Two Small Footprints in Wet Sand, by Anne-Dauphine Julliand

This sweet story touched my heart.  The author takes the reader on a journey through the small but profound life of her daughter who has been diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy.  It drastically shortens her life.  But she uses the phrase, "Adding life to her days when we can't add days to her life".  And that's exactly what they did.  They tried to live every moment to the fullest.  Not by doing big things on any bucket list, but by just enjoying each and every moment.  They had a wonderful angel helper who set the greatest example of this:

     "She's amazed that we always seem to be chasing our tails, complaining when we have to be patient and cursing long lines.  Therese never feels she's wasting her time. whatever she does, she gives it her full attention.  And she feels that every moment of her life has value...
     "It's a well-known fact that in hospitals you often have to wait... and for a long time.  I'm soon muttering, getting irritable, and pacing up and down.  Therese, on the other hand, sees this time spent in the hospital as an opportunity to meet interesting people, experience a new environment, and slow the frantic pace of her everyday life.  For her, waiting isn't empty time; it's a state in its own right and can itself be a source of riches.  Therese doesn't put her life on hold when she has to wait around, she carries on living, just at a different pace."

I find it brave when someone shares their story.  I would imagine it's healing.  I'm very glad to have read this and added it to my mental library.  I loved reading about the many who stepped in to help take care of her little family when they were in such desperate need.  It made me happy to see how loved they were.  She tells how her little boy (the oldest) was so brave and older than his years.  She tells how her husband stayed by her side and how they fought the fight, together.  She tells of her newest daughter who also has the disease (it's a mix of bad genes, she says, from both her and her husband).  I did find out through the magic of the internet that her other little daughter died last year.  She had received a bone marrow transplant in hopes of at the very least lengthening her life.  I don't know her story or how long she lived but I can't imagine facing that with not one but two of my children.  She knew when she was pregnant that there was a significant chance her baby would have the disease and they chose to have the baby, anyway.  No regrets.  I admire them for that. 

This was a great story.  I highly recommend reading it. 

The Only Girl in the World, by Maude Julien

I love reading stories of survival.  This is most certainly one of those.  I finished this a couple weeks, ago but life keeps being life and taking up all my time.

This woman... You know, I have to believe that God made certain spirits super strong and wise because He knew what they would be up against when they came to this earth.  She was born into an interesting situation.  I say interesting, but really... there are no words.

Her mother was six when her father found her family.  They were struggling and he was wealthy, so he said he would take care of her.  He promised she would have the best education and be well-looked after.  He did just that.  She was in boarding schools and received the finest education.  His purpose was a twisted one, to say the least.  As soon as she was of marrying age, he married her.  He wanted to raise up a child of his own - born on a specific day with blonde hair and a girl.  Somehow he orchestrated the part of that plan he could and she was born on the day he wanted and happened to have blonde hair.  In a nutshell, he wanted to raise a superhuman who would someday rise up among the human race.

She faced grueling tasks in order to shape her into the person he believed she was and would become.  Grueling by definition means extremely tiring and demanding.  That's putting it lightly.  As a child, she only got maybe six hours of sleep a night, had to endure ridiculous "tests", and was never loved either verbally or physically.  But by age 10, she started to see through her father's... I want to say psychotic-ness.  Nothing else can describe this man.  He was delusional in every sense of the word.  She was blessed with a strong mind and was able to finally see her way out of his grasp.  Her mother was brainwashed by him and showed her no love or affection.  In fact, she believed her mother both feared and was in awe of her father. 

The story ends well.  She grows up, is saved by a music instructor who sees quite clearly the situation she was in and how she needed an escape.  He cleverly provided that escape and she was finally able to leave the prison that was her home.  Her survival tactics amaze me.  The things she did to stay sane amaze me.  She is a remarkable woman whose strength was necessary to be able to withstand her childhood and her parents. 

It's definitely a good read.  Shocking and flabbergasting; this woman is amazing.

The Invisible Girls, by Sarah Thebarge

This book.  This is why I love memoirs.  To read these stories of real people feels like I'm adding them to my own life.  By reading them, I feel like they're becoming a part of my life, adding color and character and depth and sweetness.  I love these people.  I wish I could embrace them and tell them I know their story.  I wish I could thank them in person for sharing their lives with me.

I learned about this book at a job interview.  I never got the job, which I'm quite ok with - it would've been a move of desperation on my part to accept it, anyway.  But, this book...  I am so very glad I went to that interview.  The person I interviewed with and I were somehow on the topic of religion or people or something.  I can't remember exactly how this came up but she mentioned a woman speaking to the congregation at the church where she attends and how she wrote a book about her experiences.  I told her those are my favorite kind of books and made a note to see if my library had it.  They did and I am so glad.  What a sweet story of strength, courage, and survival.  But mostly about love.

I finished this book over a week, ago - I've been making notes as I read because it was something I had to digest a little at a time while trying to take it in all at once.

It's a brave woman's story of her unusual upbringing, followed by a change in her parents and their ways of doing things, which led to her well-educated future.  She alternately tells two stories - one of her battle with breast cancer at age 27 and the other of falling in love with a Somali refugee family. 

As I read of her battle, my heart just broke.  (This book made me cry almost every time I picked it up to read it.)  That she could not only feel so alone but BE so alone... I sincerely hope her "friends" read this and feel the guilt they deserve to feel and then some.  The people who were supposed to bring her meals and didn't, my gosh.  How could they? How could they? The visits stopped, communication stopped.  Her fiance left her.  It's incredible the way she made it through her lowest points.  She questioned God the whole time, wondering where He was or if He even cared and how could He let this happen to her?

But then - oh, then - she meets the sweetest family on the bus.  She cares for them, clothes them, feeds them, loves them... and in turn, they help her heal.  They help her find her purpose, they help her find God.  More, they help her see that He was there the whole time.  She likened her trial to a mother who happened to be a doctor she worked with.  Her daughter was sick.  The nurses had to hold her down to get an IV started and her daughter just cried for her, pleading with her to help her.  Yet, she stood by the wall and let the nurses do their thing.  When they were done with this traumatic event, the mother scooped her little girl up and reassured her that she was there.  She felt like God had done the same thing.  He had to let the trial do its thing.  But He was there, hurting along with her.  And when she finally got through it, He was there to scoop her up.  I can't put into words her testimony at the end (mostly because I don't have the book to reference and she put it so gracefully), but it was so great and so profound. 

This is definitely a book I would highly recommend.  It was so well-written and touched my soul.

The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls

I finished this a little while, ago, just haven't had the time to post about it.  I saw something on social media about the movie that's coming out and saw that it was based on a book.  A memoir, no less.  So, naturally, I had to check it out. I waited for over 100 people who had the same thoughts to take their turn before I got mine.

It was quite the emotional book.  This woman... I'm amazed at what she survived.  I also think she survived because of what she survived.  Her upbringing and childhood circumstances made her strong... she had to be.  Her brother and sisters, too.

I wanted to slap her parents.  At times I wanted to downright kick them in the head.  I was at times outraged at what they allowed their children to experience and their reaction (or lack thereof) to things they faced.  Unbelievable.  That was the word I often found myself vocally uttering while closing the book to digest what I just read.  Simply unbelievable.  I couldn't believe that this really happened, that it happened when it did, and that it likely still happens for others.  It seems unfathomable, to me.

I want to write to this author and tell her my heart was with her on her journey, though I knew nothing about it at the time.

It helped me see the things we often take for granted.  I complain about my big house being too hard to keep clean.  I complain about having to spend hours meal planning, list making, grocery shopping, cooking.  I complain about neverending laundry.  I complain about having to make my kids' lunches every morning.  I complain about having to pay for water or electricity or gas prices.  This book makes one grateful for all of those things.  Every time my kids complain about what I make for dinner, I'm reading them this book.

I highly recommend it.  It's quite good.

Same Kind of Different As Me, by Ron Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent

If you liked Fireproof, Courageous, Flywheel or Facing the Giants, you'll love this book.  I saw the movie trailer and couldn't get through it without tearing up.  If the trailer was so touching, I imagined the book would be just as great or even better.

It was.  It didn't take me long to read it - it was hard to put down.  It was incredibly touching and made me want to be a better person, showing God's love to any and all I meet.

The two men who wrote this book are real and their story is real.  Their lives were changed by Ron's wife, Deborah, who not only blessed their lives but the lives of so many.

I'm not going to give any spoilers, but this is definitely worth the read.  But only if you like true life inspiring stories and own some tissues.  Tissues are surely needed when reading this book.

I'm excited to see the movie.  I consider myself blessed to have made this story a part of my life.  I'm grateful to the authors for sharing it.

Here's a sneak-peak.  ;)

Avalanche: A Love Story, by Julia Leigh - February

I finished this with just a couple days to spare - and I'm just now getting it blogged.  Busy, busy, busy!

This is a true story of a woman's journey through IVF and trying so desperately to become pregnant; to be a mother.

She talks about her struggles with many emotions.  She's older and knows her chances of becoming pregnant are pretty slim, but that doesn't stop her from trying again and again.

She finally accepts that being a mother isn't in the stars, for her.  I can't imagine how that must've felt, but I can imagine the heartache.  My own heart has been heavy, of late.  My arms have been feeling quite empty.  I don't know if another baby is in the stars, for me, but I dream about it.  I usually have a baby girl, but it's someone else's.  Anyway, that's a post for a different day.  Or a different blog.  ;)

I found it hard to like this book; maybe because I can relate to her pain? I don't know.  I thought she sounded rather dismal, throughout.  Maybe I'm being insensitive.  I have no doubt this was a very difficult and depressing time, for her.  It was brave (and probably a little therapeutic) to share this experience with the world.  I hope she has found happiness.

On Living, by Kerry Egan - January

I haven't posted in a while... (that's putting it lightly).

I have some goals, this year - one of them is to read at least one book per month.  I work 20 hrs a week, volunteer at preschool for 5 hrs per week, church for 3 hrs per week, sit through soccer practice for 2 hrs per week, at least one soccer game for 1-2 hrs per week, and try to get laundry done, groceries gotten, food prepped, house clean(ish), and, you know, shower on occasion.  There are times, as I'm typing this, that I find can do double duty, so I shall take advantage of that.  I hope.

Anyway, I have one book under my belt, so far.

I have a yen for the non-fiction, real-life stories of people.  I super love people.  I will sit and listen if you want to tell me about yourself.  I find it highly fascinating.  I love stories of love and survival and trials and triumph and heartache and living and happiness and suffering and conquering and lessons learned..... all of it.  I love it.

This was the perfect find, for me.  Kerry Egan is a chaplain for hospice patients.  She says a lot of patients don't always want to talk about God or religion or prayer or whatever.  Some do, yes, but what people want most, when they're in the final stages of their mortal existence, is to tell their stories.  To give voice to their regret; to give their memories life, again; to express their dark secrets and deepest wishes and dreams.  And she gets to hear it, all.

She has done a great service to these people and to her readers, by making some of these experiences accessible to the rest of the world.  Throughout the book, she even intertwines her own heartache and fears and life experiences, making this book even more personal.

It makes me want to become a chaplain for hospice care.  I would truly love that vocation.  I found it takes a great deal of schooling to become one, officially.  But, no one said I can't just listen to people.

So, I will.  :)

The Seamstress: A Memoir of Survival, by Seren Tuvel Bernstein

I love holocaust memoirs.  This wasn't one of the better ones.  It was good, and I'd say, once you've read one, you've read them all, but that's not true.  

Some I've read go into great detail of the horrid events they had to face.  This one was very, um, non-descriptive? Not that I want to hear all the gory details, but it's almost like she sugar-coated her experience.  Perhaps, though, her experience wasn't as awful of some others I've read.  Either way, it was a little on the boring side.  

That sounds like I'm totally down-playing what she had to go through - I'm not.  She was of strong mind and quite determined and it was obvious that that's how she did survive.  I can't imagine going through something like that, let alone surviving it.  

I found it interesting how, during the whole of it, she seemed like things weren't fazing her, like she was detached from anything happening to and around her, like she's seriously emotionally detached herself from it, all.  It didn't seem, until the end, that she was being effected by it, mentally.  I think I do remember reading, though, that there was a lot left out; that there were things she didn't want to talk about or include.  Perhaps, even remember.  

I've noticed there are two types of survivors, when it comes to beliefs:  They are either made stronger from this experience or they abandon all they've clung to before the holocaust.  I've read about Christian survivors and Jewish, alike.  She was one who didn't seem as prone to remain passionate about her religion.  She said something along the lines of, I've proved I'm a good Jew, time and time, again, I shouldn't have to keep doing it.  I think she was more bitter than she let on.

It was a good read, not necessarily one I'd recommend, though.  I'm sure it was a very difficult story for her to tell.

The Mighty Queens of Freeville, by Amy Dickinson

It's books like this that keep me reading memoirs.  

This was, by far, one of my most favorite books to read.  As soon as I was done, I wanted to turn back to the beginning and start all over, again! It was so enjoyable and funny and just fun!

I love reading about people; it makes me feel like I've met them and sat with them while they recounted life stories, just for me.  I feel like if I were to meet Amy Dickinson, someday, I'd know her.  I know her heart, her daughter, her life.  I'd ask her, "How's your mother?".  I'd want to get a recount of her relationship with Bruno and find myself really hoping it worked out for her.  I'd want to hug her and say, thank you for your story - for sharing it.  Then I'd ask if I could have lunch with her and her family the following Wednesday, simply to soak in the love and the ongoing conversation.  

I loved so many parts of this book, it was all I could do to not jot down every quote I thought funny, fitting or just good.  It touched my soul, this book did, and those are the best kinds to read.

It was a wonderful experience I hope to have, again, in the future.  I'd buy this book.  :)

You should read it.  

My Lie: A True Story of False Memory, by Meredith Maran

 

I attempted to read this.  I got almost half-way through when I decided it really was just too disturbing to read.  Not so much the fact that she somehow convinced herself that her father molested her when she was a child, then realized it wasn't true, but all of the case studies and articles printed and evidence and theories and whatever she cited on child sexual abuse. 

 

It's just sick.  That's what it is.  I couldn't stomach it.  So, I closed it, returned it, and now I hope to never have to think about it, again. 

 

If you're curious, now, it's about this woman who, like I said, comes up with the false memory of her father molesting her.  She confronts him, which makes things horrible between her and her family, then she's like, whoa... that's not true, after all.  So, this is her story.  It talks about how she was lead to come to this conclusion in the first place.  Apparently, it wasn't uncommon for women (mostly) and children to come to this conclusion in the late 80's, early 90's.  It's just wrong.  That it happened for real and that people made it so others merely thought it happened, is just wrong.  The whole thing was just so hard to read, but if you're the type who can detach from your book, then by all means... go for it.  I can't, so I didn't.  ;) 

Don't get me wrong; it was very well-written, well-researched and was probably somewhat difficult to not only face, but face publicly.  I hope this woman can find happiness and forgiveness and all she seeks in writing this book. 

 

Happy reading!

Save Me From Myself, by Brian "Head" Welch

This was an amazing autobiography.  I truly love reading real people's real stories.

"Head" was the founder and lead guitarist of the heavy metal group "Korn".  I never listened to them, growing up, so I ventured onto Netflix to view one of their concerts. 

Whoa.

This man found God after being a member of quite a "colorful" band that sang songs that had "colorful" lyrics in them. 

Amazing.

His story and testimony are deep and powerful.  It's awesome to me, a fellow Christian, to see how God reaches out to all of His children, no matter where they are in their lives. 

This was a wonderful testament of God's love for His children and the many ways He uses His other children to reach out and show His love to all.  That this man was able to change his life around the way he did is truly miraculous.  It just goes to show that good always does conquer over evil.

I would recommend reading it.  :)

A Three Dog Life, by Abigail Thomas

Have I mentioned how much I love memoirs? ;)

First, a little tidbit of information I learned from my husband and this book (he told me this before I read it on one of the first few pages):  Australian Aborigines slept with their dogs for warmth on cold nights, the coldest being a "three dog night". 

- Wikipedia

I've read about women losing their husbands to death, but this woman lost her husband to brain damage.  He was hit by a car, one night, and lost the front part of his brain, therefore losing any short term memory storage.  He lives in a nursing home that cares for TBI patients and she visits him once or so a week.  In this book, she comes to terms with life, who she is, what she wants, if it's selfish to not bring him home and care for him, herself (I'm with the decision she made, by the way), who her husband has become, and how to cope with the present, not paying any mind to the past or the future.  She talks about guilt, healing, living, and being happy in spite of her circumstances.  She finds simple pleasures in art, her friends, her husband, and yes, her dogs. 

I love the way this woman writes - so honest and raw.  I say raw, because she doesn't mince words, she doesn't go back over what came out on the paper and sugar-coat it.  It's real.  I feel like I was given a glimpse inside her soul, how she sees herself and probably would hope others see her.  Her writing reminded me of how I want to be able to write, or how I maybe even do write, but only in places no one else can read.  And maybe even how I sometimes write on my blogs.  Either way, I felt connected to her because of how open and real she is in this book.  I can't say enough how much I loved reading her life.  I can't imagine having to go through something like she is going through.  I'm glad I found this random book that I otherwise might never have noticed.  A real story from a real person.  Love it.  :)

A Stolen Life: A Memoir, by Jaycee Lee Dugard

My biggest fear is my kids being kidnapped.  I can handle them dying even more than that.  (I'd really like to not ever have to test that theory...)

Wow.  This book was disturbing.  It was emotional.  It was... disturbing.  Unbelievable. 

Jaycee was kidnapped in 1991, when she was 11.  Her kidnapper, Phillip Garrido, kept her for over 18 years.  He fathered her two children.  He was married.  His mother was on the same property.

She not only survived, but she managed to do it well.  What I can't believe is how she was taken on outings, met Phillip's parole officers, had access to the internet... and she still wasn't found until she was.  That she was kept in the backyard and no one even thought to look back there is just unfathomable.  This man was sick.  Very messed in the head.  He had her brainwashed, controlled, scared.  She actually felt the need to protect him, to keep him happy, to rely on him.  His wife was in on this.  That, in itself is wrong in so many ways.

She was rescued, reconnected with her family, and is doing so amazingly well... her story is not one I would ever wish on anyone, but her attitude should be manufactured and sold in jars.

I love reading memoirs.  The real stories.  This one was hard.  She was able to recount so many things from those horrid years.  I hope she can continue in her positive outlook on life and build something wonderful for herself and her girls.

Have a Little Faith, by Mitch Albom

The other book I've been working on isn't a sit-down-and-read-till-yer-done-book, so I decided to squeeze in another one for fun.  :)

Mitch Albom is one of the best authors I have ever read.  I've read two of his other books, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and "Tuesdays With Morrie".  I loved "Tuesdays With Morrie".  Mr. Albom really knows how to portray a person's personality through his way with words.

This book held true to his form.  I consider myself to be a fairly religious person, but this book gives a whole new light on the subject on what being religious really means.  This book was compiled over a span of eight years, after Mitch's rabbi approaches him with the question, "Will you do my eulogy?".  Mitch felt in order to be able to do this, he had to get to know the man.  In the process, his reader has that blessed opportunity, as well.  I truly wish I could have known "the Reb" in real life.

One of the things Mitch does in his free time is to help people through his charities.  To do this, he investigates the place he wants to help to make sure they're legit.  This is how he meets Henry, the other character that graces us through the pages of this wonderful book.  Henry had a rough life, mostly due to his own choices, but turns it all around to become the pastor of his own congregation.

Through his visits with these two men, he learns more about himself than he ever thought he would.  He learns what it means to know there's something or someone bigger than him in the universe.

And he takes his reader right along with him on this magnificent journey, one I will truly cherish being able to go on. 

I highly recommend reading this book, as well as his others.  This book is one I'm hoping someday to purchase, as I only buy books I'll read more than once.  There was so much wisdom packed into those pages, I can't help but want to revisit them over and over again.  :)

All about the three books I've read in the last three weeks...

The Cage, by Ruth Minsky Sender - Another excellent memoir from a Holocaust survivor, always a good category to choose from while waiting for another book in a series to BE RETURNED.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (book 1) - Totally just read this because other people said it was so good.  And it was.  Really good.  Can't wait for whoever has it checked out from my library to RETURN IT SO I CAN HAVE A TURN.

Actually, I don't think there was a third before that... so, there.  I'm caught up.  ;)

I'm currently reading my OH!!! I totally just remembered what the third book was!!! DUDE! How could I forget?

Promise Me, by Richard Paul Evans - You know, I was sort of like, what? As I read this and finished it... truthfully, not one of his best novels.  It was still well-written but the plot was so unlike anything he's written - I guess I'm just holding him to his normally higher standard.  Huh.  Next April will bring another good one, I'm sure!


As I was saying, I'm currently reading my go-to book for Fall, absolutely one of my faves:

One of the greatest books ever.  I'm on my fourth time reading it.  It's basically written as the journal of a 17 year old girl who's family lives in an old ruined castle.  Her father was a famous author at one point but has seemed to lose his fire, her mother is dead, her stepmother is a former model, her sister complains of their situation a lot, her friend is in love with her and then two men come into their lives and change everything... that's all I'm going to tell you because I really think it's an enjoyable book that must be read by everyone.  Go on, read it.  I dare you.  ;)

Unraveled, by Maria Housden

I finished this yesterday, but due to a new goal, I had to wait till today to post my review.

This was a hard book for me to read.  I wrote out a review for it yesterday while my thoughts were still in my head, but even now, I find myself abandoning even those thoughts to record new ones. 

First, what the book was about.  Maria Housden writes a memoir, basically, telling of her choice to abandon her role as a stay-at-home mom while turning over full custody of her kids to her husband.  She faces objection from her friends and eventually loses them all when she decides to move across the country from her kids to live with the man she had an affair with.  Her path is one of self-discovery, of being honest about who she is and what she wants out of life.  That, in a nutshell, is what the book was about.

Now, my thoughts.  A quick disclaimer, though.  If you're easily offended by other's opinions, read no further.  If you can appreciate my opinion for what it is while still standing firm in your own, by all means, keep reading.  I'm a stay-at-home mom.  I chose this.  I'm a firm believer that if you're going to have children, you should be the one to raise them.  I do my best to not condemn the choices of others when they go against my own beliefs.  This is hard for me, I'm very opinionated.  If anything, I pity this woman.  It almost sounds as if she has to keep re-convincing herself that she's done the right thing, that adultery isn't bad (ha), and that by doing what she's doing, she's becoming closer to God.  I cannot judge someone's relationship with the Almighty, nor is it my place to judge her for her decisions, hard as they may have been.  Her marriage was falling apart, and from the things she says her husband said, I can imagine why.  So, they get a divorce, which is hard enough for children.  But children need their mother.  She had them every other weekend, and during the summer.  She wasn't there for several milestones of their life.  She claims that her decision to be selfish (my way of putting it) and "live a simpler life" was for the benefit of not only her, but for her children as well.  I think she's been diluted in to thinking these things.

As far as the book goes, it was well-written, portrayed her thoughts well, and kept me turning pages till the very end.  It's a book that I'm sure many modern women can relate to.  I'm a modern mother, yet I cling to old fashioned ideas.  In reading this book, I've learned that I really do choose this (being a mother).  I truly appreciate her example in being honest with oneself and being "unapologetically" who you really are instead of trying to please others and fitting the mold other people think you should fit.  I am grateful to have read this book for this very reason.  I've been insecure as a mother, to say the least, but this book helped me realize that I can be my own version of what I think a good mother is, that I don't need to compare myself to others or be the kind of mother others think I should be.  I think it's very important for mothers to take time for themselves in order to preserve who they are as a person, but I think she should also be committed to her children.  My own mom always told me you need to feel 100% if you're to have anything to give to anyone else.  Being a full time mom is a selfless job, but that doesn't mean you have to keep yourself on the back burner or abandon it altogether to "find yourself".  I know who I am, and I'm grateful for that.  I'm a mother.  I chose this.  I'm going to be there for my children until they don't need me anymore.  I choose to be here when they get home from school.  I choose to be the one to teach them their first words, see them take their first step, and be the last one they see at night when they go to bed.  But, that doesn't mean I don't do things for myself or that interest me.  I'm going to make sure my life is what I choose it to be and that I'm always honest with myself and others and be true to who I am.  I'm thinking that was more for me than for you.  ;)

Hannah's Gift, by Maria Housden

Maria Housden tells the story of the short but profound life of her daughter, Hannah, who dies at the age of three after battling cancer for about a year.  She tells of her daughter's sweet example of faith and the happiness that can come from the simple things in life.  Her daughter's brief but significant time on this earth touched the lives of so many and continued to touch lives after her death.  She talks of her grief and of coming to terms with it.  She talks about the struggles in her marriage, of her thoughts on ending her own life, of the affect it had on her son, her beliefs as a Christian and the questioning of those beliefs.  She talks of her struggles with miscarriages and her role as a mother and all the imperfections and insecurities that come with one of the most challenging paths a woman can take.  In the end, she's able to accept life for what it is, do what she can with what she has and knows, and realizes her potential as a person.

This book, along with the other book on losing a loved one I've read, was foreign to me.  I've only lost one grandparent my whole life.  I, too, have had a miscarriage, but my own religious beliefs were a great comfort to me during both of these losses.  Maria questions a lot of things that I feel I have the answers too.  I don't know how I'd react to my own child's death after watching her (or him) suffer for a year.  This little girl was amazing.  She's said to have only been barely three when she dies, yet she talks like she's much older.  She (I believe) must've had a strong connection with "the other side", as she knew she was going to die, but knew she was going to live with God and was actually excited about that.  Knowing what I know, I have to wonder if I would have the same struggles with grief as this woman did.  I would hope not, but then again, I'm only human.  (And Heaven forbid I should ever find out first hand!) I have to admit, though, I was really growing tired of hearing about her daughter and how she was reminded of her in everything and wanted her to be a part of her "new life".  I wanted to say, "Get over it already."  But, having never been through that, I know that my ignorance of the matter is what is fueling those words, so please don't be offended if you've suffered a loss and know what she's going through.  I don't and hope to never know. 

This book and the last book I read talked a lot of breaking out of one's shell, embracing the unknown - about the world and about oneself.  They both talk of daring to break free of the stereotype we, as women, are expected to fulfill.  I found this author from an article I read online about mothers who willingly turn custody of their children over to their ex's after a divorce.  Her next book I'm going to start today is about that journey.  I'm anxious to see her point of view on the matter, as I'm very old fashioned in that I strongly believe the mother should be at home with her kids as God intended it to be.  Though, I can't help but read these things and wonder, "What if...?".

I've been finding quotes in a few of these books that I like to make a note of, quotes that might as well be coming from me.  Here are some from this book:

"Truth is fierce and unrelenting.... When we are willing to do the best we can with what we know, to be honest with ourselves and others about who we are and what really matters to us, only then are the lives we live and the love we receive truly our own."

"There was a part of me, I realized, that was overly critical of everything, that wanted to teach people, especially my children, about the "right" way to do things."

"I longed to bring the same attention to the busy-ness in my every day, to do something simply for the joy of doing it, without worrying whether people noticed or liked it."

"If I was serious about living life more fully, I was going to have to let go of my need for everything, including myself and others, to be perfect."

"I also knew that I had to start living my life.... I no longer felt willing for life to continue on without me."

This was a very good book, a quick read, and something that I think those who have lost a loved one would love to relate to.

Might As Well Laugh About It Now, by Marie Osmond

Never did I ever think I'd read a book written by Marie Osmond.  It's not that I don't like her, I just never really knew much about her other than who she is.  I never thought I'd be interested in her life, but, then again, I never knew much about her life.  When I think of the name Osmond, I think of the classic Christmas album my dad would play for us every year and my sister and I doing our dance routine (cartwheels included) to "Sleigh Ride".  (Good times.)

My mother-in-law called me one day and told me I had to read this book.  So, I got it from the library and it sat on my shelf, patiently waiting it's turn.  This is a book I'll never regret reading.  I loved it! After reading it, I felt like I was able to sit down with Marie, herself, and have her tell me this story from her own mouth.  It's a compilation of her memories of life growing up as an entertainer, being the daughter of her wonderful parents, the sister to her awesome brothers, the mother to her amazing children, the wife of not one, but two different husbands.  She talks about her divorces, a house fire that devoured her memories and journals and things handed down to her from her mother when she passed away, issues with her weight and therefore her perception of herself, traveling, her career.  She shares lessons learned from other people, sharing moments of triumph and defeat with friends and family, and even laughs about fainting on national television.  She talks about her charity work, her doll collections and all the while keeping her faith and focus on what's most important.

I learned so much about her, about life, love, and happiness, about not sweating the small things, about determination, and about being human and accepting yourself.  She always remembered to laugh!

This book had me laughing, tearing up, sympathizing, and determining to see my life differently.  If you are a fan of Marie or just want an uplifting book to read and make you feel good, I recommend reading this one! 

Check it out HERE!

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

This book was nothing short of amazing.  I loved it so much, I'm going to obtain my very own copy - and I don't do that with just any book.  I'm a library girl unless the book is RPE or something worth reading more than once.  This is definitely one of those books. 

As a Christian myself, this book meant a lot to me.  I have read several Holocaust survivor books before, but none of them came close to this one.  Yes, they were sad and it's unimaginable that someone could be filled with such hate and do such horrific things to other humans and it's beyond incredible that someone could actually survive that, but this woman and her family, her sister, especially, gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "triumphing over evil".  The most recent survivor book I read, the man turned his back on God.  This woman's faith and the faith of her family is so awesome.  She managed to see the smallest and sometimes most ugly things as blessings.  I'd like to think I have the ability to see the good in the bad, but going through what this woman and so many others went through, I wonder if I would still be able to come out of it with as strong a spirit? This woman did, and so much more did she accomplish in her life, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it all.

Corrie ten Boom's story takes place in Haarlam, Holland, where she and her family live and own/run a watch/clock repair shop.  As the germans start to take over parts of Europe, including her part, she finds herself becoming the hub of an underground operation aiding the flight and hiding of many Jews.  She and her family have a special love for God's "chosen people" and have no hesitation in doing this great and dangerous work.  After a while, they're found out and are arrested.  She goes from prison to prison, somehow never being seperated from her sister, and finally ends up in a concentration camp.  She experiences the direst of circumstances but meets and befriends many along the way while sharing the word of God.  The miracles she encounters and the prayers she's been answered can only strengthen one's testimony that God's hand truly is in all things.  Even when Corrie fails to see Divine intervention (which was rare), her sister never fails to remind her.  I loved how things weren't so much a matter of faith with them, but a matter of fact.  It truly is an inspirational book and will stick with you and perhaps even strengthen your own spirit while giving you a strong dose of perspective.

If you haven't read it, do.  It's worth it.  You'll not regret it, I promise.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

The word that comes to my mind when I think of describing this book is "raw".

Joan Didion in no way romanticizes the loss of a loved one and the grieving process that one goes through following their death.  "You sit down to dinner..." is a phrase she often repeats throughout this book.  It's as if she's trying to digest what's happened, still in shock at the suddeness of it all.  She and her husband sat down to dinner one night after visiting their sick daughter in the hospital and her husband had a heart attack, dying instantly.  She recalls the details of what happened that night and the nights that followed throughout the book, and the feelings that accompanied these memories.  Her denial of the reality of it is so heart-breaking, yet so real.  I can relate to how she thinks, reminiscing over the past and things said to each other and how something as simple as a plant can invoke memories that inevitably bring tears.  As a writer, herself, she has ways of describing things and comparing to what others have said that make it seem like you're the one grieving, although, I have to admit I truly felt like I was grieving with her.  "The question of self-pity" is another phrase she often repeats, trying to find her way through this grieving process, trying to become herself without her husband there.  Her grieving is put on hold, so to speak, due to her daughter being in the hospital with pneumonia and septic shock, followed by another hospital stint caused by a hemorrhage in her brain.  But when she's finally able to focus on herself, she finds it hard to go through the motions of everyday life because, as a writer, she's worked at home with her husband, who was also a writer who worked at home.  I found it interesting and almost endearing that she kept things like his shoes, because somewhere in her mind, while she was in the denial stage of grieving, she thought he'd need them when he came home.  It wasn't until she saw the autopsy report several months later that she was finally able to accept that he wasn't coming home.  She goes through in her mind how she could've prevented this, how she could fix it.  She goes through a depression of sorts, when she's crying all the time about little things that remind her of something she said or did with her husband.  She did go through the anger stage, because I remember her being angry that her daughter's doctor wanted to take the trach out.  It was a silly thing, but that's where her anger ended up being directed.  By the end of the year, she was sort of coming into an acceptance phase, attempting to move on and keep living.  One can feel the pain and emotional scarring that was left by this tragic event in this woman's life and I have to say, I feel fortunate to have been one of the readers she has shared her story with.

For a peak inside, click here.  I do recommend reading it, especially if you've lost someone close to you.  I can guess that knowing someone else has gone through this exact same thing would, in some way, be comforting.