BOOK REVIEW: "WHEN HAPPILY EVER AFTER SHATTERS"
BOOK REVIEW: "WHEN HAPPILY EVER AFTER SHATTERS"
By Alisha Lewis | MS, LPC
Synopsis:
The book, “When Happily Ever After Shatters” is one of the most engaging books I have read regarding divorce recovery. The author, Sue Birdseye, takes you through her personal journey of divorce, after a seventeen year marriage with 5 children together ended with her husband telling her he was leaving. She is extremely open and honest as she shares her experience of divorce in her carefully chosen words in the pages of this book. This book covers a multitude of issues that arise in the divorce process and recovery. It is a comprehensive view of life before, during and after divorce. She not only carries you through the range of emotions such as abandonment, fear, anger, despair and loneliness; she provides practical ways in her book to effectively deal with those emotions. The book effectively addresses how to pick the pieces up after divorce and learn to live again. She carries you through the emotional, physical, financial, spiritual and legal struggles that one faces in divorce. She shares not only her personal experiences but talks about how her children were affected by the divorce and ways she was able to be there for them in the midst of her pain. The foundation of this book is built on how God worked in her life and the life of each of her children through the devastation of divorce to bring about a gift of hope and healing.
What did you find helpful about this book?
Having worked in the field of divorce recovery for over 15 years, I found it to be thorough in addressing the many facets that you should expect in the face of divorce. She not only shares a lot of questions she pondered in this process, she provided many answers found clearly in God’s word. In this book, she has excerpts from her journal that are moving and can easily connect someone who is going through or has been through a divorce. It provides understanding, nurture and hope. Scripture is filled throughout the pages of this book and she beautifully describes God’s every step with her through this time in her life.
What do clients find most helpful about this book?
There is a statement I hear quite often from the clients I see who are in the process of divorce or who are recovering from divorce. It goes something like this, “My friends and family don’t understand what I am going through.” They feel very alone in their journey. Sue Birdseye understands. The book is personal and engaging. It is filled with sorrow and pain, frustration and humor, devastation and healing. The clients feel understood and they relate to Sue’s pain and long for the healing she shares in her book. Clients report their feelings are validated and they are able to connect to this writer because of her personal testimony. They have found clear practical answers. Clients discuss how easy it is to read and how it helped them to know that they are not the only one experiencing the pain of divorce but that healing will come. It is an encouraging and hopeful book. The role God plays in her recovery and how she reveals this in her book has drawn clients closer to God in their own journey.
Favorite Quotes:
“And while it was a day by day, step by step, remind-myself-to-breath kind of experience, I saw that God was (and continues to be) with me, helping me maintain a Christ-centered perspective even during the worst times.”
“I am thankful and hopeful because God is allowing me to be a part of the redemption of this difficult period in my life and the lives of my children.”
“His word reminded me of who I am and whose I am.”
“Knowing the truth of who God is and how deeply He loves you is foundational to your success.”