I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Ron Pacer takes readers on a journey to discover the ways in which you can tap into your inner creativity and bring your imagination to life in his book “Unlock Your Creativity: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Inspiration and Developing Your Imagination”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Unlock Your Creativity: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Inspiration and Developing Your Imagination is an essential handbook for anyone looking to tap into their inner creativity and bring their imagination to life.
You will learn:
✓How to explore new environments and experiences, keep a journal or idea notebook, learn from other creative individuals, and use prompts and exercises to stimulate creativity.
✓The essential skills for developing the imagination, such as learning to think outside the box, using the power of visualization, practicing brainstorming and free association, and experimenting with different mediums and techniques.
✓How to overcome creative blocks, including understanding and identifying the causes, using mindfulness and relaxation techniques, seeking feedback and support from others, and taking time for self-care and rejuvenation.
Whether you are an artist, writer, teenager, adult, or simply someone looking to unleash their creative potential, Unlock Your Creativity: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Inspiration and Developing Your Imagination is the ultimate guide to unlocking your full creative potential and achieving personal growth.
The Review
This is a quick yet well-developed read. The author does a remarkable job of capturing the essential lessons and tools that someone would need in order to find that creative spark just waiting to be lit. The way the author writes is great here, as it speaks to everyone and not just the select few established writers in the world through technical terms and practices. Instead, the generality of the author’s writing allows for broad approaches that keep it light and fun, yet impactful all at once.
The passion for which the author writes and the emphasis on imagination’s role in the creative process were what really stuck out to me about this book. The lessons that are taught and the guide itself are built upon the idea of the reader’s imagination is the playground of sorts that helps creativity thrive and grow, and that has always been the case for me as a writer, so getting to see this concept come to life on the pages of this book were great to see.
The Verdict
Informative, imaginative, and engaging, author Ron Pacer’s “Unlock Your Creativity” is a must-read nonfiction book and guide on creativity and creative development. The knowledge and information gained through this book are equally measured against the passion and heart for which the book was written, and the emphasis on imagination highlights the power that creativity has in all aspects of life. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Authors Maggie and Renee Lovange take readers on an intimate and personal story of the relationship between a mother and her daughter during the daughter’s teen years in an effort to showcase how parents can relate to and parent a teen child through the angst and anxiety that life brings in the book “Dealing with Teen Anxiety: A Simple Guide to Overcoming Anger, Depression, and Low Mood in Young People with CBT”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Do you want to get your teen out of their room and back into your life? If you feel you are losing control, then keep reading.
According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, up to 44% of students reported having symptoms of depression and anxiety.
If you have parented teens, you will know how challenging it can be. Today’s teenagers are experiencing a whole new raft of difficulties, and their anxiety levels are enormous.
This book shows a way through the storm. Using practical examples and a clear description of cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, Maggie has set out the hows and whys of maintaining communication, helping teenagers believe in themselves and successfully overcome anxiety.
Maggie and her daughter, Renée, have written this book from their own experience. A fierce love of her teen and a determination to push through all the difficulties led Maggie to challenge her parenting style, change her approach, and learn about the best psychological method to help both herself and her daughter.
Renée’s contribution throughout the book brings the dialogue to life, giving a valuable perspective.
This book shows how the most difficult relationships between parents and teens are salvageable and can lead to a bright future.
In this book, you will discover:
How to get inside their thoughts to understand their anxiety
Why do teenagers react this way
How the teenage brain works
Application of cognitive behavioural therapy in everyday life
How what makes us feel happy makes us addicted
How to help your child be happy and confident
What are teens think but do not want to share with us?
If you feel everything you do is in vain – punishment, praise, explanation – this is exactly the book that will help you understand why this is no longer working and how to change it without giving up your principles.
Maggie and Renée restored harmony in their family – YOU CAN DO IT TOO. Just scroll up and click the Add to Cart button.
BONUS – downloadable help worksheets
For your convenience, we have made additional pages to this book available for free download so you can print them out.
The Review
This was a very well-written and informative read. The authors did such an incredible job of showcasing the balance of knowledge the reader will gain from this book with the emotional weight of the experiences they shared together to get these lessons learned. The way the authors highlight the paths that both a parent and the teenager must take to find one another again and find that understanding between them was such a profound moment to get to in the book.
For me, the heart of the book rests in the author’s presentation of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and the way the authors analyze the reasons behind this change in the relationship and where the anxiety stems from. One of the initial thoughts the author shares really feels profound in its delivery and relatable: your child is no longer your child, but your teen. Almost as if the child you knew has become a completely different person, understanding and accepting this notion really can help the process of finding some common ground and helping the person you care so much for find help in their anxiety and stress. The way the authors outline these CBT techniques with very emotional memories made this a beautiful and educational read.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, captivating, and engaging, authors Maggie and Renee Lovange’s “Dealing with Teen Anxiety” is a must-read nonfiction book on parenting and relationships between parents and their adult teen children. The short yet powerful read, accompanied by helpful worksheets and journals to help work through these techniques, made this such an incredible book, and the unique perspective the authors take as both the parent in the relationship and the former teen in the relationship give this book both legitimacy and honesty that other readers will be able to relate to. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Hi, I’m Maggie.
My name is Maggie Lovange, and I am an M.S. in mathematics, graphic designer and author. But what makes me proud are my three wonderful children.
Why my work will be helpful to you
I have experience raising children, not just as a stay-at-home mom but as a working mom. I was a single mother with my first child. I am the parent of a stepson, and of course, I am familiar with the problems when two parents raise children. The experience I gained, the issues I faced and the final result I achieved are helpful.
In today’s informational world, we are overwhelmed by a lot of information. Very often, the information you can find about a problem needs to be more consistent or made up. I am a mathematician, and my logic is very highly developed. On the other hand, I love reading and discovering new concepts and ideas. What I do is find the connections between different scientific studies and explain them in a way that is practical and easy to understand. A great example of this is cognitive behavioural therapy – which is complex. It took me about three months to research it and find different sources to be able to explain it as something utterly applicable in every person’s daily life.
Of course, being an author and a mother is not always easy. There are days when I feel like I am pulled in a million different directions. Seeing the impact that my writing has on others is the most rewarding thing I could ever ask for. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
As my children grow older, I know that new challenges and topics will require my attention as a writer. But I am ready for whatever comes my way. Writing is not just a job or a hobby for me; it’s a calling. It’s a way to connect with others and make a difference in the world.
Writing a book is not easy, but the rewards are immeasurable. And as a mother, there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that you have positively impacted your child’s life and the lives of others.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Heather Dominick-Kosmicki helps readers find the means of becoming an entrepreneur and leader in the business field while also balancing this part of themselves with the more sensitive aspect of their personality in the book “Different: The Highly Sensitive Leadership Revolution”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Can you be highly sensitive AND highly successful?
For the highly sensitive person committed to entrepreneurial and life success, this little book holds the potential for big impact. Years of mentoring and real-time practical research have highlighted these secret concerns among highly sensitive people:
Why am I so different?
What’s wrong with me?
How do I keep from being found out?
And, at the heart of it all,
How can I be of service to others without drowning in overload and overwhelm?
Filled with ancient wisdom, practical applications, and personal stories from both Heather and members of the Business Miracles Community for Highly Sensitive Leaders, this book brings a fresh, empowered perspective to what it means to be highly sensitive. Embrace your difference—join the highly sensitive leadership revolution, and find success in your own business!
The Review
This was one of the freshest and most relatable reads on the world of business and entrepreneurship that I’ve read in a long time. The author did a fantastic job of utilizing both personal stories, research, and the power of intuition to showcase the lessons that she learned in her time as a business leader herself. The way the author showcases how the COVID pandemic gave way to the rise of remote work and entrepreneurship as a whole and honed in on the isolation and uniqueness that sensitive people have was great to see come to life as a common theme in the book.
The heart of this book rested in the author’s ability to bridge the gap between business and energy work in the world. The way author was able to showcase that for too long readers have been taught to be cutthroat and closed off as a leader in the world of business, and the evolution that leadership has taken is shown in earnest within this book. The lessons and teachings that the author utilizes within the book help benefit the reader both in a professional and personal sense, making this a well-rounded read.
The Verdict
Captivating, informative, and engaging, author Heather Dominick-Kosmicki’s “Different: The Highly Sensitive Leadership Revolution” is a must-read book for business and self-help nonfiction readers everywhere. The blend of knowledge, understanding, and engaging writing will draw the reader in and the wealth of lessons to be learned here will help many aspiring entrepreneurs to find their path in life when struggling with the sensitivity that confounds so many of us. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Heather Dominick is both highly sensitive and highly successful. For more than a decade she has trained and mentored Highly Sensitive Entrepreneurs and leaders so they are able to work less while making more – impact and income.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Marilyn Kriete shares the painstaking reality of grief and the danger of burying grief for too long in her book “The Box Must Be Empty: A Memoir of Complicated Grief, Spiritual Despair, and Ultimate Healing”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
What happens when buried grief rises two decades late, upending the life you’ve built on its coffin? When your old grief seems inappropriate, and your heart wrestles with grief upon grief as you move too many times and lose too many friendships? How do you recover from a devastated marriage, a crushed faith, and an endlessly broken heart? This is the crux of Marilyn Kriete’s crisis. After losing her first great love to cancer, she becomes a Christian, marries Henry, and joins him in a hectic worldwide ministry that leaves little room for personal reflection. When her old grief unexpectedly resurfaces, she’s shocked by the tsunami that rips through their lives. And when intensive counseling fails to bring healing and Henry pens a letter that decimates their churches and spins them out of the fellowship, her battered heart is tested beyond imagination. Exploring delayed and complicated grief in its many disguises—dashed dreams, disenchantment, family troubles, and the guilt of being a former faith leader, now grappling with depression and dismay—Marilyn candidly shares her long journey back to wholeness.
The Review
This was an emotional and captivating memoir. The author does a really wonderful job of writing in a way that connects to readers who have experienced grief themselves or are survivors of an emotionally draining and complicated event themselves. The author’s story is compelling, touching upon some important themes of grief, loss, and the journey to come to terms with that grief. The imagery and tone the author strikes are both somber and yet hopeful all at once, crafting a memorable story that compels the readers to continue forward with the author as they experience this emotional weight.
The balance the author found within the context of the book was great to see unfold. From the author’s personal experiences and emotional connections to her past to the impact her grief had on her family and those around her and the importance of faith in recovering from this grief was so profoundly felt. The way the author talks about letting this grief simmer under the surface is something so many people can relate to, as it becomes instinct for many people to hold onto the things that are upsetting or emotionally draining to them and bury them under the weight of life itself. While this may seem like such a powerful tool to help cope, the result is an explosive emotional wave that can consume us far more than the initial grief itself, and the author illustrates this perfectly.
The Verdict
Emotionally driven, captivating, and engaging, author Marilyn Kriete’s “The Box Must Be Empty” is a compelling and heartfelt memoir that paints a vivid picture of the grieving process and the impact unresolved grief can have on a person’s life and those around them. The raw emotions and moving journey the author showcases in her book will resonate with readers long after the book ends, so if you haven’t yet be sure to preorder your copy today or grab the book when it releases on April 4th, 2023!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Marilyn Kriete was born and raised in Edmonton, Canada, but she didn’t stay long. After a colorful life spanning four continents and 16 cities, earning her keep as cook, chambermaid, waitress, fisherwoman, missionary, speaker/teacher, tutor, and academic writing editor, Marilyn now lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, with her charitable husband Henry and three demanding cats. Their two grown children were adopted from Mumbai, India, and Athens, Georgia. Her poetry and nonfiction have appeared in The Lyric, Storyteller, The Eastern Iowa Review, The English Bay Review, and Brevity Blog. Her first memoir, Paradise Road, relates the runaway/hippie/bicycle touring odyssey that led to the next chapters of her unconventional story-and material for two more memoirs. Her debut memoir was also named the winner in the non-fiction adventure category of the Book Excellence Awards. The 15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards named Paradise Road the winner in the Young Adult Non-Fiction category and a finalist for New Adult Non-Fiction. It was also a finalist for Book Cover Design-Non Fiction. Her nonfiction essay took First Prize in the 2022 Wine Country Writers Festival Writing Contest in British Columbia. Marilyn enjoys hiking, deep talks, word games, documentaries, and other people’s stories and reflections. You can follow her writing journey on MarilynKriete.com.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Roger Leslie, Ph.D., shares an inspiring and emotional memoir about a young man who discovers he is gay and goes on a journey to confront family and religious prejudices to find the loving and accepting God he learned about in an effort to understand himself in the book “Light Come Out of the Closet (Memoir of a Gay Soul)”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
When a joyful boy realizes he is gay, he fights against family and religious prejudices to reclaim the God of love he learned about in hopes of discovering what it means to be a gay soul.
The Review
This was such a moving and heartfelt memoir. The author does an incredible job of capturing the emotional weight of living with a secret that for most would blow up their relationship with their family, as well as with their religion as well. The struggle living under the weight of knowledge that you are something “other” or different from those around you, especially when they are the people you love and care for most, is something so many people will be able to relate to, and the author does a wonderful job of balancing his personal experiences and in the moment thoughts with the overarching theme of self-acceptance and identity the author touches upon.
The author’s writing style was both inviting and thought-provoking, as the book not only touches upon the emotional weight of a gay man coming to terms with his family relationships and his relationship with God, but on the juxtaposition of the Christian faith is focused on love and forgiveness, and yet the oftentimes emotional disconnect that happens within families of faith. The way author uses wit and charm within the writing to help bring relatability to the book and yet infused a deep-seated emotional weight to the experiences that helped the author deal with his coming out and finding his faith once more.
The Verdict
Memorable, heartfelt, and engaging, author Roger Leslie, Ph.D.’s “Light Come Out of the Closet” is a must-read memoir and LGBTQ+ nonfiction read. The relatability that readers will have with the author’s struggle between their identity and their faith and the struggles to be understood within a regimented family dynamic will resonate so clearly with the audience, and the emotional connection to the author’s story was so profound and moving to dive into. If you haven’t yet, be sure to preorder your copy today and grab your copy when it releases on June 6th, 2023!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Lloyd Ratzlaff takes readers on a journey through a series of essays to see how the experiences and lessons we learn in childhood can shape our adult philosophy in the book “Backwater Mystic Blues”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
“Between the voids at the deepest and farthest reaches of our science, there is this eternal now…”
In this second suite of intimate essays, Lloyd Ratzlaff summons the secret hiding spots, makeshift rafts, and uncomplicated childhood joys that lay the foundations for adult philosophy. In tune with the vivid simplicities of the sensuous world and the honour of unassuming people, Ratzlaff explores the disguises shaped by religion, family, and memory as he recreates the discovery and illumination that his past has offered.
Whether you sit back and savour the ribald yarns of Sandra Dee or pick up a bit of Christian dating advice circa 1950s, remember, the tombstones are talking, and the child’s cookie box found in the river may contain miracle or misery—but you won’t know until you open it.
The Review
This was a really well-developed, engaging, and insightful read. The author immediately draws the reader in with experiences and stories of their childhood and the events that helped shape their outlook on life. The way the author was able to layer these memories and experiences with the lessons that they impart to the reader in a very layered and powerful way was great to see come to life on the pages of this book.
These essays and the themes they touch upon, from the power of religion and faith and how they can mask people and their intentions, to the power of discovery that comes from analyzing our past and the outcomes that came from particular experiences, made the reader feel connected to the author and their message. The real power of the author’s work comes in the aftermath of the reading itself, for the author’s words stick with the reader long after the essays are finished and the philosophical discussions that they draw out of the reader showcase the depth of the author’s words.
The Verdict
Memorable, thoughtful, and enlightening, author Lloyd Ratzlaff’s “Backwater Mystic Blues” is a must-read collection of essays that will keep readers engaged to the final page. The grand concepts and important themes the author draws upon and the relatability of the author’s memories will keep readers invested as the lessons and discussions that these essays bring out of us all keep the mind and heart racing. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Lloyd Ratzlaff is the author of the literary nonfiction titles The Crow Who Tampered With Time, Backwater Mystic Blues, and Bindy’s Moon. His essays are also featured in several anthologies, including Sons and Mothers: Stories From Mennonite Men; Reading the River: A Traveller’s Companion to the North Saskatchewan River; and apart: a year of pandemic poetry and prose. A former minister, counsellor, and lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan, he has taught writing classes for READ Saskatoon, the Western Development Museum, and the University of Saskatchewan Certificate of Art and Design. He was a columnist for Prairie Messenger Catholic Journal through its last nineteen years of publication. He lives in Saskatoon.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Piers R. Blackett, along with Annah Otis, shares his mother’s artwork and the experiences and periods of time in which they were created in the book “Felicity, Art, War and Peace”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Felicity, Art, War and Peace: This is the inspiring story of an English-born artist, who, born in 1911, lost her father in the first world war. Her school years were in Italy, where her Scottish mother owned a tearoom, and where she began her art education. She married a British army officer and accompanied him to India where she attended art school. But further education was cut short in 1939 by tumultuous war years followed by two years in Germany while her second husband, Rupert, a close friend of Tommy her first husband, served in the British Army of Occupation. Both men were wounded, Rupert severely and Tommy fatally. Then, a move to South Africa in 1948 resulted in relative peace, her style evolving from classic realism to include more impressionistic representation of her subjects. After moving back to England in 1972, her work was twice accepted for exhibition by the Royal West of England Academy. She remained intent on capturing movement, expression, and communication among domestic and wild animals, and birds. The Slimbridge Wetland Centre, as well as her own garden with her ducks and rabbits, provided an ideal environment for inspiration. Missing her 100th birthday by only a few months, her century-long story captures all that her life and commitment to art encompassed, making an enduring impression on children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends who in many ways have contributed to preserving her memory.
The Review
Yet another amazing and well-written biography that captured both the emotional connection the authors had to the subject of the book and the lifetime of experiences that their lives comprised. The century of history that Felicity’s life experienced was so well documented and infused both hope and passion into events and experiences that were both inspiring yet terrifying at times. The authors did an incredible job of not only sharing a wealth of information but showcasing the importance of finding one’s community to thrive and grow, something that is so important to one’s mental and emotional health.
The heart of this book rests in both the personal experiences and lifetime of events the authors brought to life for Felicity and the beauty of the art from Felicity and the importance of the themes that each art piece and associated memory brought. The honesty and passion of the authors writing and the heart found in the amazing pieces of art that the writers featured from Felicity brought a depth of connection to Felicity as a subject and as a person that the reader is able to make.
The Verdict
Brilliantly written, heartfelt, and engaging, authors Piers Blackett and Annah Otis’s “Felicity, Art, War and Peace” is a must-read biography about a strong, inspiring, and artistically creative woman who impacted her family and the world around her. The heart and emotion that the authors emote in this book’s writing and the wealth of information were so inviting to read about as a reader, and those who come to learn about Felicity and her life will not want to put this book down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Piers Blackett, a retired professor of pediatrics, was born in England during World War II and grew up in South Africa where he graduated as a doctor at the University of Cape Town. Pediatric residency and specialty fellowship were completed in New York and Toronto. During a career of specialization in endocrinology including metabolism and genetics at at the University of Oklahoma, he authored and co-authored medical publications including book chapters. His first book outside the medical field, “Felicity. Art War and Peace”, a biography co-authored with Annah Otis, was published in 2023.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Paul E. Doutrich shares a thought-provoking and engaging look into the life of his uncle Don Malone as he lives and experiences the momentous events that shaped the American 20th century in the book “The Many Adventures of Donnie Malone”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
The Many Adventures of Donnie Malone takes readers into the events that helped shape the American twentieth century. They begin when sixteen-year-old Donnie gets caught up in the patriotic swirl of World War I. Enlisting in the U.S. Army, he becomes a pilot during the deadly days at the end of the fighting.
The stakes in Donnie’s life are just as high after the war. He wrestles with wealthy investors and powerful politicians who have designs on his air delivery business. He is hired to drive a cab for an ambitious mobster and works at assorted dead-end jobs until he bumps into the man who taught him to fly, American ace Eddie Rickenbacker, and it changes his course.
Later he befriends detainees in a Japanese internment camp, becomes enmeshed in labor struggles, and dodges McCarthy agents. During the Vietnam era, having seen enough war, Donnie helps several young men avoid the draft by flying them to Canada.
Woven throughout Donnie’s adventures are the threads of a rich family life, and contentment even in times of travail.
The Review
This was such a powerful and engaging read. The author did a remarkable job of making the tone and quality of the writing feel almost homey as if you were sitting in the room with Donnie and listening to him retell these stories with passion and heart that only a close relative could. The emotional connection the author made between his uncle and the events of his life was significantly felt throughout the book and elevated the storied life he led.
What struck me about this book was the amazing balance of personal storytelling the author found with the historical aspect of the setting and backstory behind the stories themselves. As a history buff, getting to see this firsthand account from the author’s uncle and how these pivotal and shocking moments from the 20th century occurred was incredible. The heart behind these stories and the personable way the story was told added depth to the experience and connection the author’s uncle had to the last century of American history.
The Verdict
Memorable, heartfelt, and engaging, author Paul Doutrich’s “The Many Adventures of Donnie Malone” is a must-read biography and nonfiction read that blends biography storytelling with history at its finest. The passion and memorable way the author connected readers to his uncle’s stories and the relatability of the American narrative for many people will resonate with a large audience and make this one book you wouldn’t want to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Paul Doutrich is a professor emeritus of American history at York College of Pennsylvania where he taught for thirty years. He now lives on Cape Cod in Brewster, Massachusetts.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Kelly S. Thompson shares a painfully emotional yet moving story of facing the past, rebuilding the bonds of sisterhood, and the love that endures in the face of hardships and struggles between sisters in the book “Still, I Cannot Save You: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Love, and Letting Go”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
With honesty, love, and humour, in this moving memoir, Kelly S. Thompson explores her relationship with her older sister, Meghan. Tested by addiction, abuse, and illness, the sisters’ relationship crumbles, only to be rebuilt into an everlasting bond.
Kelly Thompson and her older sister, Meghan, are proof that sisterhood doesn’t always equate to friendship.
Growing up within a military family, the girls were close despite being temperamental opposites–Kelly, anxious and studious, looked to her big sister for comfort, and Meghan, who battled kidney cancer as a toddler, was gregarious and protective. But as she approached adulthood, Meghan spiralled into a cocaine and opioid addiction, and Kelly’s relationship with her sister was torn apart.
Their paths diverge as they live their own lives, and it is only when Meghan becomes a mother that she and Kelly tentatively face past hurts and reexamine what sisterhood really means. But their reunion is threatened when Meghan receives a shocking new diagnosis on a day that should be one for celebration. Now, as the family reels at the prospect of the biggest loss imaginable, Kelly and Meghan must share all that they can in the time that they have, using their mutual sense of humour to chart a course through the darkest of days.
At once funny and heartbreaking, Still, I Cannot Save You is a story about addiction, abuse, and tragedy, but above all, it is a powerful portrait of an enduring love between sisters.
The Review
This was a powerful, emotional read. The author does a remarkable job of capturing the honesty and hardships of her relationship with not only her sister but her family and loved ones as a whole, delving into the complications that addiction had on the sister’s relationship together with gritty imagery and a tense atmosphere that underscored the mental and emotional scars that addiction can have on everyone involved. The rich dynamics between the author and her whole family not only speak to the complexity of the bonds that are tested between family during times of high stress and impending loss but the chemistry that defines each person’s unique relationships as a whole.
The themes of this book were powerfully felt throughout the entire book. Not only did addiction play an internal role in the breakdown of the bonds between the author and her sister, but the hurdles they overcame to rebuild that relationship and the horrific toll that coming to terms with a loved one’s impending death really hit home for me, as this happened a few years ago with my grandmother and I could feel the overwhelming weight of that pain the author touched upon with their moving writing style.
The Verdict
Passionately written, engaging, and truly moving, author Kelly S. Thompson’s “Still, I Cannot Save You” is a must-read memoir and nonfiction book. The thoughtful approach to the themes of this book and the honest and visceral writing style the author takes in bringing these memories to life will not only resonate with many readers but showcase a depth of emotion that will immediately draw the reader in and show the wealth of humanity residing within these chapters. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Kelly S. Thompson is a retired military officer who holds an MFA and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, and has been published in Chatelaine, Maclean’s, the Globe and Mail, and more. Her debut memoir, Girls Need Not Apply, was named a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book and was an instant bestseller. She works as a mentor for the University of King’s College MFA in Creative Nonfiction, and lives in Nova Scotia with her military spouse and bull terrier.
Author Anthony Avina's Blog 