A Beautifully Honest Book That gives Hope to its Reader...
350150
The moment I picked up this book I could not put it down. I have read many books on our connection to spirit but the honesty and emotion that she generously incorporated into her writing left an impression on me. Through her vivid descriptions, the reader is able to paint a picture and follow her through the karma of her personal relationship while being able to apply their own similar experiences. I found healing through the healing that Stephanie was able to do through being open and brave enough to listen to spirit. In fact this is the one book that actually pushed me to pick up a pen and paper to try channeling myself...and it worked because this book was able to assist with showing me that the walls between this dimension and the spirit dimension are actually not there at all. I am filled with hope knowing that now.
3614943
I loved how The author was able to write with such honesty about her story. She beautifully and poignantly used words to paint the picture of her journey of secrets, shame and guilt, and eventual healing. I would highly recommend this book, especially for those of us who have been held back in life due to the secrets we have kept. We all have a story to tell, and sometimes reading another person's memoir can help us to examine our own lives as well as face our own truths. This is one such story!
2875581
Bringing Home the Prodigals is a beautifully written book that will resonate with thousands of parents and grandparents.  The author's honesty and compassion come through.  As a Christian counselor, I will be purchasing multiple copies to give away. It is filled with hope. My favorite thought in the entire book comes from a quote from an unknown older man: "When the father's house is filled with the father's love, the prodigals will come home."  I have always believed that if the church would function with the love and grace of Christ, our young people, our prodigals would be lined up around the block to come in. I am renewing my commitment to be part of a loving church.
4224887
Kelley's book is unique in that it is much more than just her story. Kelley's book is also a workbook that guides you step by step through a healing journey for those who have lost all hope of ever feeling any sense of joy again. She has freely given from her heart, her own experience, strength and hope, the tools that helped her break the chains of her past. For anyone without hope....even those who have not been victims of human trafficking, it is a "book of hope". I will always admire you for how much of yourself you have given to others in this endeavor, dear friend and soul sister.

Many good wishes for today and many years to come!!
3679148
This book is so encouraging.  Not in a rah rah kind of way but in a thought provoking way by asking questions that lead the reader to self reflection and hopefully a new perspective on their story and why it matters. One of the gifts of this book is the honesty with which it presents the struggles we all have in way that we are allowed to see ourselves without judgement.
3668231
From the author's accounts of her father's abuse to the accounts of her mother's purposeful indifference, the journey she describes in Saved from Silence is a difficult one to read.  Brutally honest yet mercifully sparse on prurient details, the reader gets a full sense of the hopelessness of the author's childhood.  Yet woven through her life story are glimpses of her true worth in God's eyes - the worth she seems to live in today.  Anyone struggling with a sense of worth, and certainly anyone struggling with the effects of abuse, can find hope in Ms. Richardson's story.
1918373
Bare roots is a soul touching book in which the author addresses important topics surrounding trauma and mental illnesses. The division of the book into five chapters is very well thought out and the poems are beautifully honest. The courage of the author to share such personal pieces is admirable; I hope it will inspire more to do the same.
1262095
Dreaming of seeing my own books in bookstores one day, I find myself consciously wondering sometimes, what makes me pick a book up from the shelf? What makes me look at the blurb on the back? And then what makes me buy? Unfortunately what makes me buy is all too often influenced by whether the book is cheap, and some of my most treasured finds have been remaindered hardbacks.

Crooked River was a hardback remainder with a beautiful cover. Purple clouds (I like purple) loom in a black-lit sky and jagged lightning stabs at a woven earth-toned patterned thread. That's why I picked it up. The back blurb lists the awards received for Shelley Pearsall's previous book, Trouble Don't Last, convincing me she must be a good writer who tells a good tale. And the inside flap reveals the voice of Indian John in prose poetry, coupled with this introduction, "The year is 1812. A white trapper is murdered. And a young Chippewa Indian stands accused." I was hooked.

The story is told in two voices, that of Indian John with flowing words likes streams of living meaning, and that of Rebecca Carver, a thirteen-year-old slowly learning just how wrong the world can be. Her halting steps, from obedient acceptance of everything she's told, to human concern and thankfulness and thought, are beautifully told. Her words reflect the language of the time--the author says she mined old documents and diaries for authentic turns of phrase. The passages grow to reveal the mind of a genuine girl with a thirteen-year-old's passion for truth and joy under the burden of a settler's needs.

I learned how justice was conducted on the frontier, how judges travelled from town to town, how decisions were made and lives ended with the aid of a jury of somebody's peers. I learned of human frailty, of good people believing falsehood and closing their ears to truth, and also of hope. I longed for the right ending to the book, though I couldn't see how it would come. And then I read an ending that was righter than right and delighted me.

I hope I might read Trouble Don't Last one day. But for now, Crooked River was a wonderful introduction to an author whose research astounds and convinces, and whose writing voices inspire.
4633147
The beauty of life is this: One person can make such a difference for another. That is the Colleen Adams story, told in the new book, "Hope in the Hood." A road map to a life of illuminating example, this book is the story of a giver, a do-er and a teacher of life's most important lessons. Each of us can learn from her life and the stories she tells.
Those stories reveal the pain and the promise in so many young lives.  Colleen Adams has turned her own pain into purposefulness for others. So, too, do those teenagers and young adults.
This book ratifies the reasons each of us can  be hopeful and optimistic.
David Lawrence Jr.
Coral Gables, Florida
1363347
This book is an honest and genuine portrayal of one's journey from fear to faith. It offers the readers a realistic view of the challenges that many of us face but it uplifts by offering the solutions that are found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
2004678
This book is such an encouraging read for those who are going through a difficult time or facing a period of change in their lives. With personal examples from her own life, Ariana offers advice for how to deal with these times of hardship in a positive way while still maintaining an attitude of joy and a mindset of abundance and growth. A beautifully-written book full of hope for the times when we need it most!
2187562
There are three things that I really like about this book: it's from a therapists perspective, it's from a woman's perspective and it's from a former back pain sufferers perspective. I felt like I was able to relate to this author based on some of my personal circumstances and loved the cursing! Ha! When I finished reading the book I was filled with hope and a beautiful experience of humanity in its purest form. A couple of areas of opportunity: the grammar was difficult to look past at times and I think that more specific direction could be provided about the healing process/journaling. Overall, an enjoyable book that I read in two nights. I also enjoyed the YouTube videos of the author's story and would recommend checking them out in addition to reading the book as I felt it made it more personal.
2232140
I am so grateful for the cystal clear expressions of growing into ones' own truth and beauty that Chara Rodriguera shares in this book.  Her poetry is a breath of inspiration that expresses so much hope.  This book is like therapy.  Her words offer hope for the very real and present possibility to not only acknowledge, but experience our truer, greater self.  Ms. Rodriguera shares her true self so generously in her poetry, and this is a beautiful book of poems that I read again and again.  Highly recommended to anyone who is willing to......Breathe.
797289
This book offers hope to one of life's deepest wounds, losing someone you love.  Losing a parent at any age is horribly difficult, but enduring this loss as a child creates a void that makes every day seem impossible.  Writing from her personal experience, Kathleen Fucci beautifully shows how Emily can have hope again. The book points to God's promises in His Word that He will never leave us and He can heal our broken hearts. The simple text, inviting illustrations, and the heartfelt emotion of the story will be a wonderful tool to comfort and reassure children who are dealing with grief. I believe Mrs. Fucci's book will help many children who have suffered loss, as well as parents and caregivers who are searching for ways to open dialogue with children who are grieving.
3703996
As I read this book, available at Amazon.com, it became apparent that the author has truly walked through the fiery furnace and into deep water and yet, because of her choices, she has proven that "You Can Begin Again".  She has been transparent in order that others may see that there is hope in the midst of the darkest of circumstances.  Many in similar situations will be stirred to go forward with hope by reading the book.
1976846
When faced with a disease it is difficult to find your way out of the depression and anger. The honest discussions between the authors and the breathtaking photography blend perfectly together. Nancy J. Locke is a photographer to watch. Her talent is inspiring.

A sense of peace washed over me when I read this book. Even though I don't have cancer, but am disabled, I found the book helpful.

Trusting in God can be hard. This book offers hope and help.

I recommend this book for anyone facing this life challenge.

Tambra Kendall
3720788
The best way I can describe this book is as follows: imagine if you ran into Donald Miller (of Blue Like Jazz fame) at a recovery meeting of some sort and his life had just been blown up by the doctrines of grace. His testimony might just read like this. It is at times both humorously and painfully autobiographical. It is brutally honest. And yet it is eminently hopeful as the gospel stays in full view throughout. Yes there is pain here, but it is pain with a purpose.

Joe was a pastor's kid turned pastor and spent most of his life in the church. Bob spent most of his life avoiding it. Yet grace has a way of both bringing the younger brother home and beckoning the elder brother in to the feast. As the book progresses, we see that these two stories are not all that dissimilar from each other . . . or from our own. There is a pride that says to God, "I don't need you, I can figure this out on my own" and there is a pride that says "I don't need you, but I'll stick around to get your stuff".

"Grace is kryptonite to pride". This book begins with a lot of brokenness. But as the stories progress, the brokenness gives way to grace. Or rather, the brokenness is the way of grace: "grace needs one thing, it needs cracks. The bigger the crack, the deeper the grace will penetrate". The most dangerous form of pride that we all harbor is the pride that says, "I have no cracks". I loved this book. It will break you open, and it will pave the way for grace if you will kill your damned pride.