Customer Reviews

Note to Self: 30 Women on Hardship, Humiliation, Heartbreak, and Overcoming It All

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderfully moving collection of stories. It reminds us that no matter who we are, we will all go through emotionally and physically challenging times in our lives, but we can still survive and even be stronger as a result. Not only do these stories have uplifting and inspirational messages, they're funny and touching as well. This one is highly recommended!

The moral of the story summed up in a sentence or "note" at the end is worth writing down or at least remembering. That having been said, if any one of these moving and honest stories was in a magazine, I would have read it and thought, "Wow, she really laid it on the line and bared her soul." I would have been able to drink in the adversity and how the brave woman handled it. But as a collection, by the time I got to the end I was rather depressed. It was too much hardship coming at me at once. As I said though, each story as a stand alone is a gem.

Reviewed by Connie Anderson

* Resilient * Powerful * Determined * Unstoppable * Incredible * Strong * Amazing ... What wonderful words to use when you think about women.

Note to Self starts with Andrea's personal story of humiliation and growth that leads into amazing stories of women overcoming... .

These women, some are well-known like Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order, SVU), others are known in their own field. They all tell their stories of overcoming major bad things that happened to them: illness, injury, job-related, relationship-related, etc.

The stories show how strong and resilient women can be-of all ages, some who had nothing, and others who "had it all."

Several of the stories are about the men they married-and the good, the bad and the ugly things human do to each others. One's husband gave her AIDS and asked her not to tell anyone, even after he died. She could not even tell her or his children. That was when AIDS filled the nation with fear.

All I could think of when I read each story was: "You go girl!" I was rooting for their success or even for their life-changing ah-ha moments.

The 3Hs (humiliation, heartbreak and Hardship really sum up life, and the collection Buchanan has assembled is worth any woman's reading time, and this is true for younger women just dating as well. It is full of advice hidden within personal experiences.

One story was written by Candy, one of the professionals that do interventions on the TV reality show, "Intervention." Herself a recovering alcoholic, her story was so heartwarming about how drinking had filled her long hours alone with a musician husband on tour for weeks at a time. Then she got sober, and now helps others-many in the entertainment industry.

My surprising favorite, maybe because it made me laugh, was the stand-up comedienne Carol Leifer. She wrote about getting rid of her dad's things after he died, and how memories are tied to "stuff." But she reminded us that "we are not our stuff but the lives we touch."

Amen to that and all the wonderful women who shared their life's story. You'll be humbled just reading about these resilient individuals.

Armchair Interviews says: HIGHLY recommended for all women. WOW.

This book is about life and overcoming life's hardships. It is about strong women who are willing to share there deepest darkest moments and bring you along for their absolute triumphs.
Buy this book and give it to every woman you know. It is exactly the kind of book the world needs right now.

I can't believe how one book with 30 sotries can speak to the entire female population! Never have I read a book with such honor, grace and boldness before. I feel like I know each of these women as I know so many that can identify with their individual hardship, heartbreak and triumph. Beautifully done. Can't wait until the next 30 stories comes out! Thank you Andrea Buchanan for taking the time to bring all these courageous womens' stories together and share them with the rest of us. More please.
Michele, Los Angeles CA

Brave women tell their own stories. A note at the end of each essay summarizes the lesson learned or the point made. Some of the stories were tragic and brought tears to my eyes and some were a little lighter and even had comedic moments, but all were inspiring. I was moved by the courage of the women writers, first by their surviving and becoming better and second by their willingness to share their stories. My personal favorite was the one by the stuntwoman who survived a terrible accident and finally opened her eyes to the truth about her fiance. A close second was the one written by the eleven-year-old girl who bravely lived with a painful disease and her medication side effects until a holistic solution was found to manage her symptoms. If there is a common theme to the book, it is that there are turning points in life and if they don't kill you, they make you stronger. These women all became stronger. I couldn't help but think that sadly, there are many women out there who don't have their courage and insight.

This is a beautifully done book that should appeal to all women.

Don't lend your copy of Note to Self out; buy copies for your girlfriends instead, because you'll want to re-read stories when you need a little kick in the pants. It's difficult to put down once you've started reading, but if your life gets in the way of things like eating and reading, the book's format makes it easy to read one story at a clip.

If you're a mom, like me, you'll cry reading Rita Hunt's "Soul Detour". When you feel your world's being turned upside down, go to "Now, Back to Me" by Rene Syler. Find a toilet paper trail from your pants after everyone else has noticed? Go to Annabelle Gurwitch's "Too Hip to Be Square".

Note to Self is that rare book that tells stories you can get lost in and really learn from in the process. As I read each story, I realized a powerful truth: As women, either famous or obscure, audacious or apprehensive, wealthy or poor, we are all sisters trying to live the best lives we can - struggling, losing, winning, loving - and we can all be kinder to each other and learn from each other.

A good friend of mine recently recommended this book after listening to me rehearse my woes to him for the thirtieth time in the last few months. "It'll change your life," he said. From the introduction I was swept away. Such candor and honesty. I immediately was able to draw parallels between the lives of these heroic women and the kind of person I wanted to become: someone who was ready to stop complaining and start overcoming what life had hurled my way, someone who could take a moment to reorient myself in the world around me, realize what's true, what's amazing about what I have even though so often, in my moments of self-abuse, I feel totally given over to helplessness and irremediable frustration. Something about hearing other people triumph over moments of profound personal instability really allowed me to articulate my own problems, weave it into a larger narrative and start moving on.

Having survived a tough time of my own, I was shocked and relieved to have "Note to Self" recommended to me by a compatriot. I have found it be a compendium of strength, fortitude, smarts and courage from 30 completely different women. The myth that life is hard only if you deserve it gets a good smack here as these ladies, who were just living their lives as best they could, found themselves facing odds that anyone would find challenging - and some would find crippling forever. How each of us approaches hardship is as fascinating as the hardship itself. Bearing witness to the struggle of others gives us the courage necessary to carry on ourselves. Read "Note to Self" if you want to be inspired and reminded of your own strength and fortitude. The women in this book made me proud to be female.

i picked up note to self just to give it a quick glance and an hour later after stopping only to get a kleenex for my tears, i laid it down to go to work and came home and finished it. the stories are so touching, deeply moving and incredibly inspiring and uplifting. this book is for anyone who has ever felt like they were alone in a struggle. these brave women, celebrities and not, tell their stories with such candor and humor, its amazing. i cant remember the last time a book had me laughing and crying at the same time. i cant recommend this book enough. the author, Andrea Buchanan has collected a beautiful gathering of women from all walks of lifeto share their stories. i felt like i was sitting at a table with these women having a cup of coffeee and chatting. good work! will there be another book soon, please? pretty please?