Review of The Love , Heartache, and Devotion of a Mom and Grandma
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Lara Keir
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Review of The Love , Heartache, and Devotion of a Mom and Grandma
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Love , Heartache, and Devotion of a Mom and Grandma" by Darcie Joy Miller.]
Darcie Joy Miller's book The Love, Heartache, and Devotion of a Mom and Grandma is an inspirational account of true, often tragic, events in the author's life and how they brought her closer to God. The book begins with a description of her youth, including her family's alcoholic history, and then moves on to her own family's beginnings. This introduction builds the context and background for the tragic events that occurred in her family later on, including child neglect and abuse. The book concludes by reflecting on the author's faith and religious practices that helped her deal with everything.
Despite the serious subject, I like the author's kind and welcoming tone. It felt as if you were listening to your grandmother tell a story and share the most personal details of her life. The book has a useful reflection on how child predators work by making children uncomfortable with small things at first to test whether they can get away with it and how these are mostly people we know. The book also addresses the long-term effects of childhood trauma before the age of eighteen (ACEs), in this case, her daughter's continued sexual assault and the many consequences of it, including her inability to trust any of her neighbors for many years.
The author tried to help her daughter through mental health counseling, but it all turned out for the worse. She admitted that instead of helping, by giving her daughter money, an apartment, a car, and other things, she enabled an unhealthy environment to thrive. At first, I was angry at the author for not preventing the constant abuse of her four small grandchildren, but then it occurred to me that we may all be guilty of this every day. We are too preoccupied with our own worries to truly grasp the depth of another's experience and suffering. Moreover, the author believed the "experts" who said the situation wasn’t "bad enough" to intervene. She also admitted that she only realized the gravity of the situation after it was too late.
Some of the paraphrased quotations I enjoyed include the ones that are religious in nature: "I found out later that it is only God who can really heal," "God can truly make a difference in each one of our lives if we put others first," and "enjoy the little things in life, for they will become the most important in the end!" There are some minor downsides to the book. For example, some parts kept repeating, and the author would often say "as I mentioned earlier" to state the same point. In addition, I believe that the title and cover don't do this book justice as it contains a strong message for everyone, particularly young parents with children who may not be drawn to the current format.
Despite the fact that the book has religious elements, I would recommend it to a broader audience interested in learning about the effects of childhood abuse on future generations and how to potentially prevent it. The reader is also advised to be careful since the book contains sensitive topics. I saw no typos, and the book was well-edited. I believe any good book makes you think and reflect on your own life, and this certainly did for me. I give it 4 out of 4 stars.
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The Love , Heartache, and Devotion of a Mom and Grandma
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Darcie Joy Miller's book The Love, Heartache, and Devotion of a Mom and Grandma is an inspirational account of true, often tragic, events in the author's life and how they brought her closer to God. The book begins with a description of her youth, including her family's alcoholic history, and then moves on to her own family's beginnings. This introduction builds the context and background for the tragic events that occurred in her family later on, including child neglect and abuse. The book concludes by reflecting on the author's faith and religious practices that helped her deal with everything.
Despite the serious subject, I like the author's kind and welcoming tone. It felt as if you were listening to your grandmother tell a story and share the most personal details of her life. The book has a useful reflection on how child predators work by making children uncomfortable with small things at first to test whether they can get away with it and how these are mostly people we know. The book also addresses the long-term effects of childhood trauma before the age of eighteen (ACEs), in this case, her daughter's continued sexual assault and the many consequences of it, including her inability to trust any of her neighbors for many years.
The author tried to help her daughter through mental health counseling, but it all turned out for the worse. She admitted that instead of helping, by giving her daughter money, an apartment, a car, and other things, she enabled an unhealthy environment to thrive. At first, I was angry at the author for not preventing the constant abuse of her four small grandchildren, but then it occurred to me that we may all be guilty of this every day. We are too preoccupied with our own worries to truly grasp the depth of another's experience and suffering. Moreover, the author believed the "experts" who said the situation wasn’t "bad enough" to intervene. She also admitted that she only realized the gravity of the situation after it was too late.
Some of the paraphrased quotations I enjoyed include the ones that are religious in nature: "I found out later that it is only God who can really heal," "God can truly make a difference in each one of our lives if we put others first," and "enjoy the little things in life, for they will become the most important in the end!" There are some minor downsides to the book. For example, some parts kept repeating, and the author would often say "as I mentioned earlier" to state the same point. In addition, I believe that the title and cover don't do this book justice as it contains a strong message for everyone, particularly young parents with children who may not be drawn to the current format.
Despite the fact that the book has religious elements, I would recommend it to a broader audience interested in learning about the effects of childhood abuse on future generations and how to potentially prevent it. The reader is also advised to be careful since the book contains sensitive topics. I saw no typos, and the book was well-edited. I believe any good book makes you think and reflect on your own life, and this certainly did for me. I give it 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Love , Heartache, and Devotion of a Mom and Grandma
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: A Dream For Peace by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah
