"Repairing Rainbows" Review

SUMMARY:
At thirteen years old, Lynda's life comes to a disastrous halt when her mother and two younger sisters are killed in a plane crash. Her father, overcome by despair, simply continues to exist, in a state devoid of hope. After burying a wife and two young children at the age of 44, the overwhelming responsibility of raising a daughter alone completely immobilizes him.

Teetering on that tender brink between childhood and adolescence, Lynda faces the responsibility of a father in a complete state of shock, a house to take care of and hundreds of decisions about how to proceed with their shattered lives. In Repairing Rainbows she candidly describes the agonizing memories, deafening silence and endless hardships that are the fallout of incredible loss. As we follow her through marriage, motherhood and her own spiritual journey, Lynda reveals her complex feelings of hope, anger, pity and determination. Most importantly, she learns the crucial difference between "truly living" and the existence that is so often mistaken for being alive.

A true story, written by a woman whose normal and abundant life hides a terrible past, Repairing Rainbows is loaded with important lessons to help others overcome struggles and obstacles, and fulfill their lives. It is a powerful, captivating, riveting and easy-to-read story that will undoubtedly touch the hearts of its readers.

MY THOUGHTS

I have mixed feelings about this book. I feel like Lynda is struck in a time warp in 1970. It seems like she just cannot move on with her life. Every little thing causes her to return to her grief from 1970. There was so much detail and rehashing of what happened in 1970. She keeps saying 'we have choices, and she chooses to live.' But, for some reason she just could not let go of the past. No matter how much we rehash it, the past just cannot be changed. So we the living have to move on with our lives. Yes we still love our loved ones who have died, and we will never forget them, but there comes a time when we just have to move on.

I think that her father was able to move on a bit better than Lynda could, and was happier than Lynda could understand. I can understand why maybe he wasn't overjoyed to visit her, because she always brought up things that caused hurt feelings between them. I'm sure those visits with her were very difficult for him even though she cannot understand that. In this area we need to remember that we are only hearing her side of the story. We have no idea the sadness he lived with after the accident that took away his wife and two daughters.

I understand some of her feelings, because I lost my father when I was 4 years old, and my mother was left to raise 8 children. (ages 4-17 years old)  My mother, sisters,  brothers and myself  were able to move on even though it was a most difficult time in our lives.  My father died suddenly, he was very much missed, but we all moved on with our lives, and remembered all the fun and happy times we had with him. And I feel sure that is what he would have wanted all of us to do. 

I gave this book 2** because, I just couldn't connect with Lynda for some reason. 

I won this book from a book-giveaway, that Cheryl at CMash Loves to Read hosted. Thanks Cheryl.