One day a teenage boy gets on his bike and rides forty miles up California’s Pacific Coast Highway to avoid causing an earthquake he fears will endanger his mother and sister. But the quake he is experiencing is not coming from beneath the earth; it’s the onset of bipolar illness.
Blinded by Hope describes what it’s like to have an unusually bright, creative child―and then to have that child suddenly be hit with an illness that defies description and cure. Over the years, McGuire attributes her son’s lost jobs, broken relationships, legal troubles, and periodic hospitalizations to the manic phase of his illness, denying the severity of his growing drug use―but ultimately, she has to face her own addiction to rescuing him, and to forge a path for herself toward acceptance, resilience, and love. A wakeup call about the epidemic of mental illness, substance abuse, and mass incarceration in our society, Blinded by Hope shines a light on the shadow of family dynamics that shame, ignorance, and stigma rarely let the public see, and asks the question: How does a mother cope when love is not enough?
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A Story That Matters explores our ability to help, heal and connect to others through story, reminding us of the greater need for a broader array of authentic voices in the story-sharing universe. Not everyone has a best-selling memoir in them. But we do all have a story that matters to someone—our children, our lovers, our colleagues, and most importantly, ourselves. Our stories also matter to others who we may not know, but whose stories are reflected in our own. A Story that Matters offers an accessible and simplified way to get your stories written. As editor and beloved author, Anita Bunkley, says, A Story that Matters is “a unique book that is both a bit of a memoir and a writing guide– an inspirational message and a self-help workbook.” Each chapter is divided into three sections. The first section discusses memoir writing in the context of themes (one theme per chapter)— mother memoir, childhood, relationships, professional life and spiritual journey. The second section of the chapter provides basic writing and editing prescription, with a focus on common beginner mistakes and road blocks. The third section is a sample story related to the life theme discussed in the first section of the chapter. Because the book includes several stories and anecdotes from the author’s own life, it illustrates one of its central tenets– that individual stories can be effectively combined to offer a complete and holistic life picture. A Story that Matters is chock full of writing and editing lessons that focus on how to get a first draft written and how to craft the draft into a compelling story. Chapter Seven provides a unique prompt system that guides writers through a process of mining their memories; developing themes and getting their stories started. -
There are books out there on every baby-related topic imaginable. But how about one that helps you plan your return to work, ease your concerns and fears about the transition so you can focus on your baby, introduce you to a community of other returning-to-work mamas, and empower you to make calm and thoughtful choices? Back to Work after Baby fills this much-needed gap. Whether you are a brand new mom wondering how this return from maternity leave will go or it’s your second or third return, Back to Work after Baby will inspire you with new ideas on how to approach the return with a healthy mindset, tackle all those logistics, view your leave and return as a leadership opportunity, and commit to staying in community with other working mamas. -
When Annette falls in love with a Jewish man in Germany in 1985, history is repeating itself; her great-aunt Resi had been married to a Jew in Czechoslovakia before World War II. That marriage, while happy, meant tremendous difficulties for the extended family once the Nazis took over their hometown. While Resi’s marriage did not withstand the pressures of “the Nazi times,” Annette and Harry’s love was the ultimate nightmare for his family of Holocaust survivors. Weighed down by the burdens of their family histories, she and Harry kept their relationship secret until they could forge a path into the future. -
Have you faced the loss of a parent, struggled with how to say goodbye? Have you felt the depth of pain of the loss, not knowing where to turn or how to cope? Have you questioned your faith and let fear take over in times of loss? Are you comfortable in your skin or still try to fit in? Rebecca Whitehead Munn, a mother of two children under the age of five, is going through a divorce when she discovers that her mother, 3,000 miles away, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. In The Gift of Goodbye, she shares how this experience led to a heart-opening expansion, and encourages readers to believe that they, too, can form new beliefs and new connections and elevate their difficult experiences to a higher level of authenticity. The story is her account of living through two major life transitions within a three-year span, and the resulting shift she made in the process—due to the lasting gift of love from her now-deceased mother, her courage, and the choice she made to expand into more of who she was at her core as everything about life as she knew it changed.