Fire Season: My Journey From Ruin to Redemption by Hollye Dexter

I received a complimentary book to help me write an honest review. I am participating in this  BookSparks' TRUTH OR DARE Blog Tour, reviews contain my own affiliate links for the books being read and discussed. #BookSparks

And finishing up the BookSparks TRUTH or DARE book tour is Hollye Dexter's Fire Season.

Awakened by her husband’s yells of panic, Hollye Dexter woke to her family’s home set ablaze and her toddler son asleep next to her. With little time to act, Hollye had no choice but to drop her son out of the second story window in order to save his life. Over the course of the next few years, Hollye spiraled into depression, unable to let go of the horrific fire that destroyed everything including all five of her family’s pets. This book tells the true story of a mother who must take back her own sanity and defeat her anxiety to keep her family in tact.

“Hollye Dexter’s book made me cry and laugh—sometimes all within one paragraph. She tells her story with power and punch, and a truth that is unsettling and astonishing and ultimately uplifting. There isn't a soul who can't relate to her memoir. It is filled with revelations, humanity, poignancy, balls-out courage, and humor. She is a role model extraordinaire.” —Amy Ferris author of Marrying George Clooney

My Review

Wow! Such a story to tell. During the first part of the book I remember having to remind myself to breathe. The fire was just such a horrifying experience to read about and the author painted such a vivid picture of that night. As a mother of young children, it was all too real for me and was like reading my own worst nightmare. But the fire was not the only obstacle Hollye and her family had to endure. Throughout the book I felt very thankful for events in my own life.

I am impressed with the courage it takes to write a memoir that is so brutally honest. It would be much easier to try to forget about the struggles and hard times, but Hollye Dexter laid it all out there and showed us the strength of the human spirit.

This is a great way to finish out summer reading because everyone loves a book where the family succeeds despite the odds being stacked against them.

The S Word, a Memoir by Paolina Milana

I received a complimentary book to help me write an honest review. I am participating in this  BookSparks' TRUTH OR DARE Blog Tour, reviews contain my own affiliate links for the books being read and discussed. #BookSparks

Continuing on this month I have another memoir to share from the BookSparks Truth and Dare Tour. This book has been described as a "gut punch" and begs for you to contemplate the meaning behind the word "S". The cover forshadows many different ideas within the book, but for me it came down to two little "s" words, Secrets and Survival.

The S Word, a Memoir by Paolina Milana

Some secrets are too big to keep.

As a young girl, Paolina does her best to keep the secrets she holds: secrets about her Mamma's schizophrenia, secrets about her sexual awakening, secrets about her seduction-turned-rape; secrets about having to play the role of the good Sicilian Catholic girl. But the longers she keeps her secrets, the heavier their weight becomes, suffocating her - until, finally, she finds the strength to save herself.

My Review

I have to admit this was a heavy read for me. I think all families have secrets, but this girl had to endure the burden of more than her share. My heart broke for her and the compassion and help that was missing from her life.

I kept reading till the end because I wanted Paolina to be saved or to break free of her bad situations. I did not want her to end up like the characters around her, all of them seemed just a little twisted and empty. The highlight were the memories and moments with her Papa, but even he was not able to change things for her. The author was so honest with her recollections of her Mamma and the challenges the family faced. But, I could still tell that Paolina loved her family deeply and the sense of loyalty and unconditional love lead her to keep her secrets and protect those around her.

Though I don't want to spoil the journey that Paolina Milana takes her readers on, I have to say that in the end the word that comes to mind is, Survivor. This is not a book I will easily forget, but an emotional journey with real grit and brutal honesty.

A Different Kind of Same, a memoir by Kelley Clink - TRUTH OR DARE Blog Tour

I received a complimentary book to help me write an honest review. I am participating in this  BookSparks' TRUTH OR DARE Blog Tour, reviews contain my own affiliate links for the books being read and discussed. #BookSparks

This month, I have a few more reads to add on top of the #SRC2015  Summer Reading Challenge with BookSparks. Over the next three weeks, I will be sharing 3 stunning debut memoirs full of incredible true stories that include secrets, hard truths and heart-pounding true stories. Huffington Post, Woman’s Day, and PopSugar all give these rave reviews and I think we all want to slip in a few more great reads before summer is over.

A Different Kind of Same - a memoir by Kelley Clink

Kelley Clink’s brother Matt was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager and had once attempted suicide but failed. Kelley was diagnosed with depression at a young age and had once attempted suicide but also failed. Two weeks before his college graduation, Matt attempted suicide again and this time he succeeded. This book traces Kelley’s journey through grief, her investigation into the role her own depression played in her brother’s death, and, ultimately, her path toward acceptance, forgiveness, resilience, and love.

“Kelley Clink laces suicide and mental illness with one of life's most important ingredients: hope. You need to read this book. It will change you.”— Gillian Marchenko, author of Sun Shine Down: A Memoir

My Review:

I am a huge fan of autobiographies and memoirs and this brave memoir from Kelley Clink is right up there with the best. Exploring a painful topic of mental illness, suicide and loss, it also tackles the complicated relationship between a brother and sister suffering in their own ways from the demons in their genes.

I appreciated the honesty with which the author shared her feelings, memories and journey of grief following her brother's suicide. It was a rare glimpse into the painful realities of living with depression and bipolar disorder. Kelly Clink could not only share how it felt when she was lost in her own depression, but how easy it was for her to miss the symptoms of her brother's problems.

Through the memoir, the author explored her own feelings of guilt and loss. It was a painful journey for those her brother left behind, and author Kelley Clink shared a raw and vulnerable side of herself in this journey.

Heavy subject matter, I wasn't left feeling overwhelmed. Instead I was left with hope and a feeling of awe for the amazing person that emerged on the other side of grief and understanding. Masterfully written, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a meaningful and though-proving read this summer.