5/5 ⭐ | Untethered by Deborah L Staunton

Author Deborah L Staunton has created a powerful read unlike any other.  Comprised of short poetic stories, prose, and gut-wrenching memories “Untethered” weaves a heart breaking and profound read. 

Short, but not full of sweet, well written, and gripping, this debut is a whirlwind of emotions, memories, and a life lived.  “Untethered” doesn’t hold back but presents its most difficult moments of life in a way I’ve not yet seen compiled.  Enjoyable, yet difficult to read, I found myself sitting with the weight of her journey, celebrating the small “wins” along the way, and feeling all the heart break in between.

Taking the darker, harder parts of her life, Staunton gives readers a realistic, artistic, and therapeutic release.  From a childhood riddled with alcoholism, to the losses faced on her road to becoming a mother, and even the struggles of parenting her own ill child.  I felt seen, validated, embraced, and an entire range of emotions as I wound my way through the pages of Staunton’s life.

Wanting to reach through the book to hug the twelve-year-old facing more than she ever should have, to the mother feeling alone with her vacant womb, and the parent just trying to do their best.  Life is not easy, but Staunton bears all bringing us along for the brutally beautiful ride that is life.

Click HERE to get your copy today!

Facing the Dawn by Cynthia Ruchti

Publication Date: March 2nd, 2021

Rating: 3 ½ Stars

Mara is a mess, her husband is completing a four-year stint in Uganda building freshwater wells, leaving her the sole caregiver of three children.  One child with a drug problem and newly assigned probation officer, another with a history of poor personal choices, and her youngest with a tender caring heart and no friends. 

Facing the Dawn is full of loss, heartache and grieving, all of which feel so tender and real throughout author, Cynthia Ruchti’s, writing as she crafts characters and friendships that leap off the pages.  Rooted heavily in faith, Ruchti delivers a raw and emotional fictional family drama that feels painfully real.  Mara is a character that is hard to like but easy to sympathize with, and as more characters are quickly introduced, the basis of this book is built, lending Mara some redeeming character qualities.

Prepare to sit with grief, loss, and raw feelings as you read this book.  However painful, the story is deeply real, rooted in real life and emotionally wrenching.

*Disclaimer: a review copy was provided by the publisher; all opinions are my own.

Forged Through Fire: A Reconstructive Surgeon’s Story of Survival, Faith, and Healing by Mark D. McDonough

Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Losing his mother and youngest brother to a childhood home fire was just one of the MANY obstacles Dr. McDonough has faced in his lifetime. This book is his story, from his early childhood to the present. Each chapter paves his road to survival and healing.

Author, Dr. Mark McDonough teaches readers to maintain their faith through whatever journey they find themselves on. Providing insights into his personal and family dysfunctions and his phoenix-like rise from the ashes, Forged Through Fire teaches each of us a valuable lesson in never giving up. While many chapters have awkward transitions, the ultimate story within holds a powerful message, hidden in the engrossing tale of Dr. McDonough’s trials and tribulations.

*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.