The incredible tale of a normal nostalgic woman, struggling and overcoming heartache.
343486
This book was a pleasure to read.  Annie intrigued me, and I enjoyed the tender storytelling the author weaved into the ongoing lives of all the characters.  This novel truly tugged at my heartstrings and made me think of all the bright colors we can still see when we honestly look around us.  I was spellbound.
1162295
Martha Graham-Waldon shares her heart wrenching and captivating story as she brings the reader along her journey from a happy close-bonded family life through the trials, turmoil, and wounds as her familys world unravels. Her dear sister slowly fades away into a dark abyss of mental illnessslowly with shocking punctuations of mental and family crisis. A teenage girls joy and laughter starkly contrasts with heavy grief and loss. The author masterfully shares her own struggles with reality of what is happening to her sister and the death of her mother as she journeys to find herself and to pursue her own dreams. Nothing Like Normal is a captivating reading journey for anyone but would be a must read for someone who has experienced the grief of losing a family member that is still alivefading away into mental illness.
3604834
Tranquility is an unforgettable emotional roller coaster ride which will melt the hearts of even the most jaded and cynical of readers. It is a warm and gentle jaunt through the life of a young careworker, but it is also the gripping tale of a no-let-up quest for justice.

When Sarah transfers to the Dementia unit of the Tranquility Nursing Home, she suspects that the tranquillity is only skin deep. Indeed, the homes idyllic facade masks a plethora of daily traumas  from residents with psychotic illnesses to incontinence. But Sarah and her colleague Tracey increasingly fear that there is a dark and twisted evil in the care homes very gut. They vow to expose it at any cost.

Tranquility is about a fight for justice when no-one wants to listen, but it is also the poignant story of the love between four generations of women living under the same roof. The great-grandmother, Elaine  Gran, the grandmother, Brenda, single mother Sarah and her six-year-old daughter Kayla. These four steel magnolias indomitably support one another through love and loss.

The real stars, though, are perhaps the residents of Tranquility themselves. Their banter is a timely reminder that an elderly person  perhaps especially a dementia sufferer  is not a shell to be discarded but a labyrinth of memories, thoughts, hopes and dreams. From the caddish Sam to the vivacious Rose to forever-young twins Lily and Beth, their personalities shimmer and thrive.

Who could forget the haunted Mrs W? Who would mess with the feisty Edie? At its heart, the book is a telling reminder that the death of an old person is not an inevitable relief but the burning of a vast and great ship that has sailed the seven seas.

Tranquility evokes an ocean of buried feelings, and it will be very hard not to succumb to the tidal wave of emotions. In other words, keep the Kleenex handy!
4037536
Maggie Owens spent most of her younger years living with her terminally ill aunt. For a time, she was content with the way things were going between them. Until her mother decided enough was enough and yanked her away from the calm, though sometimes chaotic, life she's led. Upon reaching her twenty-first birthday, she inherits her aunt's home after she dies. In her mind, she's not sure what to make of things. Nevertheless, she's determined in making sense of her aunt's world and their own chaotic pasts. Only then can she lay her ghosts to rest.

When I first dove into Following Disasters, I confess I thought the story was some sort of romance. Mind you, the story does contain a little romance, but that's not its focal. I'm honestly glad the book has surpassed my expectations, however. Nancy McCabe delivers a bittersweet and quite heart-wrenching story that sticks with you long after you've read it.

The reader finds him/herself immersed in Maggie's plight as she tries to makes sense of what her aunt has left behind after unexpectedly dying. In Maggie's mind, she relives parts of her past, remembering the love and care her aunt showed her throughout her childhood. She also remembers the pain and heartache that came with loving those around her.

Maggie's life has never been easy. She's had to contend with her ailing aunt, her angry mother, as well as the loss of her father, to name a few. Nevertheless, she's done her best to live life as she sees fit. Deep inside, she often wishes she could change her circumstances, but she soon learns that she doesn't have to. It's best to learn from our mistakes, for you never know what's waiting for you at the end of that glowing bright rainbow.

A truly melancholic story, Following Disasters is one anyone can relate to. Taking place during a time where life was much simpler than it is now, it's a story that shows us that anything is possible, even throughout the most darkest moments in our lives. We just have to believe in the world around us and trust our instincts when it comes to those we come across.
1925769
It seems unlikely that a memoir about losing her mother at a young age and dealing with the loss of her short-term memory would be anything other than heartbreaking.  And it is in certain places.  But the author unfolds her story with such candor and the ability to point out the absurd and humorous in the midst of tragedy that you'll come away feeling uplifted.  Laugh and cry as Sarah reveals what led to the change in her beliefs about herself and her worth.
4809591
I had heard of Deb's extraordinary story from a colleague, but to read it has been a truly powerful experience. We meet Deb in her mid teens when she is all about girlfriends, parties, and nail polish. A medical diagnosis forces her to make decisions which no young person should have to make. However, it turns out that this "typical young woman" is also the epitome of GRIT.  Her battles with cancer over the following years are told with candor and humor. Deb's story is an adventure that sweeps you up. It is also a love story, the one where family, friends, and caregivers respect and support her in every way. Deb has written a memoir that is important to anyone who knows someone struggling with illness.
1111110
Gerda Weissman Klein's memoir of her life during World War II is harrowing to say the least.  Separated from her loved ones, surrounded by fear and tragedy, Gerda's life is turned upside down overnight and she faces years of anguish, pain and grief.  Despite it all she retains an immense sense of what is right and fair, often putting the needs of others above her own and often putting her own life at risk in order to stand up for her principles.

Although the details given in Gerda's account do not feel watered down by any means, you can't help but think that even though her recollections are horrific, there's much more that she has chosen not to share and can only be stunned by her bravery and determination.  She loses everything - all but her life and her spirit.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the story is the advice Gerda is given by her father to wear her winter walking boots one day: advice that will prove to be lifesaving.  If it had been a novel, it would have seemed like one of those quaint coincidences that ties a book together but knowing that this is an autobiographical tale actually makes this incredibly poignant.  Even though I finished the book a couple of weeks ago, every time I think about it I remember those boots and how her father's last piece of advice would be, literally, life-saving.

It is impossible for me to give All But My Life anything other than five stars.  This is a beautifully related memoir: despite the overwhelming sense of tragedy and pain, Gerda's will to survive and determination to keep not only herself going but others as well is utterly heart-wrenching.  Although I have never been a huge fan of autobiographies, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this.  It is a story that must be told and it is a time that we must never, ever forget.
722725
The story starts in 2001 as Penelope is undecided about facing her fears and going back to Crete where she endured "the best and worst of times indeed, savage cruelty, suffering, hunger and yet it was also the time of my life, a time filled with the exhilaration of danger and the overwhelming kindness of strangers. There were many things about that time that I could never tell anyone."

When she finally makes the journey with her family the story travels back and forth in time and we slowly build up a picture of Penelope's extraordinary life during the Second World War on Crete, of how she originally fled there from her home in Scotland to escape her mother's hopes of her marrying a title, when all she wanted was to be an archaeologist.

When Penelope helped an elderly Jewish man who had been beaten and robbed in the street she met her friend Yolanda and, together, they joined the Red Cross. She felt more at home in Greece than in England and when war broke out she helped the wounded soldiers.

It is then that her extraordinary story is told, some in flashbacks to her family, and some she keeps to herself.

I also found it interesting to hear another side of the story told from one of the German officers who were there at the same time as Penelope and who also travels to the 60th anniversary.

This story is about how ordinary people coped in difficult and challenging circumstances, how they lived and died, about courage, uncertainty and hope, good times and bad times and how they fell in love during the most appalling conditions they had to endure.

Penelope was a fabulous character, she was warm, brave, loyal, feisty and incredibly likeable.

Not a light and easy book to read as it deals with a sad subject, but I really enjoyed it and, particularly the latter part, I could not put it down.
519770
A sensitive woman takes the reader back to her childhood to relive her family's struggles and courage during her sister's mysterious illness of many years.  The author's frankness pulls the reader into their family's trials and triumphs.  It is an emotional, satisfying read.
3940802
Everyone has a story that is ripe with joy and pain, filled with drama and levity. Shellie Blums memoir is no exception. Hers is a captivating roller coaster ride. Blums book is as advertised, an expedition through hardship and perseverance. Its a crying shame that fate and politics have all but erased her pioneering efforts in the world of water skiing and athletic performance. Shellies story is a cold reminder that gender inequities still exist in our modern society.

It is also a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is a reason for all things good and bad and an opportunity to do something greater and more meaningful in life. Shellie is neither defined by her rise to prominence nor by her fall from grace. She makes no apologies for who she is and sticks to her guns, which ultimately leads to further conflict. Whether you agree or disagree with her journey, the fact that Shellie Blum is still here to tell her story is a victory in itself.
3055742
'Forever Today' is a memoir by Deborah Wearing, the devoted wife of Clive Wearing, a highly intelligent and accomplished musician and conductor whose brain was half eaten away by a virus, causing him to have the worst case of amnesia then known - lasting only a few seconds at a time.  He remembered who he was, his history until a few years before the devastating infection, and his immense love for his wife.  Like most dense amnesiacs, he retained no ability to make new memories, but fascinatingly was able to function almost normally when conducting familiar music.

It's not just his story, but also a story of her love, which is remarkable and touching for its perseverance and depth.  And it's a story about the British medical and insurance system, and how Mrs. Wearing helped change the landscape and care for Britons with ABI (Acquired Brain Injury).

I thought the last third got a bit scattered and tangential, and needed a good editor.  But in any case, like many books on dementia and memory loss that I've read, FT is both wrenching and inspiring in showing how the families of those affected learn to accept and find joy in ever smaller successes.
653705
The Scarlet Thread grabbed me in its first chapters, and I could not put the book down.  Yet here I am, more than six months later arriving at its closing chapter. I am not a fearful person. I have lived and loved through the 70s in my naivet not wanting to let go of the dreams of the 60s. However, this book was difficult for me as my own memories and choices haunted me in between its lines.  My search for free love ended in brokenness and my secreted loss of abortion.  However, in Yvonnes story, I see a girl and woman facing life, birth, and loss with true courage.  I admire her passion and ability to tell the story hidden for so long, as well as take hold of relationships that mean the most to her.  She empowers herself and readers in the act of forgiving ones self, not giving up, and promoting adoptees rights to their concealed history.
3041709
If you are a woman who came of age in the 1960's and were raised by parents whose lives were shaped by the Great Depression and World War II, some of this author's story may ring true for you. On the other hand, Mikaya Heart's story, My Sweet, Wild Dance, is as unique as her pen name.

This feisty Scotswoman's story has three strands running through it: innocent child betrayed by adults in her life, radical "butch dyke" (her own words) who did not associate with heterosexuals,and finally self-confident woman whose world is full of love and joy.

Mikaya Heart's writing style is unique: she stays in the present tense for all phases of her life and uses "Queen's English" dialect to portray her life in the British Isles and a more informal American voice to tell her story of living in California. To me, the strength of the narrative is that it tells the story of transformative growth in the face of adversity. Her path to becoming whole came via her love of nature and deep reflections. Her descriptions of her natural surroundings are vivid. She shares that she learned to accept her whole self through alternative healing therapies, oneness with Earth Mother, and relating to the creatures inhabiting this realm. Mikaya Heart is "mastering the art of self-mastery."

I chose to read this book because it promised to tell the story of a woman's journey of spiritual discovery. In particular, I wanted to read about her hippie life exploring different belief systems and global travel. However, I felt that the period in her life when she was living on a commune is given short shrift and her spiritual journey is packed into just a few of the concluding chapters.

Though some women might find that Mikaya's story helps them reconcile their own similar feelings from childhood, I found her account as a child in the British Isles difficult to read, much like parts from the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls were for me. I squirm at depictions of powerless children tormented by abusers. I empathize with the author's painful reflections upon repeated betrayals by people close to her. Nonetheless, her dislike and anger towards her mother and father, and later men in general, permeate a good deal of the story. The author in the prologue professes to be interested in "joy" and not "tragedy," but the reader is showered with a great deal of unhappy energy throughout much of the book. By the time I arrived at the last few chapters, I already felt quite beaten and battered from raw emotions.

There is explicit erotica included in the story as the author embraces her rekindled sexuality. Mikaya Heart speaks her truth courageously and shares her intimate thoughts with the world.

Her anger melts away as she examines the roots of her fears in therapy and works to rid herself of her father's control. She states "Growing up is fraught with contradictions." After the angst and turmoil of most of the book, the resolution to the story is uplifting.

by Martha Meacham
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
4250639
In this day of open expression, sometimes too open, the degree of repression is breathtaking, but her own ability to overcome and express her true self is the real story.
2541394
My reading this well-written collection of heart-felt, emotional memories, crafted in an adventurous and moving manner, caused a surge of admiration and respect for an affluent and self-made businesswoman whose faith and fortitude led her to the success she is today.  The transparency of her formative years displays courage and comfort as each page is turned within this book.  My knowledge of this author may be a little different from most as I've seen this author's personal side, as well as her strength in the boardroom.  Now, my being the reader of her most revealing, and intimate details of a young girl growing up in a challenging and eventful environment has caused me to appreciate her all the more.  This book reveals sincere joy and sincere pain.  It reveals heartache and heartbreak.  But, the innermost perseverance of her perceived stubbornness by others was the strength she needed, and used, to come out and come up to become the successful whole person she is today.  Thank you Linda Joyce for this well-written literature sharing your faith and your passion, to be the best you can be - no matter what the past holds.  It was a real 'page turner' for me! - Lolalisa King
4197040
Hope Tantry is understandably devastated when her mother, Ally, passes away without warning. This sudden loss has left her bereft, and her grief has prevented her from sorting through her mother's belongings. However, she doesn't have the luxury of stalling when it comes to dealing with the material items that her mother left behind in a small cottage in the Lake District of England, where she spent much of her later life writing a biography of Beatrix Potter.

Fortunately, Hope doesn't have to make the trip alone. Julie and Anna Page accompany her on this heart-wrenching journey. Friends from birth, the women have always been there for one another no matter what direction life takes them in. Born to a group of women who called themselves the Wednesday Sisters, the now-grown girls known as "The Wednesday Daughters" are the next generation.

Unfortunately, each woman is struggling with her own demons in addition to coming to terms with the loss of Ally. Julie's heart still aches from losing her twin sister to breast cancer only a year before. Hope misses her mother and is trying to decide whether or not her marriage has run its course. Last but not least, Anna Page, the eldest of the group, connects with men on a superficial and sexual level, but never on a deeper emotional basis. As the women band together to say goodbye to Ally, they also discover some hard truths about themselves in the process.

While sorting through her mother's belongings, Hope wonders whether her mother had finally gone round the bend. Several of Ally's writer's notebooks, written in a code that the Wednesday Daughters manage to crack, are filled with memories of her time spent with Beatrix Potter. The thing is, Ally never met Potter, who died in 1943. Was Ally delusional, or was she simply expressing herself creatively in an unusual way?

Much to everyone's surprise, the journals also divulge the secrets of an age-old family mystery that connects Ally and Hope to England in a way they'd never dreamed of. Hope finds that she didn't know her mother nearly as well as she thought she did, and she mourns the loss of the opportunity to get to know her better now.

Despite its serious theme, THE WEDNESDAY DAUGHTERS is a heartwarming tale of a group of women who know the best and the worst about one another, yet choose to embrace each other anyway as sisters and as friends. The book is filled with memorable characters, both British and American, who lend a touch of flavor and believability to the story as well. It's easy for readers to imagine themselves amidst the peace and beauty of one of England's most famously attractive natural areas.

Reviewed by Amie Taylor
2705180
When you pick up a book like The Woolworths Girls you're looking a comfort read. I think most of us are aware that the good old days weren't quite so good, but what the author brings us is that magical sense of nostalgia for things past, perhaps things lost, a sense of family, of belonging and community spirit. Opening at the beginning of WWII, telling the story of three young girls setting out on an uncertain journey to adulthood, a journey made more daunting by the impending war, the story is based around Woolworths, a landmark in history, the go to shop for bits and bobs which you could rely on Woollies to stock. It cant fail to resonate with people, young and old, those who might have shopped there, those who, like me, had mothers or grandmothers with barely two pennies to rub together, who would go to Woollies for everything from cheap lippy to laces. The central girls, Sarah, Freda and Maisie, win hearts immediately. Nervously attending interviews, we are given glimpses of just the right amount of beautifully concise backstory to have us totally invested in them. Theyre from very different backgrounds, each with their own troubled secrets, and each with an innocence we want to preserve. We watch them bond, we watch them grow, we follow their trials and tribulations, from the seemingly trivial which are so important to girls of that age, to their adapting to the terrors that war brings. The secondary characters are cleverly drawn, making us want to share their stories too. Sarahs grandmother, Ruby, whose home is where the heart is, is the linchpin, a stalwart of a woman whos as determined the girls will have a square meal inside them as she is to protect them. I loved this book from the opening chapter, where ex-sailors from the Seamans Mission were singing Christmas carols in the snow. I loved the ending, where Sarah was taking new staff under her wing. I loved everything in between. If you love WWII reads, nostalgia in bucketfuls, a timely reminder of the hardship endured, and a smile along the way, The Woolworths Girls encapsulates it all. Highly recommended.