3 out of 4 stars
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This very small self-help book manages to pack a lot of depth and meaning into its limited word/page count. Clearly it recognizes that we all have been through trials and tribulations (a phrase I use myself, but also is in the text of this book) in our lives and sometimes moving on from the hard times is a lot easier said than done.
I myself have been guilty of dwelling on things in the past, and have sought help from different corners. At the same time reflection can be a strength, so books like these are one way to achieve that fine balance, and to assert some authority over one's life.
Mentions of meditation and raiki in the preface show the extent of the author's combined body/spiritual approaches to managing the stresses of life. The main body of the text though is much more about personal relationships and using conscious effort in order to gain an improved perspective and overall better confidence in one's own self.
The cover is a nicely hand-drawn image of a girl with a seemingly metaphorical umbrella/tree as a form of protection or respite. This ties in with the key advice of sitting in the rain, so as to wash away one's troubles and grow as a person. Perhaps some more illustrations (in a longer edition) would be effective. As good as the words are, they perhaps could come with both some diagrams/charts and some more images. There is real promise though in how the different chapters are laid out with deliberate intent.
I did enjoy this effort, as Valido is clearly a very emotionally open and caring person. Her grasp of English perhaps needs some work here and there, with indefinite articles letting her down and the use or non-use of capitals. At the same time I myself cannot claim to be a natural with any modern languages (I was good at Latin) so I know all too well how easy it is to make certain mistakes and only notice them later.
There is a lot of competition out there with self-help books and some manage to attract an audience simply owing to the author being well-established and often through something completely outside the writing world. It is not particularly fair to my mind, but if an author cannot get that head-start they must find something new or at least creative to say and then convey that message with real authority.
I wish in some ways I had a bit more to go on from the copy I had, but the fundamentals were sound, and I like writers who want to imbue their work with meaning with every sentence. This book for the most part did that.
I give this book a 3 out of 4.
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Sitting in the Rain
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Your avatar is inspired, I wonder if the owl has a second book to read behind his back?
