Books

Welcome to my page of books!

Poetry and illustrations that meet you in your lonely places and inspire you to find your own, unique healing path. This is a collection focused on the journey of a woman who discovered a way to heal after seventeen years of depression. These poems are full of despair and pain, heroes and hope, losing loved ones, and learning that healing is not about happiness, but finding balance while navigating a world in turmoil.

• Available as paperback or e-book on Amazon.com

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“Grief is a changing of seasons in our own garden.”

Gardens are a space for healing. With the cycle of life and death so close at hand, we have an opportunity to learn many lessons. In the garden, we can see the interconnectedness of our own life. We learn how the soil, once seen as nothing but dirt, reveals that it is teeming with life. Plants remind us the importance of self-care as we must give them just enough, but not too much, water and be on the lookout for toxins and insects that might cause harm. The beauty of flowers that only bloom once or twice a year teach us patience. When plants die we can better understand that nothing is permanent and remember to live in the present.

In this book you will find meditations, journal prompts, poetry and coloring pages. I hope you will also find a sense of peace and balance in your grief.

• Available on Barnes & Noble or Amazon as paperback or e-book.

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Below are some of my favorite books! Read the full review by clicking on the title and author of each book listing. These are Non-Fiction books that fit the theme of individual empowerment.

The Little Black Book of Red Flags by Natasha Burton, Julie Fishamn and Meagan McCrary: Every woman, mother and teenage girl should read this book so they can learn to watch out for danger signs in relationships.

Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference by Warren St. John: Be inspired by a rag-tag team of soccer players with an unusual background.

Anatomy of Peace by the Arbringer Institute: How can we get long with others when we feel they are the problem? Can we look at our own actions to see what needs to be fixed? Find the answers in this book.

Losing My Cool by Thomas Chatterton Williams: The story of how an American boy grew up into a world traveler, acclaimed writer, and educated man despite the messages society constantly puts on young black men to be and act a certain way.

The Stop; How the Fight for Good Food Transformed a Community and Inspired a Movement: The story of how a simple food bank turned into a community center complete with gardens, after school programs, pregnancy and nutrition programs, and community activism.

Hope’s Boy a Memoir, by Andrew Bridge: An inside look at one boys experience in the foster system, the undying love for his mentally ill mother, and his fateful decision to become a lawyer who helps children.

The Year That Changed The World by Michael Meyer:  A recount of events leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, this is a great lesson in history. As a reporter covering the area for many years he got to see the domino effect of how the end came to be. 

The Aquariums of Pyongyang, as told by Kang Chol-Hwan and Pierre Rigoulet:  This autobiography is brutal and depressing with glimmers of hope, as the author recounts the horrors and devastation his family were subjected to in a North Korean work/reeducation camp.

Don’t Hit Me; A Fragmented Journey Through Domestic Violence, by Vaness de Largie: The author shares her personal diary of poetry that she wrote during a violent domestic relationship. This is an inside look for anyone trying to understand what victims of abuse suffer through and why they stay.

Wise Women Don’t Worry, Wise Women Don’t Sing the Blues, by Jane Claypool:   The author shares her hard learned lessons on becoming our own person. She shares her experiences on marriage, divorce, single motherhood, alcoholism and creating a successful writing career.

We Are All The Same, by Jim Wooten: The story of  AIDS in Africa and a young boy who brought it to the world’s attention. It’s an amazing story set against the backdrop of apartheid and the beginning of the AIDS crisis.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon:  A story of teaching skills and empowering women with seemingly impossible odds after a debilitating war in Afghanistan.

King Peggy, by Peggelieline Bartels and Eleanor Herman:  The story of how a secretary in Washington DC became King of an African Village.  With her knowledge and intelligence the village improved their poverty rate, access to clean water, and an end to corruption.

Up, A Mother and Daughters Peak Bagging Adventure: The story of a mom who took her high energy young daughter on a journey to conquer all 48 of New Hampshire’s tallest mountains.

If I Get to Five: What Children Can Teach Us About Courage and Character, by Fred Epstein M.D.  The stories of children and young adults who suffered from inoperable tumors and the strength and beliefs they can show in the most terrifying of situations. Some make it, some don’t, but they all have a spirit you can’t crush.

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