4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
"Don't frown because it's over. Smile because it happened." This is the quote that brought tears to my eyes as I read it in Bunny Leach's book, Breathing New Life: Finding Happiness After Tragedy. This is a very heartwarming and bittersweet story of regaining love and inner strength after a tragic loss.
Bunny Leach tells the tragic story of losing her daughter, Nicki, to brain cancer. Nicki was only nineteen, and she was extremely close to her mother during the years of her life. The beginning of the book tells briefly about Nicki's death, and the author then goes back to tell a little bit about Nicki's life before death. She described the time that she began to be sick, and then continued to describe the experiences of their family over the next few years, as they dealt with Nicki's sickness. The remainder of the book covers how Bunny has coped after Nicki's death and how she has been renewed in her spirit over time. This book is not the first that Bunny has written on this subject. Before this book, she wrote Letting Nicki Go: A Mother's Journey Through Her Daughter's Cancer.
There are so many bittersweet events and experiences that Bunny has described in Breathing New Life. Her description of her daughter's short life and the many lives that she impacted was very touching to read about. It was very hard to read about everything that Bunny had to deal with, including divorce, during the time of her daughter's death. However, many people were able to help Bunny heal over the years that followed. She took on a new career, formed new relationships, and even started a foundation in Nicki's name which would help provide funds for others battling cancer. She gave credit to many loved ones, especially God, for her journey toward healing. I cannot adequately describe how the author was able to put these experiences into words, but it was very heartwarming and will bring tears to any mother's eyes.
I cannot find too many negative words to say about the book. At times, I felt like the chapters would jump back and forth between dates, describing what happened before Nicki's death, then after, then later jumping back to things before. I don't think this affected the overall quality and emotions of what was written, though. I only noticed a few very tiny editing mistakes, also.
I thoroughly felt like Ms. Leach did a wonderful job of conveying her feelings and emotions through this very tough journey that she faced. As a mother, it is very obvious that finding healing in a situation like this takes time, and while the hurt will never completely subside, life can be restored within a person's soul, regardless of the pain that they have faced. I am rating the book 4 out of 4 stars. Overall, it is a very emotional and moving description of loss and healing.
******
Breathing New Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
