Holiday Reads Round Up: Memoirs of Triumph, Survival, Growth
- Details
- Category: Books
- Published on Friday, 24 November 2023 11:53
- Written by Janet Walker
From the backwoods of North Carolina to the storied halls of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, eight authors present triumphant journeys after hitting bottom, each summoning the courage to rebuild, finding peace in their existence.
"Midnight Water: A Psychedelic Memoir" by Katherine MacLean, Ph.D., tells her journey of the use of psychedelics in her own healing process; Tate Barkley, "Sunday Dinner, Moonshine and Men," tell his journey of abuse and self-discovery, Madison Davis "The Loved Ones," explores the death of four family members, and the ways to handle grief, "Girl Country," by Jacqueline Vogtman, a fictional story of women with strength and courage.
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"The Glow-Up Journal," by Dr. Danielle Richardson, which allow readers to track their triumphs as she adds in each chapter informational affirmations to help believers manifest, realize, and work toward the change they seek. "The Resilience Workbook for Women," from Hope Kelaher, LCSW and "Finding Hope: The 12 Keys to Healing Hardship, Hurt & Sorrow" by Amber Jewell, LMSW, provides the key steps to surviving the harshest of life's challenges.
Midnight Water: A Psychedelic Memoir by Katherine MacLean, Ph.D.
Beautifully told, Midnight Water: A Psychedelic Memoir by Katherine MacLean, Ph.D., is the first psychedelic memoir from a young female scientist and mother.
Dr. MacLean's story begins during her first year on the faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine when her path takes a sudden and unexpected detour following the death of her younger sister from cancer. After leaving her faculty job, MacLean travels the world – bringing medical and humanitarian aid to remote Himalayan villages and creating sanctuary spaces for psychedelic support – until she finally settles on an organic farm.
While birthing and raising her two children, leading workshops and psychedelic retreats, and training to become an MDMA therapist, MacLean's traumatic past and the loss of her sister continue to haunt her. When her father's lung cancer finally invades his brain, MacLean realizes that she must dive straight into the heart of her own labyrinth to forgive her dad before he dies.
"Midnight Water" is not only a compelling personal story of psychedelic healing but an inspired vision for a psychedelic future that positions women and family caregivers at the center of home-based healing, from birth through death.
"It is possible to survive–and even thrive–after the loss of your most important person, and it is possible to understand and forgive the most difficult person in your life," Dr. MacLean says.
"Death can be a beautiful and amazing opportunity for connection, awakening, and empowerment. People can be trusted with their own grief, their own lives, and their own deaths. Psychedelics can enable individuals to explore, understand, and heal their own minds and bodies."
"Midnight Water" is an intimate and vulnerable story of grief and redemption by a groundbreaking scientist who led the way in psychedelic research.
ISBN: 979-8-9865324-7-9; $19.95; Green Writers Press; June 2023
Every Ounce of Courage: A Daughter's Reflections on Her Mother's Bravery by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino
It began with an unexpected phone call and a startling statement: "You don't know me, but your mother saved my life." That late-night conversation with an American World War II veteran and POW revealed to Elizabeth Ann Besa Quirino the untold stories of her mother's remarkable wartime heroism in the Philippines and sparked a twenty-year journey of discovery about her mother's lifelong acts of bravery and compassion. The result is "Every Ounce of Courage," Elizabeth Ann's tribute to her mother's amazing life.
Paperback / $16.99, ISBN: 979-8-9875550-0-2, Ebook: $8.99, ISBN: 979-8-9875550-19
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The Loved Ones by Madison Davis
Winner of the Dzanc Nonfiction Prize, "The Loved Ones" presents an intimate portrait of family grief. There are so many ways to bury the dead. In an autobiographical series of essays, "The Loved Ones" explores the deaths of four family members across three generations: an inexplicable double murder, a fatal car accident, a long illness, and a conscripted solider killed in action.
Piece by piece, each essay explores the death a loved one in a collage of vignettes: the loss, the aftermath, the funerals, and the rituals used to say goodbye to the body. As the investigation deepens, Davis lines up other forms of death—capital punishment and murder; medically-assisted suicide and "natural" death from disease; military conscription and "freak accident"—to see what comes to the surface.
"The Loved Ones" is about the intricate reality of grief, the instability of time and memory in the face of loss, and the feeling of being left behind still living. It asks, what does it mean to bury our loved ones when our only desire is to never let them go?
Publication Date: June 13, 2023, Paperback: 162 pages, ISBN: 9781950539772
Girl Country – By Jacqueline Vogtman
Winner of the Dzanc Shorty Story Collection Prize. A near-future farmer battling environmental crises takes in a mysterious girl he finds on the roadside. A bus driver navigates through treacherous weather and memories of her tragic past as she races to save children from the end of the world. A woman keeps giving birth to children from different time periods. And a woman struggles with her young daughter mysteriously transforming into something wild and unruly, confronting themes of motherhood and family.
In "Girl Country," stories range from medieval Belgium to the near future of the American Midwest, populated by mothers and monsters, mermaids and milkmaids, nuns, and bus drivers—women in every walk of life, but particularly working-class women, navigating the intersection of the mundane and the magical. Perfect for fans of Orange World and Animal Wife, these are stories about women with teeth—wild and alive.
Publication Date: May 16, 2023, Paperback: 200 pages, ISBN: 9781950539765
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Sunday Dinners, Moonshine, and Men - by Tate Barkley, is a timely Exploration of one man confronting his sexual identity growing up in the rural south.
In an era where the importance of LGBTQ rights and representation is more significant than ever, author Tate Barkley has released a powerful and timely book titled Sunday Dinners, Moonshine, and Men. This compelling book tells Tate's story of growing up in the small towns of North Carolina, where money was tight, dreams seldom came true, and family secrets were kept hidden.
For years Tate Barkley lived his life in shame—of living in poverty, of alcoholism and addiction, of being a closeted gay man. His story may sound familiar to anyone who struggles with feeling "less than."
"Sunday Dinners, Moonshine and Men" recounts Tate's troubled relationship with his father and his journey to overcome shame and the scarcity mindset that blocked his ability to find peace in his life. Tate offers readers a deeply personal account of his dysfunctional childhood, from the backwoods of North Carolina to his family's struggles with poverty in Central Florida, and their ultimate move to the boomtown of 1970s Houston, Texas. He details his attempts to repress his sexuality and control his escalating drinking as he became a successful attorney, only to hit rock bottom and lose it all.
"Sunday Dinners, Moonshine, and Men" is a masterfully crafted story that weaves together themes of love, acceptance, and self-discovery against the backdrop of small-town America. Tate explores the struggles, triumphs, and complexities of being LGBTQ, shedding light on the need for empathy, understanding, and unity.
This is a Southern boy's story of surviving in a good ole boys' world. Tate fought his way back, ended a life built on lies, and forged a path to accept his true self―with or without his father's love. Now sober through Alcoholics Anonymous, he shares his story in the hopes that it will help others to leave their shame behind and discover the peace that they deserve.
For more information visit www.TateBarkley.com.
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For Hope, Resilience and Affirmations Journals here are three helpful books to help as you embrace the new year, turn the page, and begin the journey toward healing and recovery.
Finding Hope: The 12 Keys To Healing Hardship, Hurt & Sorrow by Amber Jewell, LMSW
"Finding Hope: The 12 Keys To Healing Hardship, Hurt & Sorrow" is specifically for people who need a fresh dose of hope. It will build your personal resilience and help you develop an extensive toolkit of active coping skills, to the point where you can weather even the worst that life throws at you–and still find the strength to move forward.
No matter what the hardship, whether it be COVID-19, loss of jobs, broken relationships, kids making bad decisions, or any of the other million things that can bring us down, hope is the life-preserver we need to hold onto until the storm subsides. Life has been tough for so many of us, but tough is not the same as impossible. Day after day, we face obstacles to our personal success, happiness and sense of well-being. No matter how bad things get, there is always hope… especially if you know exactly where to find it.
Distributed by Hatherleigh Press and can be purchased here.
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The Resilience Workbook for Women – By Hope Kelaher, LCSW
Harness the power of your inner resilience and boost your self-esteem and self-confidence through the activities and journaling prompts in this workbook for women. Discover how you can transform your life through the principles of resilience using this workbook for women of all ages. You'll embark on a journey of self-empathy, self-esteem, and self-confidence by immersing yourself in exercises to help you foster your own unique resiliency. You'll learn problem-solving skills, coping methods, and confidence-boosting tips that will enable you to move through your daily life in a more courageous, determined, and successful way. The Resilience Workbook for Women illuminates, encapsulates, and unlocks the inner resilience that all women possess.
Published by Ulysses Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster and can be purchased here.
The Glow-Up Journal – by Dr. Danielle Richardson
"The Glow-Up Journal," by Dr. Danielle Richardson, which allows readers to track their triumphs as she adds in each chapter informational affirmations to help believers manifest, realize, and work toward the change they seek. A glow up is a transformation—transforming from where you currently are to the ultimate version of yourself. In The Glow Up Journal, you'll spend more time determining who this dream self is as you create a personalized bullet journal for your glow up journey and all your glow up goals. From beauty and style to career goals, investing in yourself, and fitness, you'll brainstorm what exactly you want to get out of your glow up. With fun prompts like Main Character Energy Daily, Mix n' Match the Best Workout Routine, and more, you'll romanticize the process of glowing up and get excited to meet all your goals. Then, you'll track your progress with daily check-ins. Your glow up journey is on the way!
Published by Ulysses Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster and can be purchased here.
All books are available at online retailers and at brick-and-mortar bookstores everywhere.
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Text by various provided sources; Art direction by Janet Walker.
