Book Review: Where the Water Meets the Sand by Tyra Manning

Title: Where the Water Meets the Sand

Author: Tyra Manning

Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press

Publication Date: May 10, 2016

Length: 264 Pages



About The Author
After retiring from a forty-year career in education, Dr. Tyra Manning has devoted her energies to comforting those suffering in silence, reducing the stigma associated with mental illness, and opening doors to resources for support and treatment.

A Woman With A Mission
Tyra Manning learned that her husband had been killed in the Vietnam War from her psychiatrist at the Menninger Clinic, where she had been hospitalized for clinical depression. After years of battling addiction and depression, Tyra's worst fear had come true. Larry had been shot down over the Laotian jungle while flying a top-secret mission, just two weeks before their daughter's second birthday.

The author recounts how she was able to persevere in the face of devastating loss. With courage, love, and determination, she overcame her grief and fulfilled promises she made to Larry before he left for Vietnam. She ultimately earned a doctorate of education from the University of Kansas and became one of the nation's top school superintendents.

When Tyra received a call from the Air Force in 2006, she was able to keep one last promise to Larry. His remains had finally been excavated after thirty-five years, and she was able to honor his wish to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

My Thoughts
This memoir is remarkable for many reasons. I started reading this book and couldn't put it down until I read the last page.

The author is a survivor. Tyra Manning is as much of a hero as her husband who lost his life in Vietnam. She would not give up, no matter how difficult her life circumstances were.

Here are some of the challenges that Dr. Manning overcame:

• The illness and death of her father at a young age.
• Depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
• Alcohol addiction.
• Becoming a young widow of an Air Force pilot killed in Vietnam.
• Single motherhood.
• Working as a school teacher and going to school at night and during summers.
• Severe injuries from a head-on collision with a drunk driver.
• Divorce.
• Dealing with military authorities for over 35 years to have her husband's remains returned and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Trya and Larry were planning to meet in Hawaii, where the water meets the sand, during an upcoming R&R leave. This dream of walking on the beach with her husband inspired and comforted Tyra during her most difficult days.

Courage. Inspiration. Determination. Perseverance. Patriotism. Hope. Love.

These are just a few words that describe Dr. Manning's life journey. 

Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

The video book trailer below provides some highlights from the book.

Book Review: Reflections At Sunrise

Reflections at Sunrise, by Sandra Dorsett, is a short memoir about a widow's feelings of sadness, grief and hope. Ms. Dorsett writes a heart-wrenching story about her husband's battle with cancer. She shares her journey through grief and healing since his death. This book will take you about 20 minutes to read and will give you a new perspective on life, death and love.

This book is currently being offered as a FREE Kindle book on Amazon.

My Thoughts
Amazon has been offering quite a few FREE short stories, essays and articles.  I enjoy checking out some of these short stories when I have a limited amount time to read.
I have found that quite a few of these short stories are only mediocre. I don't like to write negative reviews, so I usually just read these stories and move on to the next book.
This short story is an exception to many of the others that I have read...it is a real gem. Ms. Dorsett writes from the heart and shares some of the most difficult things about taking care of a sick spouse and then dealing with his death.
Chuck Davis died of lung cancer on December 27. 2004. The author shares the details of her husband's last year of life. She also explains how very difficult it was for her to get through the grief and move forward with her life.
I would like to share the following paragraph from Ms. Dorsett's story;

"I wish we could've grown old together. I miss our date nights. I miss seeing him pull into our drive in his blue truck. I miss seeing him in his favorite red cowboy shirt and his tan boots. I miss seeing the love in his eyes. I miss him. I know that missing him may become a shadow in my heart, but it will never stop."

This story reminds us that we should never take our loved ones for granted.  A person really can't understand what it would be like to lose a spouse to death until they have experienced it. This story will provide comfort and hope to those who are mourning. It will help us all understand the grieving and healing process. "Reflections At Sunrise" is well worth the time it will take you to read it.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: The Best Worst Thing

The Best Worst Thing, by Kristen K. Brown, is the story of a 34-year-old widow, mother, author and entrepreneur, who has found a way to deal with tragedy and manage the stress that goes along with it.

Kristen K. Brown found herself a young widowed mother when her husband died of a heart attack at the age of 30. Kristen experienced feelings of grief,  regret, denial and anger as she struggled to survive the days following her husband's death.

This is a true story of love, loss, rebirth and self-discovery. This is an amazing journey through the grief process and into a new life of acceptance and happiness.

Love
In the opening chapters of this book, Kristen shares the story of her courtship and early marriage to Todd Brown. Kristen and Todd had attended the same high school but did not start dating until several years after they graduated. Kristen and Todd shared a strong bond from the beginning of their relationship and dated several years before getting married. I especially enjoyed the story of how Todd proposed and the details of their marriage.
Kristen was excited about being a mother and gave birth to Brooke on December 1, 2006.

Death
Todd Brown died suddenly in his sleep on September 9, 2007. The entire family was together to attend the wedding of Kristen's sister. An autopsy was later performed and the results showed that Todd had suffered a heart attack. He did not have any history of medical problems or heart issues. The death came as a complete shock to everyone involved.

Acceptance and Growth
Kristen learns to survive and eventually thrive in the weeks, months and years following Todd's death. This was not an easy journey but Kristen slowly builds a new life for herself. She quit a job that was making her miserable and launched a new business that she named Happy Hour Effect.

"After all that's happened, I like to say now that I may be money-poor but I'm happiness rich...and that's all that really matters, isn't it?"

 It was hard to put this book down. Kristen really opened her heart and exposed her inner-most feelings. Most of us can't imagine what it would be like to lose a spouse at such a young age. This book will teach you how to mend a broken heart.  Healing and acceptance is what this book is all about. A very good read.

Disclosure: Kristen Brown sent me a complimentary paperback copy of this book to read and review. Thank you!
I love to hear from my readers ~ Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.