Happy Beginnings: How I Became My Own Fairy Godmother [Paperback]

Lorena Bathey (Author), Awareness Publishing Co. (Editor), Roy Rezentes II (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 2006

This is the story how Lorena Bathey started over after her fairy tale of marriage failed after eleven years. With the stunning declaration made by her husband that he was leaving, she began a journey where she learned loving, loss, friends and vodka were the roadmap to finding herself. This is a very open and honest account of how Lorena Bathey struggled to find her inner fairy godmother after being made to start over again. She uses humor and insight into the world of the late-thirty woman beginning again that will bring chuckles, guffaws, or tears. Lorena's story is her own but one that women today are experiencing in many ways. With this life change she stopped waiting for her own fairy godmother and took the wand into her own hands. You can too!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Happy Beginnings....is an autobiography which will make you laugh at your own separation antics, cry over memories, but in the end feel empowered." --Terri Matheis, Founder, SassyPinkPeppers.com

"I found Happy Beginnings to be witty, intelligent, soulful, and uplifting. It is always a blessing to come across a writer who is able to uplift and educated at the same time. It is my hope that Ms. Bathey will gift us with another book in the near future." --Ellen Hartwell, Counselor-

"Heartwarming, healing and hopeful. In discovering the real you, Happy Beginnings, will show you the way." --Carol Batte, San Francisco Junior League

From the Back Cover

This is the story how Lorena Bathey started over after her fairy tale of marriage failed after eleven years. With the stunning declaration made by her husband that he was leaving, she began a journey where she learned loving,loss, friends and vodka were the roadmap to finding herself. This is a very open and honest account of how Lorena Bathey struggled to find her inner fairy godmother after being made to start over again. She uses humor and insight into the world of the late-thirty divorcee that will bring chuckles, guffaws, or tears. Lorena's story is her own but one that many women are experiencing at this time. She stopped waiting for her own fairy godmother and took the wand into her own hands. You can too!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 203 pages
• Publisher: Scepter Press; 1st edition (January 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977681106
• ISBN-13: 978-0977681105
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,604,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lorena Bathey found after writing her first book, a memoir called Happy Beginnings: How I Became My Own Fairy Godmother that characters were visiting her mind and wouldn't leave. She was introduced to Marissa, Andrea, Lily, Deidre and Beatrice and her first novel, Beatrice Munson, came to life. After finishing that book she was inspired to write more novels and she knew that pursuing her passion was the best way to live her life. So a writer she became.

Find her at www.LorenaBBooks.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great escape with lessons to boot, October 30, 2011

By 

Michelle Fabio, Bleeding Espresso (Calabria, Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Happy Beginnings: How I Became My Own Fairy Godmother (Paperback)

In the span of three years, Lorena Bathey went through a divorce from her husband after 11 years together, her mother died of ovarian and breast cancer, and her father remarried within a few months of her mother's death; she also faced the prospect of reentering the workforce after more than a decade on the outside.

Happy Beginnings is Bathey's story of picking up the pieces of her life post-marital breakup and fitting them back together to make a whole new picture after much trial and error, including a whirlwind trip to Venice, Florence, and Rome.

Bathey's writing is brutally honest and open, almost uncomfortably so in parts for this reader. Like many, I enjoy playing voyeur from time to time, but sometimes I can feel like I've learned just a bit too much while peeking in the windows.

I thought of Bathey's children often throughout the book, wondering how they would feel when someday they read this tale of, essentially, how mommy got her groove back, especially from my perspective as a child of divorce. But as we all get to the point someday when we realize our parents are people too, hopefully this book will provide the author's children with some insight into their mother as a person, particularly at that point in her life.

Indeed, I admire Bathey for having the courage to put this out there knowing not only her children, but also her ex-husband, family, and friends could read it if they so desired. And I absolutely feel that any woman going through a divorce or difficult breakup could benefit from reading about her experiences and finding her "inner fairy godmother," whether it's to nod along in agreement or simply to clarify their own paths.

In fact, I've already recommended this book to one friend currently in this situation, and I would recommend it again and again.

For this reason, I give Happy Beginnings four stars and encourage you to pick up a copy if you're looking for a little escape into someone else's world, and especially if you're going through a tough personal time.

5.0 out of 5 stars Just the right mix of pathos and laugh-out-loud humor!, May 5, 2009

By 

Susy Flory (Bay Area, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Happy Beginnings: How I Became My Own Fairy Godmother (Paperback)

Ready to laugh, cry, and then laugh some more? Happy Beginnings: How I Became My Own Fairy Godmother is the story of a woman who found her identity in being the perfect wife and mother...until her husband broke up with her by passing her the news on a Post-It Note. As you might guess, there was another woman in the picture, and Lorena was devastated. After the first shocks subsided, Lorena felt prompted to set out on an emotional and spiritual journey through love, loss, and friends to rediscover her own unique identity and value and become the person she always wanted to be.

Lorena's voice is refreshingly original, and she made me laugh throughout the book as she described the perils of dating (including blind dates), retro nights at clubs, and an amazing trip to Italy. Enjoy!