Golden Rainbows by Christine Brannen Reilly
When you’re caught up in the trials and tribulations of every day life where everything seems like a constant battle it takes someone like Mikey Reilly to make you realise that life is something you should be thankful for.
Diagnosed with cancer at just eight months old Mikey became a constant visitor to the Children’s Hospital where over the years doctors and nurses battled against the disease.
But during that time he never complained about the hand that life had dealt him, instead he was a beautiful, courageous and outgoing little boy who stole the hearts of everyone he ever met.
Through the stories that Christine has so gracefully shared with the world I felt like I came to know Mikey and loved reading about his Valentine’s Day “date” with one of the support team, and his beautiful friendship with Summer Sanders. As a fellow lover of Disney World the recollection of him dancing with the princesses in the parade will stay with me and I’ll think of Mikey next time I’m standing on Main Street USA.
Pieces of Someday by Jan Vallone
This insight into Jan’s life is honest and frank, and I appreciate that. As a wife, mother and lawyer with a beautiful home, from the outside it looks like she has the perfect life. But inside she struggles with frustration and anxiety. Jan invites us into her life to reflect on the challenges that she faced as she fought for the right to feel happy and fulfilled.
I found myself caught up in her stories and by the end felt like I knew her and her family.
There are many themes within the memoir that I could relate to, and it’s always comforting to know that you’re not the only one with struggles in the world!
Out of the Dark by Linda Caine and Robin Royston
Linda Caine is a contented wife and mother who should have nothing to feel depressed about. But a darkness begins to cloud her thoughts and she starts to have strange flashbacks. She calls suicide her friend and decides that if it all gets to much she will simply drive her car off the side of a cliff so her family thinks her death was accidental. When it all gets too much Linda drives off in her car, but her concerns for her family’s welfare stop her from following through with her plan.
Admitting that she has a problem Linda is introduced to Robin Royston, a psychiatrist who will become her friend and guide on a journey that spans nearly four years. Linda’s recollections of her childhood and adolescence uncover glimpses of horrific events that her mind has chosen to bury. Robin is torn between helping Linda to recall these memories in the hope that the cathartic effect will release her from her depression and suicidal thoughts, while knowing that unleashing the events that scarred her childhood could have an even more devastating effect on his patient.
If I Am Missing or Dead… by Janine Latus
If you want to read a book that is both unforgettable and compelling, or a book that is heartbreakingly honest while being saddening and disturbing then you will appreciate If I Am Missing or Dead by Janine Latus. But if you are caught up in a relationship where you are belittled or beaten and you spend your time justifying the actions of your partner then you need to read this book to understand that you are not alone, and that it isn’t your fault.
Between Me and the River – Living Beyond Cancer: A Memoir by Carrie Host
When this mother of three received the shocking diagnosis that would change her life she felt like she was dropped into a raging river; a river which she refused to drown in as she worked with her doctors in conjunction with natural medicines to try and fight this incurable cancer that had taken over her body.
Carrie Host has poured her heart and soul into this book; sharing with her readers the most intimate details of her fight against carcinoid cancer. From her thoughts and feelings to her interactions with her family and the details of her surgeries Carrie has documented her fight against this life-threatening disease in a journal style memoir.
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