Tag Archive | family

Running on All Fours

May9

Book Link

From Amazon:

Being raised in a dysfunctional family with a special needs sibling and an abusive dad either makes or breaks the human spirit – especially decades ago when there was no social intervention on behalf of minors or active support for the parents.Denise didn’t just endure these hardships – she prospered and became the advocate her special needs brother relied on to survive. Years later, she still runs beside him as his guardian. This gripping, emotional saga is based on a true story, and sure to tug on your heartstrings. It was written with the hope that some of the content will prove helpful to others in similar situations, or aid someone you, the reader, may know.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming

Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2026

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

This book will get you in the gut. Having a mentally challenged and mentally ill child is no easy feat. Having an abusive father and two exes that were abusive don’t help. I compared my experiences as a child on up to the present. My father was wonderful. My mother was an evil spawn of Satan. That said, I totally understood the issues of Sue growing up with a brother so challenged. My younger brother had Downs syndrome. I’ve worked decades as a registered nurse, and I’ve seen those in good group homes and those in state institutions. I worked in a hospital yet some came into the ER. Sue finally overcame all that was tossed her way, the second guessing on if the right thing was done with each placement facility, the guilt one can feel if their loved one wasn’t taken care of properly. There was a time in the early 80s when de-instatutionalization, was started for those with decreased mental capacity had to be moved from state institutions to nursing homes and such. But with Eddie having schizophrenia comes a fine line to get the right placement. Trust me, those state funds were what they all wanted. Bottom line. Finally, a good placement was found not far from home, and Eddie likes it there. Proof = Mommy is what he called Sue. Mommy. I guess I’m just rattling on but I get all that happened. Life comes full circle. Sue was able to finally let go of her abusive father, and exes. I applaud that!! Sue, Eddie, and the other two brothers have a much better and cohesive relationship now.


The Skipper’s Child

Mar12

Book Link

From Amazon:

For Arie Kornet, School holidays on his family’s barge, the Rival, are more than tedious. His father is a Dutch commercial skipper, and all they do is travel from one place to another on the European waterways, delivering and taking on goods. His deaf mother and his two sisters accept the lifestyle, but Arie is intensely frustrated with it all – especially as it is December and Christmas is coming. It seems there is nothing for him to do on board, and no escape. That is, until an unexpected stowaway, a frightening encounter with Russian secret agents and an alarming international plot bring him far more excitement than he has ever bargained for. Suddenly, his own life, and those of his entire beloved family, are in danger. Forced in to a new and adult role, Arie is faced with difficult decisions to make, and even more difficult actions to take.

The Skipper’s Child is an exciting story of adventure and suspense set in the evocative world of the commercial waterways during the coldest winter of the Cold War.

My Review:

Living life on a barge is not an easy life, but it is rewarding. Everyone must do their part, and the work was hard. Even more when one travels with a load of wool or whatever they carried during war time. On the plus side, families become closer, and friendships with other skippers and their families are treasured. One gets to see so many countries and architecture, scenes most have never seen or imagined. For Arie, he longed for a life away from the hard work of the barge he lived on with his two sisters and his parents. Along comes Dimitri, and things get dicey. What does Arie decide to do after the trials of one December during time of war? I won’t give away the story nor the ending.

The Poetry Mouse

Jan16

Book Link

From Amazon:

Evie believes there is more to life than taking care of her house and baking for her friends. She’s not like the other mice. She has a different path; her purpose is to write poetry.

Being a mouse, she longs for the simplicity of nature. So, every day she sneaks past the woods and into the meadow where she writes her inspired words. She might even find encouragement from a friend to submit her poems.

This is Evie’s story of finding her authentic self, becoming brave enough to do what she loves, and ultimately sharing her gift with the world as The Poetry Mouse.

My Review:

This was a lovely story to read. Evie, a mouse, works at her sewing and such to make a living in her pink house at the end of a lane. She yearns to write poetry and escapes for walks in the countryside. Her pen never stops, and everything she sees, she writes a poem. Mr Fox helps Evie to understand that she is a very good poet, giving Evie the boost she needed to take her poetry down to the post to send to a publisher. This book inspires.