Happy Beginnings by Lorena Bathey
In the span of three years, Lorena Bathey went through a divorce from her husband after 11 years together, her mother died of ovarian and breast cancer, and her father remarried within a few months of her mother’s death; she also faced the prospect of reentering the workforce after more than a decade on the outside.
Happy Beginnings is Bathey’s story of picking up the pieces of her life post-marital breakup and fitting them back together to make a whole new picture after much trial and error, including a whirlwind trip to Venice, Florence, and Rome.
Bathey’s writing is brutally honest and open, almost uncomfortably so in parts for this reader. Like many, I enjoy playing voyeur from time to time, but sometimes I can feel like I’ve learned just a bit too much while peeking in the windows.
I thought of Bathey’s children often throughout the book, wondering how they would feel when someday they read this tale of, essentially, how mommy got her groove back, especially from my perspective as a child of divorce. But as we all get to the point someday when we realize our parents are people too, hopefully this book will provide the author’s children with some insight into their mother as a person, particularly at that point in her life.
Indeed, I admire Bathey for having the courage to put this out there knowing not only her children, but also her ex-husband, family, and friends could read it if they so desired. And I absolutely feel that any woman going through a divorce or difficult breakup could benefit from reading about her experiences and finding her “inner fairy godmother,” whether it’s to nod along in agreement or simply to clarify their own paths.
In fact, I’ve already recommended this book to one friend currently in this situation, and I would recommend it again and again.
For this reason, I give Happy Beginnings four espresso cups out of five
and encourage you to pick up a copy if you’re looking for a little escape into someone else’s world, and especially if you’re going through a tough personal time.
You can get a sneak preview of the first chapter at Lorena B Books and purchase an e-copy at Smashwords (currently just $0.99) or the print version at Amazon.com.
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2 Beans of Wisdom to “Happy Beginnings by Lorena Bathey”
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I’m going to get this book – and I agree with you, having been through a nasty divorce and several life altering changes in the course of a few years, I now finding myself in a very different place than I would have or could have imagined before. It takes courage to be a writer and to write honestly. Thanks for the recommendation Michele. If we’re honest with each other – we often realize we’re not alone – it’s just that someone has to “man up” or “woman up” in this case and tell it like it is. Courage? or lack of discretion? It’s a fine line we walk as writers, isn’t it?
michelle Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 6:36 pm
Oh I definitely think courage — even if for some readers it might go too far. But as you said, the value is for those the writing can reach and help, so IMHO who cares about those for whom maybe believe there’s a lack of discretion? Obviously the book wasn’t meant for them in the first place. I hope you enjoy it, Barb 🙂