Review by naomisorge -- Acquiesce to love peace gratitude

[naomisorge]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Acquiesce to love peace gratitude" by Fabiola Piedad Maria Alicia Reynales de Berry.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Acquiesce to love peace gratitude by Fabiola Piedad Maria Alicia Reynales de Berry is the story of a woman who is able to heal herself after the trauma of a difficult marriage. It is a story within a story, with the author writing about her friend Susan, who was in a loveless marriage for 32 years. In the final years of the marriage, Susan’s husband’s health deteriorates dramatically. Susan is left to pick up the pieces of her life and her psyche, both of which had been shattered by the trauma of dealing with her marriage and her husband’s illness.

Susan’s life story is intertwined with descriptions of her pain and anger, and the process that she undertakes to try to heal herself. She describes the books and resources she uses along the way, including meditation, Tapping, hypnosis, and mindfulness, among others. Every time she starts getting desperate for a solution to her stress and anxiety, the universe brings her a resource that takes her further on her journey to healing. In this way, the writer creates a sort of road map, which can be followed by her readers.

This book is relatively short, and I devoured it within a day. Those who have already done some reading in the world of self-development will be familiar with many of the strategies and ideas in this book, but here they are humanized. Although not everyone may have had the same experiences as Susan, every reader will be able to identify with her as she asks herself questions like “Why me?” and “Why did I stay?” and grapples with the answers. Some of Susan’s thoughts about being married to a domineering partner will feel especially poignant to women who have found themselves in a similar situation. And Susan’s reflections on the way we repeat patterns from childhood and subconsciously reopen old wounds describe battles that we all fight.

I would rate this book 3 out of 4. It is a great description of one woman’s journey to healing and I have no doubt that it will strike a chord with many readers. However, the book contains some irrelevant details, such as the fact that Susan watches a series about Henry XIV while waiting to join a life-changing online seminar. The writing can be a bit clunky in places, causing me to have to re-read sentences to make sure I understood them.

I finished the book feeling happy about the ending, and with a few highlighted passages to ponder. You would enjoy this book if you are interested in seeing how one woman applied some well-known self-development concepts. It would also be useful if you are interested in getting started with self-development and are looking for an easy way in. Because the main characters are women, female readers might see themselves reflected more readily, although men could also stand to learn something from this book.

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Acquiesce to love peace gratitude
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[Erin Painter Baker]

I like the idea of self-help book as novel, one that introduces the tools to the reader and shows them in use, but doesn't necessarily advocate for one over another or claim to teach people how to use them.

[naomisorge]

So do I! It gives you that "If she could do it, so can I" kind of feeling.