Review: Bouncing Back by Brandon Carter

Bouncing Back by Brandon Carter

Book Description:

Ever feel like life is kicking you while you're down? That there is no light at the end of the tunnel or want to give up on hoping?

Brandon Carter's book is called "Bouncing Back." It's about his life before and after having brain surgery about 10 years ago. Brandon went from having a successful life as a semi-pro baseball player, to having to learn to walk and talk again post-surgery. He would not accept "no" or "you can't" as an answer, and he fought hard to become who he is today. He overcame the odds to become a youth leader and coach in his church, get a 4.0 GPA in college, and become a scoutmaster. It was during this process that he learned to lean on Christ for his strength, and he has a very strong testimony today because of it.

This story is one of hope and proves that you can do anything no matter who may tell you that you can’t!

Review:

I don't read many memoirs (or much non-fiction for that matter), but an old friend of mine was very touched by Brandon's story and sent me a copy of his book to read.

There's no denying that Brandon's story is inspirational. Coming back after being knocked down in the prime of your life by surgery and many life altering aftereffects due to a brain tumor isn't something that everyone has the willpower to do. Brandon's doctor told him he would never walk again, but he refused to believe that. He worked hard to regain his physical abilities, and he didn't stop there. He came back to the church of his youth after being estranged from it for years and found happiness and fulfillment in his callings and associations. He wanted to improve himself, so he went back to school and did very well.

Brandon shares that his speech was affected, but I didn't truly understand what he meant until I watched one of his videos online. Having watched that I think his accomplishments are even more impressive in this harsh world.

The support he received at the time of his diagnosis and through the surgery and years of recovery was very touching.

The story is told in a bit of an unorthodox manner, jumping back and forth throughout his life. He acknowledges that it might be confusing, and includes a timeline of events in one of the later chapters. While you don't get the polish out of this book that you would with a traditionally published story, it has a wonderful message and is worth the read.

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Title: Bouncing Back
Author: Brandon Carter
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: August 2018
ISBN: 1717972241
Source: eCopy from a friend. All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase: Amazon

Blog Tour: A Different Kind of Strong by Daniel L. Trotter

A Different Kind of Strong by Daniel L. Trotter

Book Synopsis:  

On October 14, 2011, Daniel Trotter began a forty-day fast. He was consumed by the question and desperate to know, what do I do? After thirty days in the wilderness, God sent him home with an answer. It was, “Come back to Me.”

For decades, Daniel was held in thrall to alcohol, drugs, porn, and depression. He had friends, but life had lost all meaning.

During a radical thirty-day fast, Daniel encountered God – and great temptation. Afterward, he lost his wife, and his home, but he gained a new perspective – God’s. He went back to school and graduated with honors. God blessed him with a remarriage to someone who understands his heart and shares his faith. He has found peace and purpose.

Daniel found freedom in God’s love and in following God and living according to his precepts. Daniel’s memoir will show you how God can heal every physical, mental and emotional hurt and help you to become whole.

Review:

I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but found A Different Kind of Strong to be a worthwhile and eye-opening read. One of the best things about the book is that we should never give up hope on someone who has lost their way. Many people probably thought that Daniel wasn't ever going to get clean-that he was a "lost cause", but against the odds he came to realize that he needed to change. And I loved that he had a few people in his life that he could always call on that loved him and were a positive influence-no matter what he'd done. I hope that I can be that kind of person for someone.

Daniel tells his story by going back and forth between the past and the present. Some of his history is quite shocking-maybe even surprising that someone would be willing to share those dark parts of their past with the world. But, we wouldn't truly be able to understand his transformation if he'd held back. You don't often hear about people doing a complete 180 with their lives, and Daniel's story is inspiring.

Never starting with things like drugs, alcohol, and pornography can save you from so much self destruction and hurt. Also, the company you keep makes such a huge difference in your life. We all know these things, but Daniel's story shows really drives it home.

There were a few things that I would have liked more details on (i.e. his fast), but that didn't detract from the messages in the book.


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Title: A Different Kind of Strong (Second Edition)
Author: Daniel L. Trotter
Publisher: Open Door
Published: August 2019
ISBN: 1733149503
Source: Review copy from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase: Amazon

Carnival Girl Blog Tour

I'd like to thank Sonja Herbert for introducing me to her memoir, Carnival Girl: Searching for God in the Aftermath of War, and for inviting me to join her Blog Tour.

Carnival Girl tells about Sonja's childhood in post-WWII Germany. Her father ran a carnival, so she and her siblings were raised in a caravan and traveled around the country. They made stops in many of the same towns each year, but weren't in any one place very long. It made schooling and making friends difficult.

Many times during the memoir I was very saddened by Sonja's life, especially the way she was treated by her mother. While Sonja doesn't have resentment toward her Mutti, her memories of the negative times were so clear that I couldn't help but think about the importance of using kind words. The Hymn Nay, Speak No Ill came to my mind, and I thought a lot about how I treat my children.

Even though Sonja had many struggles, the book was quite positive. Sonja wasn't dwelling on the negative situations, and through realizing that she has a Heavenly Father who loves her, she had a lot of hope.

Sonja's mom is half-Jewish and hiding for her life during WWII took a toll on her. I asked Sonja about her mother's background and their relationship, and this is what she had to say:

When I was a little girl, traveling in our small carnival caravan, I often listened to my mother talking about how she used to be a model in Berlin, the greatest city of Europe, and how she had to leave and hire on with the circus in order to stay ahead of the Nazis.
 
During the few times we carnival children attended school, I once received an A for a story about a Greek myth I had written, and on that day I decided to write about my mother’s life when I grew up.
 
All through the time I raised my six children here in the U.S.A., this thought was with me, and when the younger ones were a bit older, I started on my mother’s story. As the story unfolded, I realized that it would not be complete unless I also told my own story, the story of my childhood and my life with my mother.
 
And that’s how Carnival Girl began. I originally called it Conversations with Margot (my mother’s first name), but since the novel I wrote about her life isn’t quite finished yet, I decided to re-name the memoir and publish it first.
 
As I wrote the memoir and remembered the things that happened in my early life, old feelings returned, and I had to confront the childish assumptions of my younger self. Now, as a grown woman, I am able to see things I had not seen as a little girl, and when my memoir was finished, I had a new insight and understanding for my mother, who had suffered so much and still came out ahead.
 
My mother, Margot, is now ninety-one years old. She lives in Stuttgart, Germany, and is still going strong!
 
Thank you Mutti, for everything you have taught me!

Carnival Girl was published by Cedar Fort in June and can be purchased through their website, Deseret Book, or Amazon (you can also read excerpts on Cedar Fort and Amazon).