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Carry on Castle
There are certain kinds of grief no one should ever have to endure, but nonetheless happen every day. Losing the love of your life at an early age is one of these, and one that author Jennifer Stults had to endure. Although she expected to live happily ever after, life had other plans. Chronicling the journey of loss and learning to live with the pieces, Stults details a life she never would have, or even could have, imagined for herself and her daughter. The story she tells is in turn heartbreaking and heartwarming as she illustrates the stages of grief in startling clarity.
In Carry on Castle, Stults relays the good, the bad, and the incredibly ugly that comes with unexpected loss at an extremely unexpected time in life. Her brutally honest narrative, and vivid details of the night her husband Dan died, leaves nothing to the imagination. During the course of the book she details each of the stages of grief and her own reaction to them. It’s a hard fact to accept that while life is shattered it must still go on, but Stults unflinchingly describes doing so, even on days when she has no interest in doing so. Despite the support system in her life, her family, Dan’s family, her friends, and her daughter, among others, the loss of her husband creates a vacuum that Stults feels powerless against, with the feeling resurfacing at the most random times.
Stults’ book is just as much a roadmap for others dealing with the same grief as it is catharsis for her own journey. She is open about the fact that writing was never an aspiration of hers, yet her style and tone flow so easily, it would be reasonable to guess she had done it all her life. Even with the melancholy subject matter, Stults manages to infuse enough humor to keep it from becoming too heavy, as well as showing the value of laughter as a coping mechanism. For those who have suffered this type of loss, the book is a solid reminder that no one is alone in their struggles. For those that haven’t, it is a rollercoaster of a ride that they can never completely understand. Her candor helps to convey such an incredible story.
Carry on Castle is such a well written and riveting story that I’m certain wasn’t easy to put on paper. Whether you have been through a similar experience or not, Stults provides some wisdom for both sides of the coin.
Pages: 254 | ASIN : B07Q2DX7HG
How to Live a Life of Hope
Unlike many self help book authors, Alphonsus Obayuwana does not just sell you hope, he shows you how you can navigate the difficult paths of life with ease. Reading How to Live a Life of Hope: A Roadmap for Achieving Personal Fulfillment is a gift you can give to yourself because the content in the book is refreshing. The author talks about succeeding in careers, building personal relationships, growing as an individual and building communities among other things.
The advice in the book is practical. As a reader, you will find logic in the steps that are described. I appreciate the author for talking about both the successes and challenges that human beings face. The author does not write about utopia, he instead tackles real issues and explains how one can live a fulfilling and happy life. The content in the book is serious but the author manages to add a little humor every once in a while. I enjoyed the light moments where the author shared a pun or funny jokes even when talking about grave issues. The content is not plain nor does the author get boring at any point. The topics are well articulated and the reader finds pure joy when reading.
How to Live a Life of Hope: A Roadmap for Achieving Personal Fulfillment by Alphonsus Obayuwana is the ideal book if you have lost hope or are still trying o figure out which path to take. This book is for everyone, teens, college students, young adults, adults in all stages of their careers, and even senior citizens. This book is a must read for people that enjoy motivational content, reading about human realities and reading life changing stories.
Pages: 134 | ASIN : B091TDR8CZ
Faces Of Evil
Faces of Evil- a memoir by Edwin J Kitchen, is a powerful recollection of Berta Eisfeld Kitchen, who lived in a brutal world ruled by Hitler and Stalin. In this riveting historical memoir, the author narrates their mother Berta’s remarkable life, and how she sets out on a tumultuous journey to find freedom from the terror of World War II.
Representing a normal woman from the most oppressive era, Berta is one of those unsung heroes who suffered a great deal, but never shied away from helping others in the face of adversity. Kitchen gives chronological details of Berta’s childhood and lays a strong foundation to the events that took place in her life.
As a reader, it is easy to navigate through Berta’s life – her war stricken tragedies, and ultimately her quest to conquer misery to pursue a free life in the U.S. As a writer, Kitchen is impeccable with words in describing Berta’s free spirited life, and offers readers fascinating details on human courage and resilience. For someone who loves to read historical memoirs based on a true wartime story, I was happy to become a witness to Berta’s extraordinary life, with Kitchen’s straightforward writing.
Faces of Evil is simple, yet grand, and celebrates life, death and every human emotion. There are many occasions when readers can admire Kitchen’s attempt to provide meaning of foreign words, and clarify several scenarios in a simple manner. Berta Eisfeld is brave and her story gave me a hint of Anne Frank in the Diary of a Young Girl. Though Berta’s outcome was completely different than that of Anne, they both suffered insurmountably. One important feature of Faces of Evil is the short length of each chapter. Berta’s life events are well presented in those chapters, and it does not feel any stones are left unturned.
Faces of Evil is Kitchen’s way of giving Berta a voice. This memoir gives readers a bird’s eye view of Berta’s life in an enthralling and engaging manner. A superb recollection of a brave woman, Berta Eisfeld Kitchen, whose life was turned upside down during the reign of Hitler and Stalin; and how she took hold of her life in spite of all the sufferings, to pursue a life that gives her freedom to live peacefully.
Page: 76 | ASIN : B09FJ7CSY1
LITERARY TITAN 