‘Life happens.’ The ups and downs can drown you or you can
learn from the experiences to move at a smoother pace. Yet often we are left
with feelings of inadequacy and fear. Those who choose to cast again into the
fray gain courage to move on.
Debra McKenna has given us a fun and hopeful look into the
life of one such character in her book, Recovering from Life. There is no doubt that her character,
Stephanie McCarthy, is just that––a character. Red headed and bold she finds herself
in a rough patch when her husband seems to fall back into a drug habit, one she
thought he had overcome. As he disappears, she begins to take stock of the
things happening around her. In her considered bliss, she realizes that she has
allowed him too much power in their life and business, as well as their home.
Her name is on nothing, he owes everyone, and her only saving grace is that the
creditors can’t come after her. Yet she is now financially doomed, she has lost
her job and she finds herself in the roller coaster of life.
The problem begins with the legalities. She is not
responsible for moneys owed, but her husband’s deals are not all above board,
or with respectable business. He owes money for drugs as well, and the
collectors do not care as much about the laws protecting her from legal
collections.
This fun filled and yet at times stressful story is
enchanting and just a bit different. The
characters are very life sized and an amazing mix of clever, brutal, fun, and
even at times whimsical. The experiences are adventurous and easy to relate to,
although in some cases a bit unbelievable. Yet the story is also deep and
brings hope, something that is often lacking when times are tough. McKenna has
secured an anchor to hold the twist of lightness and courage.
The goal is to heal from whatever bumps life throws at you,
and to overcome that inability to move forward. While in no way moralistic, the
moral of the story is there hidden behind and between the fabric. There is
humor and promise, wishes and potential all there like a brass ring, if we all
just look beyond the here and now and reach for it.
If you like fun and feel good stories you will find this immensely
interesting. Contemporary with a twist,
filled with courage, boldness and a zany cast of characters, you will find
yourself reading from start to finish, wanting to know more.
This would be a great book for a reading group, engendering
a great deal of conversation on depression, hope, romance and moving forward.
Rating 4/5
This book was reveived from the Cadence group. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
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