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.

Half Broke Horses, by Jeannette Walls

Another excellent story told by this woman. 

It says "a true life novel" on the cover because it's the stories of her grandmother, her mother's mother, as she remembers them and her own memories of her, told in first person point of view.  She said she wanted to do it this way so grandmother's personality could really be felt.  And it was. 

After reading this, I can see where her (the author) mother gets her "unique" way of looking at and living life.  The Glass Castle had me wanting to slap her (the author's mother).  Seeing how she was as a child and teenager kind of puts things into perspective.  This book starts with her grandmother as a little girl and continues up through her own (the author's) birth.  Her grandmother was a sensible woman with a strong personality, her mother was kind of a flake, in my opinion, but not wholly because of her upbringing.  I think she was just one of those apples that fell a little far from the tree.  The author brings sensibility back to the family because of her upbringing (in spite of, really), and I think she definitely has a lot of her grandmother in her.  They're both smart, strong women who had it in them to survive what life handed to them.

If you're going to read this or The Glass Castle, read this one, first.  It's not necessary, but the chronology would fit nicely.  And you might have more kindness in your heart towards the author's mother instead of the utter disbelief and pretty much disgust that I had for her. 

Definitely a book I would recommend.  It's a good one.  I love the way this author writes - I hope she puts out more stories as I've now read them all. 

The Silver Star, by Jeannette Walls

I finished this a bit, ago.  It was excellent.  I had to keep reminding myself it was a work of fiction.

Having read her memoir first, though, I can see how much of this book was inspired by her life story. 

She's good, that's for sure.  I truly enjoy her writing style.  I have her other book on hold at the library, right now, and can't wait to get it!

The Broken Road, by Richard Paul Evans

I almost feel like a bit of a traitor... I used to make sure I bought every RPE book that came out.  He's my favorite {living} author! I haven't read, let alone purchased, one of his books in *gasp* years! (Shame on me! haha)

I saw this one at a bookstore and decided to check it out from the library since I'm on this not-spending-money-on-unnecessary-items kick and will not be purchasing any books anytime, soon.  Even if they're purchase-worthy... It truly pains me to do this because, like all of his books, this one fits into that category.

I'm always in awe at how "flowy" his books are.  He certainly has a way with words.  And he does his research... I had to some of my own research to verify this was a work of fiction because he wrote it so well.

Now, I say work of fiction, but at the end, there's an author's note that this is based on a true life - the real story of a real person.  He's changed the name and such.  The prologue is what had me doing some Googling because of how he tells it. 

This is the first book in a new series.  It tells of a man who went from an abusive childhood, dumpster-diving and living in poverty, to finding the love of his life and an amazing opportunity for financial success, which is something he craves.  It ends with a sad and significant change for his future.  It ends with a new beginning... and I cannot wait until next Spring when the next addition in the series will be complete!

I'm always a little wary of putting too much... I don't like spoilers.  I guess I used to do that, but I've moved on to more of, "This is what I read... you'll like it... or you won't... Check it out!".

I do always highly recommend any RPE book.  They're clean and so very well-written.  He knows his stuff.  If you read this one, you won't be disappointed.  In fact, you'll likely be hooked and in the same boat as I am... waiting somewhat patiently for Spring.  ;)

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.

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.

Madame Tussaud, by Michelle Moran

This was one intense book.  I never knew much about the French Revolution, but several years ago I read a few books on Marie Antoinette.  I found that fascinating and this book was equally a page turner.

Madame Tussaud was a name I knew, but didn't know anything past that.  She was a famous show-woman who worked with wax.  Her specialty was creating real looking images of famous people.  She used her shop in France to report news on the happenings of the times, which happened to be when the people of France were revolting against their king and queen.

The bloodshed that happened during this period in history is unbelievable.  The author makes mention that about half a million people lost their lives for the cause of "liberty", or what some thought was liberty.  She said approximately 40,000 were guillotined.  Among these numbers were many women, children, people of the church - the innocent.  It's amazing the evil that can take hold of people if they let it, and people did in this historic time.  All of the major events and characters in this book were real.  The author's extensive research to put this together is simply exhausting for me to even think about! :)

Having read books about Marie Antoinette that were basically from her point of view on the events that took place around that time, it was nice to be on the other side, from the "commoner's" point of view.  Marie Tussaud was fortunate to escape death when she did.  It's amazing she survived as long as she did, trying to play both sides of the political fence.  She was a tutor to the king's sister, Elizabeth, while trying to support (or appear to support, to avoid imprisonment or death) the "patriots" seeking freedom from the monarchy.  She had to make death masks of people she cared for after they were beheaded, a job she never relished, as one can imagine.  She had to part with family either by choice or death for safety reasons and even parted with the one she loved due to her devotion to her work and family.  She married a man she met in prison, gaining her last name Tussaud, only to find he was an excessive gambler once they were free.  She had three children by him, two sons who survived, and after realizing her marriage wasn't going to work out, joined her first love to travel with her show. 

She has many wax museums around the world and is still famous today for her work.  The last figure she created before she died was one of herself. 

I love Moran's way of making what she writes seem so real, like she was there taking notes while these historic events were taking place.  This book was a little more disturbing to read because of the reality that was the French Revolution, but it was very informative and entertaining, nonetheless.  I do recommend reading it.  :)

Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand

Best. Book. Ever.

Ok, well, one of them.  This book was lent to me by a co-worker of my husband upon learning that I love WWII books.  I am so glad he did and was patient with me borrowing it for so long whilst I completed my gardening course and previous book.  I am so so so very glad I kept it instead of returning it upon the realization that I wouldn't be getting it to it as soon as I had hoped.  This was, by far, one of the most excellent books I have ever read.

As it says on the cover, it's a story of survival.  Louie Zamperini didn't just survive, though.  He conquered; conquered life, the enemy, and himself.  One reason I love reading about these people who've faced such great trial in their lives is how they come out in the end, how they're determined to come out in the end when everything in between is doing its best to break them.  Amazing.  This man is one I'd have at my "if I could invite anyone over to dinner" table.  The things he had to endure, the attitude of optimism he kept, the life-altering choices he made because of it and ability to forgive his enemies truly leave me in awe. 

I don't want to give away too much of the story when I do these reviews in hopes that it'll entice you to read it yourself, if you haven't already, but one thing I learned from this book was something I now long to learn more about:  the Japanese side of the war.  I've focused so much on the Holocaust part of it that I never gave the other side much thought.  I knew they bombed Pearl Harbor, but I didn't know why.  Now I do.  The Japanese leader, at the time, had the same notions Hitler had.  He thought he could rule at least all of Asia and that the Japanese were the superior race.  In the POW camps held by the Japanese, the treatment wasn't unlike that of the ones in Europe.  My grandfather, who died almost 10 years ago, served in Okinawa during the war.  I interviewed him when I was in Jr. High... oh, how I wish he was still alive so I could re-do that interview and ask better questions.  It really makes me want to go down to our local Senior center and find someone I could talk to about the war.  Real people's stories are so much better than fiction!

If you haven't read this book, do.  That's an order.  ;)  You'll thank me later, I promise.