7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-read for women going through divorce, May 6, 2009
This review is from: Happily Ever After Divorce: Notes of a Joyful Journey (Paperback)
It was the title that first attracted me: Happily Ever After Divorce. As someone who once bought a decorative pillow with the words "Happily Ever After" embroidered in demure cream, and tossed it on my marital bed hoping that the pillow would make that wish could true, I keenly felt the pain of thinking that my own impending divorce would kill my dreams of happily ever after.
Jessica Bram, a witty and honest writer, is here to tell you that there's a lot people aren't telling you about your divorce, and most of it is actually pretty good news.
Ms. Bram doesn't sugar-coat the pain, fear and confusion that come through the process of tearing one home into two. In there are all the gut-wrenching legal battles that feel so much like being under seige, the guilt at what she's doing to her children, the anger at the man who was supposed to love her forever now turning into an enemy. But the resounding message throughout each lovely chapter is, "I made it, and so can you." It is a genuinely uplifting book. By the time you get to the chapter "Friends With My Ex-Husband," you feel like although it can be dark during a divorce, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
If you're expecing a "how-to" of happy divorce, this isn't the book for you. It's a series of stand-alone first-person essays about one woman's experience. But in many ways, it's even better than a how-to. It's certainly more personal, touching and well-written. You feel like you're talking to a sister or old friend who has gone through what you're going through - and is here to let you know that everything will be okay.
At times hilarious (the chapter on eclipse-chasing in Europe with her young boys is not to be missed), often poignant but mostly hopeful, Happily Ever After Divorce is a book you'll want to read again and again and pull out in your darkest nights. By the time the author finds love again in "Then Comes Love" (you hoped all along that she would, but were not always sure, since she seems to really love being single), you feel like someone has shone a light on the map, and you no longer feel you're in alien territory alone.
This book is an engaging, charming and fast read. I recommend it highly.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A joy of a book !, July 20, 2009
What a breath of fresh air this book was ! As a recently divorced 58-year old woman (of 2 grown daughters), I was struck by how similar our feelings and experiences were throughout the whole divorce process - feelings about our children, our ex-husbands being incredible fathers, trying to keep our kids whole and healthy throughout the process and everything else she captures so beautifully in her book. I was actually happy I read it AFTER my divorce, rather than while I was going through it. It allowed me to reflect on where I've been, where I want to go and how I might get there - at a time when my feelings were not so raw.
I didn't want this warm & tender book to ever end, and I will definitely re-read it. It was such a comfort to me.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Read, December 2, 2011
This review is from: Happily Ever After Divorce: Notes of a Joyful Journey (Paperback)
A wonderful read that flows, entertains and makes you feel less alone. Jessica helps you conjure up and understand all the emotions associated with divorce, and moves you through them. You'll find yourself nodding your head in agreement as she relates her experiences, and you'll find the book hard to put down.
We were fortunate to have Jessica speak to our group and the audience didn't want her to leave! She's a breath of fresh air with a delightful sense of humor and encouraging words of wisdom about moving life forward.
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