Beautifully written courageous memoir
581672
I truly enjoyed reading this memoir. After reading the first few chapters, I couldn't put it down. I regularly read memoirs written by incredibly courageous people who have endured extreme hardships. This book is one of the best I've ever read.

I believe a memoir can be judged by how it makes you feel. Mark has the ability to make you feel like you are walking through life with his family and rooting for them throughout. I appreciate his courage in writing his story, as well as Giulia's courage for allowing her story to be told and creating more awareness of the importance of mental health and lifetime care.  I feel uplifted and inspired by this amazing family.
2359358
I recommend reading this book.  This is a life story of a sensitive person keenly watching the world around her.  Memoir is a difficult genre.  Many people try it and fail because it is hard to make the story of ones life interesting not just to a limited group of close friends and relatives.  Ella Miriams wonderful book transcends the genre confines, because this is not just a story of her life, or her familys life, but the story of a whole generation of people striving to find freedom, the fight we know so little about.  And yet this is a very personal story.  Ella is not afraid to bare her soul to the reader.  Ella Miriam is a talented narrator, and it is difficult to put this book down once you start reading.  The reader is swept away and carried along by the torrent of events which Ella makes us the witness of.
4272000
Laura Hayden`s memoir about love, loss, acceptance and hope is masterfully written. After losing her beloved husband at age 49, she must find a path through unimaginable grief to build a new life for herself and her young children. I sat down to begin this book today, thinking I would read a chapter or two, but dishes sat in the sink and dust bunnies romped gleefully through my messy house as I was drawn into this beautiful inspiring book and continued reading to the end.
2984079
Reading a memoir is like being invited into another persons world and experiencing their life first hand. A good memoir shares a universal trutha takeawayfor the reader. The main takeaway in this memoir is how letting go of a beloved mother can be an opportunity to celebrate life and every precious moment left. The major themes are parental loss, the mother-daughter bond and letting go.

In Lisa Goitchs memoir, we meet her mother, Millie Goich who has been sent home from the hospital to prepare for her final days.  A foreward by bestselling author, Mitch Albom and by Millie sets the stage for the heartwrenching letting go process told from the authors point of view. What happens in those two weeks turns out to be an extraordinary celebration of Millies life.

Goichs writing is honest, empathic and engaging and is reflective of a great love for her mother. I appreciated how she wove in humor to provide some light moments. Her little dog, Angie even comes alive on the page. Her characters are fully developed, especially Millie, to the point where I could see her, hear her and sense her larger than life persona, make sure you take cookies home when you leave  often being her parting words to visitors.

The authors reflections about the letting go process were stunning in their breathtaking clarity and raw emotions. They reconnected me to the memory of being at my beloved fathers bedside where I was so privileged to hold his hand for hours as he left us. I felt consoled by my own memory as well as by the authors ability to gracefully let go in the end.

I admire the authors ability to share her deepest feelings so clearly and openly and I feel very honored to have met Millie Goich.  In sharing her story of love, loss and letting go, Lisa has touched us all. I highly recommend this book not only as a poignant and powerful story but as a guidebook for anyone experiencing the loss of a loved one. A beautiful tribute to a beloved mother.
810615
I couldn't put down this well written memoir. I laughed, I cried, but mostly I was taken in by the author's honesty and courage in facing a life wholly unexpected and different from the one she saw for herself from an early age. Life rarely turns out for any of us the way we planned. This is a book which teaches us not only about acceptance but about the triumph of love over adversity. We learn that we can in fact deal with the cards we've been dealt and we can do it with humor and grace. Linda Rosenbaum created such a life for herself and her family through her  determination not to give up in her darkest hours, through her faith not to give in to doubt, and most of all, through the love she felt for the son she and her husband adopted in infancy. Reading this book, I too fell in love with Michael, a child born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome but undiagnosed until age 6. Along with his parents, my heart ached for his struggles and cheered for his accomplishments. I've never adopted a child, and, before reading this book, I knew very little about children with special needs, especially children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or the real struggles faced by any parent of a special needs child. Yet, I found myself not only captivated by the joys and sorrows in the story of this family but by the end, I felt a part of this family, and all the more richer for it.  This is not simply a story about this one mother or this one family; this is a story about all of us and the choices we make when life presents NOT EXACTLY AS PLANNED.
1075237
I really enjoyed reading this "raw" from the heart memoir.  The author's style is easy to read, like having a conversation.  She does not hold back when describing how difficult life was being raised by a narcissistic mother and a father who was unable to protect her.  Looking forward to reading the next book in the story of her life.  So refreshing to read a memoir written with such courage and passion!
2015786
This wonderfully written memoir by the talented Susan Stockton is powerful and intriguing in many ways. This writing is a demonstration that life is truly about experiencing life and learning the things we were meant to learn through it all. Susan's story is astonishingly poignant and holds nothing back.  It is clearly written from the heart to share important information with the reader.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a deeper understanding of life, here and beyond.
873120
I highly recommend this excellently written memoir of Mourka's journey as a person displaced from Russia to US when she was three years old and onward through finding of real love.  What courage it took for her to face and write down her many experiences. She has had quite a life and lived through many often harrowing as well as joyful experiences and come out the other side.  She digs deeply and shares so much with her reader. I am so impressed with her masterful use of English.  Do read this fascinating book.
1654303
This is a courageous memoir by a remarkable woman. Sonia Song's outer journey took her from the lap of privilege as a member of the Chinese communist elite through soul-searing and terrifying events during the purges and the Cultural Revolution to political asylum in the U.S. Here her pro-democracy activities made immediate return to China impossible after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. This journey is a roller-coaster ride that I found gripping and inspiring.
But for me the real heart of her book is the inner journey. In her infancy in Beijing she spent six days of every week in a boarding kindergarten where the communist ideals of sharing and service to others blossomed into an idyllic nurturing community presided over by loving "aunties." It was this experience that evidently fostered her lifelong search for inclusive love and service to something beyond the self.
Song relates how she saw her Marxist ideals brutally betrayed by a Maoist reality, and how her disillusionment strengthened her resolve to find a new faith and a new lifestyle. One thing I found especially touching is the warm father/daughter relationship she recounts. A cabinet minister and loyal communist, her dad seems to have instilled in her his high ideals. He also worried when he saw in her the same inclination to speak out against injustices that had led to beatings and torture suffered by her mother during the red terror. Still, he shared with her his own outrage against Mao's Machiavellian intrigues.
In America as she rejoices in her political freedom she suffers new injustices: betrayal, rape, a vicious frame-up and million-dollar lawsuit. Despite all the setbacks she evidently has not given up on her dream to be a bridge between China and America. Her lifelong desire for sharing and inclusive love seems to have played out in her attraction to intentional communities and her daring advocacy of polyamory (a sex-positive movement advocating responsible non-monogamy as a lifestyle alternative). Song's spiritual path leads her to see loving relationships merged with progressive political action as a key to a more peaceful world, a view that many New Age (and some old age) seekers may find appealing.
2511812
This wonderfully written memoir will appeal to anyone who enjoys a story of self-realization and finding the strength to radically course correct ones own path.  Marion Kenneallys account of her coming of age in the convent is fascinating.  In her portrayal and observation, you feel both the beauty and serenity as well as the trials and struggles of this cloistered life.  It was inspiring to learn how through Marions self-discovery and transformation, she develops the strength to make the very brave and personal decision to reject her Catholic faith and the life she had lead for sixteen years.  This book captures you right away, is well paced, and leaves you wanting more!
2486735
Diane Glass with her courageous memoir, "This Need to Dance: A Life of Rhythm and Resilience" writes compellingly and honestly about her life's journey. Her memoir was difficult for me to put down because she speaks for all of us; all of us who carry dark secrets of our past and painful memories that frequently haunt our dreams.  Often these memories are never fully assimilated and repeat themselves over and over.  By sharing with us, Diane makes it easier for us to consider our own past as we struggle to make sense of our experience of that past.  The experience of what it means to be human.  So, not only is "This Need to Dance" a gift to those who struggle with spina bifida, it is a gift to all of us.

Patsy Shors
3468441
Heart Opening....tenderly written and very candid. Lorena's vulnerability and openness in sharing her journey are a joy to read. Her personal journey from selling her soul for financial security and social approval left her numb. Her her book is an honest and sometimes humorous look at the challenges she faced in regaining her footing. Her courage in life, in following her passion and in writing this book are noteworthy and personally inspiring. If she does a 2nd edition, I hope she will add in a few chapters to fill in some blank spots in the readers understanding of her journey-I had the sense she was self censoring by omission, but of course with 5 kids reading about their mom I can understand why.
941503
This was such a beautifully written memoir.  Vicki Marney describes her journey through breast cancer.  It is a realistic account of the things one might experience in dealing with cancer.  I love how she writes about her diagnosis,  her fears,  her loneliness, her treatment,  and even the moments of humor.  I highly recommend this book to anyone touched by cancer, whether personally or with a friend or family member.  One valuable thing in this book are the parenthetical pieces of advice--from things you might want to consider if you have cancer to things you can do to be an encouragement to someone else who has cancer.  Again, I highly recommend this book.  I will certainly mention it to friends and family.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review which I have given.
3307101
This powerfully candid memoir discusses significant themes in the author's childhood and journey into adulthood.  It touches on painful experiences such as sexual abuse, rape, an unplanned pregnancy and abortion, a troubled marriage and divorce, the raising of a son on the autistic spectrum and a sensitive precocious daughter.  However, it is not a tale of woe; rather, it is a story of discovering one's true self, talents, and strengths.

Tina Truax writes clearly, with humility and humor, without self-pity, and I suspect her book will find many readers, especially girls and women (as well as the men who care for them) who to some degree will recognize themselves in the events described and in the insights and reflections.
551043
Some life experiences are so unquestionably singular and personal that we cannot relate to nor conjure real awareness of themnor imagine we have any genuine understanding about themunless we have lived such an experience ourselves. In this brave memoir, author Cheryl Musick nakedly attempts to chronicle her own tortured journey as the desperate parent of a daughter who is first seduced into and then stubbornly chooses a life of enslavement to hard drugs, to her and her familys consternation and demise. With more courage than most would have, Musick delivers on her promise ...to be as open, honest and vulnerable as I can in sharing the love and promise, the triumphs and setbacks, the anguish and the yearning for a new start along this journey that continues on to this day.  I have a daughter who I love with all my heart. Not only can I not begin to imagine what this experience would have been like, but I cannot imagine myself being as brave as this author in baring myself to the world about it, thus opening myself to criticism as well as embrace.  Is this writer perfect? Did she do everything right? Was she righteous and surefooted in every moment? Of course not. But such is the essence of this little book, an all-too-human account of one parents plough through this unique Hell, how it was experienced by her and her family, and how it changed everything for every person who had meaning in her daughters life. For one who relates to the parents in this story or one who might themselves be trapped in the quicksand of drug abuse, this reflection will encourage youfrom experiencethat Somehow, some way, someday, addicts and those who love them [can and] will break these chains and live the lives they are meant to live.  Obviously I encourage you to read this book. No doubt you will benefit. ~ Jim H - Boise, ID USA
2136246
Dog Medicine is deeply moving. It is a beautifully written and honest memoir of a young woman in crisis who finds her way out, who grows in self-knowledge and wisdom. It's inspiring.  Julie Barton could be someone you know and love -- even your self.  Someone facing a serious mental health issue. Someone who makes mistakes. Someone finding her way in the world.  Julie is a wonderful storyteller and a wise being.  I totally loved this book.  Enough that the minute I read it I bought three more copies.  One for my daughter. One for my sister. One for a friend.  They loved it too.
2248956
Author Celestine Washington draws deeply on her own life experience in writing this inspirational memoir, claiming It is my hope that after reading... you will find what you need to activate faith in Christ and love for your fellowman. Her story is one of serious abuse and neglect, redeemed by forgiveness and a stunning generosity of spirit. While others might make life more complex than it really is by doing too much... think[ing] too much, worry[ing] too much the reader will soon learn that the authors own life was indeed more complex than most of ours. But she offers a path of faith-filled satisfaction, built on her wounds and recovery.

The book reads rather like listening to a friend, with diversions and distractions from a well-planned argument, occasional grammatical surprises that fit the authors voice, some confusing bits of narrative easily respected for the authors pleasing tone, and a wealth of fascinating stories, from childhood scrapes, to cruel neglect, to parenthood of her own. There are even tales of the authors 14-year-old self when my mentality was not that far advanced as for wanting to be grown in any sense of the word.

But wounded child becomes woman, marries and has children. Some wounds are born of nurture, others imposed by cruel accident. And a belief that God is in charge and knows what hes doing will certainly help. We can appreciate the difference in others by recognizing ourselves in everyone we meet, embracing the spirit of God in them, and not judging them -- wise advice that separates this book, perhaps, from many of its genre. The author practices what she says and does not judge her mothers gay partner, nor others who might not quite fit into the boundaries of our churches.

Strive to be satisfied is a dark memoir blessed with a generous, forgiving and non-judgmental spirit, telling a tale thats hard to read, and that just might bless a life thats hard to live.

Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy and I offer my honest review.