate story with the world, and please know that your work has the potential to educate and change your readers forever.

Reviewed By Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite

Hollywood Heartbreak: New York Dreams by Kody Christiansen introduces us to Kaleb, a well known female illusionist whose journey took him from Texas to New York and then to Hollywood. A story that is tragic, inspiring and very true. Kaleb goes onto national TV as an alter ego known as Sarah Summers and gets lost in the famous and sometimes toxic Hollywood culture. Kaleb abuses alcohol and drugs in a story of success, love, rock bottom, and the struggle to come back from that.

Wow is the very first word that comes to mind when I think about the experience I had while reading this book. All of us have ups and downs in life, but few can probably say they have experienced the extreme highs and extreme lows that Kaleb has. This story is emotional and follows such a journey that I found myself wondering what could possibly happen next. The ebb and flow of the book is good and sometimes you can almost find yourself forgetting this is all based on a true story. This is not a fictional tale being told for extremes, but someone's real life. I held my breath in parts, cried in others, and laughed as well. I was joyful when Kaleb managed to pick himself up from the pit of being addicted and on the streets of New York to find life again. A true inspiration to all of us. It leaves the reader with a feeling of the ability to overcome almost anything.

Reviewed By Katherine Williams for Readers' Favorite

Some Things You Keep is a poignant yet inspirational memoir about the life of the author, JJ Landis. When JJ was around twelve years old, her mother committed suicide and her life soon changed forever. The night her mother died, she immediately had to move in with her father, stepmother and stepsister, which made her feel guilty. She understood herself to be an outsider, a person forced to move in with a new family that she didn’t feel a part of. Guilt and even deeper feelings of sadness end up haunting her through most of her life. In each chapter, her age advances, and her years as a teenager and young adult are filled with unhealthy coping mechanisms of dealing with pain. These coping mechanisms include constant partying, drinking, drugs, and sex. While doing these things, JJ believes that she will always feel empty inside. But her belief slowly changes as an adult when she finds Christianity, accepts Jesus’ love for her, and comes to terms with her depression. This story is a story of struggle, but it is also an amazing testimony of faith and courage.

When I finished Some Things You Keep, I was speechless. All I could think was, “Wow, why is this book not a best seller?” Sometimes when reading a memoir, it is easy to get the sense that the author is not being genuine about their story. But JJ Landis’ writing style is raw, compelling, genuine, and honest all at the same time. Through her writing you discover that she is a compassionate, bright and wonderful woman. The way she tells it all and bares her soul in the written word is amazing and inspiring. It is written in a bit of a slower pace in order to highlight the intensity of her emotions, which I thought was done beautifully. She also manages to include an incredible amount of detail which made the book feel so real to me.

Reading of her struggles was not easy, but being able to discover her major victory made this book so memorable. Despite her hardships, she has such an amazing and radiant view of life that embraces growth. She states that “growth comes from letting go of past and pain and stepping forward each day. And with growth, the wisdom to know what to hold close and what to keep. And what to let go.” No matter what stage of life you are currently in or what you are doing at this moment, I suggest that you read this book right away. It will definitely make you cry and feel sad, but in the end it will make you contemplate life and inspire you to become a better person.

Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Children of Dreams: An Adoption Memoir by Lorilyn Roberts is a beautiful memoir of the author and her story which will encourage many readers to pursue their dreams of adoption. The author's story is one of struggle, hope, and fulfillment, and she tells how her pain and suffering pale in comparison to what God does for us. The author's journey of adoption also shows the inheritance awaiting us when we reach heaven through God's adoption of us. Her adoption of her two daughters, one from Nepal and one from Vietnam, is a must-read for all those who are preparing to adopt, going through a foreign adoption process, would like to know about the corruption, heartache, and cultural challenges that would stand in the way of adopting, and also the kind of commitment a parent should make to bring a child home.

The author's pain and struggles are heart wrenching, palpable, and relatable to readers. The memoir is honest and the author takes readers into her world and will make them appreciate and respect all those parents who adopt children and take care of them. The memoir is also a journey of self-discovery where the author discovers her faith and trust in God being reiterated through experiences while dealing with people and situations. Her adoption journey is a unique journey that will inspire and motivate readers to be confident and go through an established agency while adopting. It's a fascinating memoir, especially for all those who are thinking of adoption.

Reviewed By Susana Pena for Readers' Favorite

Garbage Bag Suitcase by Shenandoah Chefalo is a very emotional story about the author’s difficult and lonely childhood. Her alcoholic and drug addicted mother and step-father lacked the adequate parenting skills needed to raise a child. They lived as nomads, always running away from something and constantly moving to different places. The author endured physical and mental abuse at the hands of her parents. She was locked in her room for long periods of time, starved as a form of punishment, belittled by being called stupid and worthless, and was often hit. Her birthday and the holidays were never celebrated, and her only true friend was Love Bunny; her favorite stuffed animal that kept her feeling safe. The author always wished for a family that would love and protect her. She thought she would find that while in foster care, but that never happened. She had to become independent at a young age and this taught her to strive for a better life and future. The end of the book also mentions ideas on how to improve the broken foster care system because it is clearly in need of being repaired.

I really enjoyed reading Garbage Bag Suitcase by Shenandoah Chefalo, because it was a very interesting and heart-breaking autobiography. The author was brave enough to share her story about her abusive childhood where it was common for her to be locked in her room and starved. This led her to feel lonely and sad all of the time, because her parents didn’t seem to love her and she felt unsafe in her house. It was very sad to read all of the abuse that the author was put through, because kids shouldn’t have to suffer that way. Kids need to feel loved, protected, and wanted. They also need to be fed healthy meals, kept clean, and be treated with respect. The author also mentions her stay with a foster care family that didn’t give her the love and attention that she had hoped for. They clearly took her in because of the money that the government had to pay them in order to raise her. The second half of the book contains eye opening statistics on foster care children and it elaborates on different solutions that are needed in order to end this cycle, and I agree with what was mentioned.

Reviewed By Roy T. James for Readers' Favorite

Shattered by the Wars: But Sustained by Love by Hi-Dong Chai is the story a Korean boy tells in his own words of his childhood at the time of World War II, the Korean War, communism and associated turbulence. The disturbances in his life are further accentuated by his religious background and the constant interference by the authorities. To compound their miseries further, Dong’s brother, the smartest and the brightest one in the family, decides to become a communist. One day Dong finds his father being abducted. Both mother and son are forced to abandon their home. Added to this is the uncertainty of the future. Dong’s excitement at finding a job for himself, though non-paying, as a fish cleaner, searching for his mother and finally reuniting with her, teaching Korean to an American boy, and many other incidents are movingly narrated.

Shattered by the Wars: But Sustained by Love by Hi-Dong Chai is a story celebrating the hope of the future. The indomitable human spirit of the mother and her son will leave a long lasting impression on the reader. The dangers of totalitarian thinking, supported by whatever form of government, can be identified in the events and occurrences described in this book; all those who read this will realize that anyone could have been in Hi-Dong’s position. The narration and the honest rendition of events are quite absorbing. I found it difficult to put down the book.

Reviewed By Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

In Kelly Kittel's Breathe: A Memoir of Motherhood, Grief, and Family Conflict, a woman understands the value of real family and the sacrifices you need to make to keep it safe. Kelly Kittel had learnt early on that family is everything. That has been the only thing that actually mattered to her. She has a beautiful fifteen-month-old son and a husband who adores her; was there anything else she needed in life to make it even more perfect?

Her world comes crashing down when her sixteen-year-old niece runs her infant son over by car. Too soon after that, her doctor makes a terrible mistake and she and her husband have to bury yet another child. If the family she cherished does not stand by her, then what is family for? Was it all for nothing? As she tries to keep her family together at this terrible time, she is questioning everything. What is real family? Did she actually have it or was it just an illusion.

Kelly Kittel's Breathe: A Memoir of Motherhood, Grief, and Family Conflict was a heartbreaking book. I expected a lot of heartbreak and emotion, but this was a lot more than that. I was immersed in Kelly's life, I felt her pain and her hardship. I really loved this memoir, even though I was crying from the moment I started reading it. Not many writers have the ability to do that. I praise her for accomplishing that. Kudos to the writer!