Customer Reviews

Becoming Olivia (Coming Home to Brewster)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was the first book I have read by this author. I was drawn to it by a description I had read in a Christian literature advertisement some time ago. I have battled depression for several years now and had not felt "safe" enough to embark on such a hot topic. A few days ago I came upon this book by accident in a bookstore as I was searching for another title. Something compelled me to buy "Becoming Olivia", so I went with that feeling. Let me just say that God is Awesome!! I have never read a book that desribed my own life in such intricate detail. I could very well be Olivia. Roxanne's desciptions of the suffering, the humiliation, the negative self-talk, the independent nature and absolutely the hospital scenerio were as accurate as everything I have experienced in my own life. I appreciate an author that can tackle such a "taboo" topic and shed a positive light on it. There is hope in depression. Olivia held strong to her trust in God and like Olivia, I too, came out a better person for having gone through one of lifes' many struggles. Hooray for Roxanne Henke! I plan to read all the books in the Brewster series now.

Third in a series- tho can read each independently- but read "After Anne" first if you can(excellent book) before this book. Many areas of the life of a married woman with 2 children: 1 teen/1 college age.Biggest topic is her trial with depressive illnes-- but done in a way that is not "despressing' to read about-- just informative(author speaks from experience) and even entertaining as the book character has a great sense of humor even at tough times--just as in "After Ann". Recommend this highly--very inspirational- keeps you reading plus unique style of writing; "from each character's point of view"--one of my favorite books. No bad language or "R rated scenes"- a book you can be proud to pass on or recommend!

I loved Henke's first book, After Anne, so I waited with anticipation for her next book, Finding Ruth, which wasn't quite as good as Anne (but that would be a hard one to top). So, when the third book, Becoming Oliva, came out, I couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed. It is wonderful to have an author who can continue to write a book that makes it so easy to identify with the characters. She makes them so real. I will be eagerly waiting the next book....Always Jan.

This book tells of a woman, Olivia, who is struggling with depression. As a sub-plot, we also see Olivia's teen daughter struggling with her dating life, her desire to be popular, and all the stuff that goes along with being a teen.

I thought this was a well written book on depression, from a Christian perspective. It showed that anxiety is a component of depression, which many do not realize. I liked that the book showed various reactions to depression from Olivia's friends, like the friend who trivialized it, saying that we all get the blues from time to time in life. The book pointed out that that is one misconception about depression. And we see that depression is not simply a problem of "not being close enough to God" but a real chemical imbalance in the brain.

I liked that the book showed of ways that some people overcome depression. The medication issue was brought out, and even pointed out that medication isn't a sign of weakness, but an answer to prayer for some people. They compared taking medication for depression, as a diabetic would take medication for diabetes. The book also talked about some of the thought-changing techniques that also work, like the "relanguaging" technique, the STOP technique, setting aside time to worry, and taking your worries to God.

I loved the character of Olivia. You can really feel for her as she felt that God wasn't there, that she didn't deserve His love, that she felt she was a bad mom and wife, etc. I do like that she tried to keep her faith during the rough times, and I liked how the story of Job was incorporated into the story. I also enjoyed Olivia's humor.

The other characters in the book were wonderful as well. I loved Mike fighting for Emily towards the end. And I loved Dr. Sullivan and seeing his struggles, as well as his wife Peg.

I look forward to reading other books in this series.

Roxanne Henke's newest book, Becoming Olivia, is much more than a riveting read. It is a story that seems to reach from the page and touch a place within, so that by the end, I found myself a better equipped person - with a new understanding of depression and what it can look like.

Who would have expected Olivia to be depressed - a woman who seemed to have it all? What everyone didn't know, even those closest to her, was that she suffered from "clinical depression." Walking with Olivia through her rough spots and seeing her struggles, taught me a great deal about the subject. I doubt I'll ever again call myself "depressed" when I'm feeling a bit blue.

Becoming Olivia is a thought-provoking work that, at the same time, taught me much about how I might be able to recognize the conflict in someone else and, as a friend, offer help. As valuable as that is, it is also a tale masterfully told. I was completely caught up in this gripping story of relationships, peppered with plenty of twists to keep this reader entranced to the final sentence. Anyone who longs for a heart-tugging tale that will keep you up late into the night, get a copy of Becoming Olivia. That'll do it!

Becoming Olivia captures the essence of depression: the loneliness, the confusion, and the hopelessness of ever feeling better. This book also shows the positive side of counseling, which some Christians still seem to view as unacceptable.

My mother went through a deep depression several years ago, and it was only during the reading of this book that I glimpsed an iota of the despair she felt at that time. Thank you, Roxanne Henke, for presenting such a realistic sampling of the struggles of depression.

Readers, make sure to read After Anne before this novel, if possible.

Olivia "Libby" Marsden returns in Roxanne Sayler Henke's Coming Home to Brewster series. Libby is at home in the North Dakota town she has inhabited all her married life, but she is no longer at home in her own skin. She's blessed with good kids, a great husband and plenty of money to allow her to stay home and fulfill her dream of writing a novel, and yet, depression clamps its fingers around her soul without warning. As she struggles to make sense of overwhelming despair, her newfound faith in God is her only lifeline. Sensitively told through the author's personal experience, this realistic and skillfully woven novel packs emotional clout. In BECOMING OLIVIA, Henke dispels the myths surrounding a common mental illness that many struggle to overcome.

-Romantic Times BOOKclub Magazine (http://www.romantictimes.com/)

"Becoming Olivia" was the first of Roxanne Henke's books that I have read, and I will definitely be reading others. This book was one woman's story. Outwardly, Olivia was a woman who had a perfect life and functioned well in daily life. She had a great marriage and good kids. No one would have guessed of her daily struggle with anxiety and depression. If you or someone you know has struggled with anxiety or depression, you will find encouragement in Olivia's story of her struggle and her eventual healing through doctors, medicine, faith, family and friends.

If Olivia Marsden has the perfect life...a good marriage, great kids, and a strong faith, then why is this dark cloud of depression hanging over her? Why can't her doctor simply prescribe a pill or offer a therapy that will make her fear go away? If only life were so simple...

This book, in Roxy's Coming Home to Brewster series, was one I could hardly put down. Few authors touch on the subject of depression and fewer yet portray it with the insight and compassion that Roxanne Henke delivers in this story.

Olivia Marsden has it all...on the surface. She has a perfect life, a perfect husband, a perfect family, everything is perfect. Except that she just can't quite snap out of this sadness she feels. She begins having panic attacks and ultimately ends up hospitalized while she tries to deal with her new "illness". She becomes such a real person that you feel her inner struggles with humiliation, negative self-talk, her despair. You find yourself amidst the group of Olivia's friends, some cheering her on, others minimalizing her situation.

Roxanne Henke tackles a typically taboo subject matter with tact, honesty, grace and humor. Her characters, as in the other Coming Home to Brewster books, quickly become family and you find yourself drawn into their lives as you would that of an old friend. Her books never cease to amaze me and this was certainly no exception. If you suffer from, or know someone that suffers from depression, I would highly recommend this book as it gives such an honest look at what it's like to suffer and recover from this illness.

I loved After Anne, and could not wait to read this book. I felt this story was slow and had a hard time getting through it. I never felt the kind of pain Libby was going through or the emotional wrath that I should have felt for her depression. The same themes kept coming up over and over. It always seemed she was drinking coffee to get through the day. There was so much more that could have come from this story. I think Roxanne Henke is a great writer this book just did not inspire me.