Heart Wrenching  and insightful
595504
Such a great, well written book! Colleen Hoover has quickly become my favourite author. I had a feeling this story was personal. Thank you for the notes in the back!!
1084182
I loved reading this book. It was difficult and painful at times, but worth every tear.
One can easily feel for this young girl and her family. Chernov's  style reminds me of Joan
Didion writing about losing her husband. It is that well written. As a reader, I felt invited into
a poignant and deep relationship with the author and her father. At the same time, it felt very
private and I was simply an observer. In that way, Chernov does a great job of making the
reader feel one of her significant conflicts between the public and private aspects of her
relationship with her father.
I strongly recommend this book!
4110040
I found this book insightful and deeply moving. It illustrates how we are all on this journey of life together in spite of our differences.
3860276
Through the eyes of the sufferer and the sufferer's family the heartbreaking consequences of Alzheimers are revealed!  Eric Hill has written an all too realistic book of one man's journey, through the hideous stages of Alzheimers.  The love, agony, and realizations of the sufferer and his family, are beautifully written with much compassion!  A difficult book to read and I suspect an even more difficult book to write!  This being said, I would recommend this book, to almost everyone!
1669113
I don't think anyone could really fathom going through what the Wilkins' family went through, with losing a teenage daughter to a car accident and then a few years later having another daughter in a near-fatal accident.

That's probably why this book is so profound.  Not only does it give a glimpse into that heartache and uncertainty, it also reveals much about how some tragedies refine and strengthen faith in a way that is almost hard to comprehend.

What I particularly liked about Ryan's book is that not only does he share about the pain his family went through, but he also shares vulnerably about his own desolation and sadness over the loss of his marriage and the loss of a dear pastor friend.

The book encouraged me and reinforced many messages about love and about what it means to lean wholeheartedly on the compassion and eternal faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
247674
Such a heart-wrenching story. A true story of the horrible tragedy a man lived through and the evidence that our loved ones who have passed are still watching over us. This will make you think hard about your own life and what's really important.
I love how it is written-very clearly real, in his own words showing the raw emotion and vulnaribility we all feel sometimes. Opening our eyes to what someone really goes through when faced with such devastating events as these. So maybe when something like this happens to someone we know, we are able to have more compassion and understanding. I absolutely loved this book!
2200217
This book was beautifully written, extremely moving and very insightful. I felt like the author was talking to me and baring his soul. Although at times it seemed as if I was watching a train wreck, I still couldn't put it down. I loved reading about Patrick and Claudia's life together and how they handled the horror of her diagnosis. This is a sad, but beautiful love story. I was so impressed with the strength and bravery that both Claudia and Patrick exhibited throughout such a difficult time. This really gave me a much better understanding of what people dealing with a serious illness go through. I loved the surprise ending. Reading this book really made me think and has helped me put things in perspective, to see what is truly important in life!
3204054
What a wonderful and heart wrenching story!!  Little Maggie is sure to capture your heart with her curiosity and inquisitiveness about things.  This story takes you through the raw emotion of a family who is faced with a life altering diagnosis...and how in 1 day, your lives can change forever.  It definitely tugs at the heart strings and gives you an inside look to what a family faces when dealing with a child who is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  I hope the author writes more books, maybe a series on little Maggie's life : )!!
4720102
When Angels Fly covers a very difficult and painful subject, but being written in diary form made it an easier process for me to read. This memoir shows not only the tragedy of a sick child, but abuse. I read the words of an amazingly strong woman who advocates for her children. Some parts of the book, I couldn't believe what I was reading, but Sarah had a support system in place in the middle of that chaos. I learned a lot about hospital procedures, tests, and being a patient advocate. I felt every emotion reading this.  My heart went out to the authors, but I was inspired by Sarahs strength, and above all love. This is a book for those going through difficult times, but it is also for those who arent-- so they can understand.
2237741
As members of the human race, we all need reminders from time to time of the value of human life.  This is a wonderful, heart-wrenching, yet liberating account of a mother's journey to freedom.  It has opened my eyes to my own prejudices and judgments towards others.  I read it in one sitting and am now reading it again.  So touching!
3301814
Really moving.  Made me cry several times for the author, and for little Ben.  As a health care provider, there were times I questioned her decision on her field of practice before she was necessarily ready, and worried for her patients, but also found the process quite profound.  She has amazing insight.  Could not stop reading.
4212602
The author, Uma Girish, opens her heart to share with you her journey through grief due to the loss of her mother.  She does a wonderful job of bringing the reader in as her friend and confidant as she shares her rollercoaster of emotions.  I could relate so deeply at times, tears came to my own eyes.  Yes, this is her personal story but it is more than that.  It is a story of life and the difficult issues we all must face at some point.  Lessons learned: Follow your calling,  never lose hope,  value family,  and know that our loved ones live on.
1518649
Fantastic book- it hits your heart hard on life and death, figuring out your place. Sad but so worth the read.
1947754
This is a powerful look inside domestic violence and its affect on the survivors and children. The story progresses from young wife's confusion and disbelief, to the pain caused by "helping" professions who don't listen or  quickly dismiss what they are seeing, to the pain caused by blaming the victim, and ultimately to the insights of a true survivor.  Told through poetry, prayers, stories, pathos, and occasional humor, Sophia Grace brings to life the reality of abuse and survival.  As a mother, I saw my daughter struggle in a violent marriage and felt powerless when I was unable to offer advice that she could hear and act on. From this book I learned the importance of being a steady heart during her storm. A real gift.
1850113
Wonderfully written not only from a mother's day-to-day experiences, but also from Jeff's input as he lived his addiction.  One attempts to understand both sides of this story. I highly recommend reading this book multiple times to comprehend the impact and consequences of this illness which consumes family and friends. This story was extremely painful and difficult to live, and it seems equally painful and difficult to put into words so others may learn.  Much praise for this heart-wrenching story!!
3750000
This is not an especially long book, but that's not the reason you'll be through it quickly: it's simply difficult to put down.  The way that Kreider and Smucker tell the tale of how a father comes to grips with the worst of news about their child draws you in and forces you to wonder what you'd have done in his place.  While all that I experienced about the story came directly as Tim saw things (I had not followed the events when they happened in 2007 even though I don't live far from that community), I couldn't help but wonder about my own reaction had the events been part of my reality.  This depth of immersion is testament to the awfulness of the story as well as the level of the writing.

Tim Kreider's difficult journey is thankfully not one that many of us will ever have to undertake. However, his openness about the struggles - and ultimately the hope - that he experienced along the way demonstrates the power that forgiveness, family, and especially faith can have even over the bleakest situation

Reading this book provides the silver lining to a terrible tragedy and is a thought provoking example to anyone dealing with difficulty and hardship in their own circumstances.
145088
I give this book five stars because the author does an excellent job of sharing her deepest secrets from her childhood and upbringing. This is a heart wrenching book, but also an eye-opener!!