Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“There is always a before and an after. My advice, travel light. Choose only what you need most to see you through.” Author Alice Hoffman from Survival Lessons.
It is my pleasure to participate in this book tour and giveaway for Alice Hoffman’s new book, Survival Lessons. A lucky commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing will receive a copy of her book.
Link to ordering on Amazon.
Book Synopsis:
The bestselling author of 21 novels offers in her first nonfiction, a road map for how to reclaim your life—from relationships with friends and family to the way you see yourself.
As Alice Hoffman says, “In many ways I wrote Survival Lessons to remind myself of the beauty of life, something that’s all too easy to overlook during the crisis of illness or loss. I forgot that our lives are made up of equal parts of sorrow and joy, and that it is impossible to have one without the other. I wrote to remind myself that despite everything that was happening to me, there were still choices I could make.”
Wise, gentle, and wry, Alice Hoffman teaches all of us how to choose what matters most.
Pre-pub endorsements:
“In this gem of a book, Alice Hoffman acknowledges the sorrows of life, while reminding us of its joys. Survival Lessons is filled with love, insight, and lots of practical advice—including a crazy-good brownie recipe. I’ll be sharing this book widely, but keeping one copy permanently on my nightstand for all the times I’ll need its wisdom and warmth.”–Will Schwalbe, author of
The End of Your Life Book Club
“The book is not about her breast cancer per se but about making choices (each chapter is titled “Choose…”) that will improve readers’ lives and relationships and remind them ‘of the beauty of life.’ More than cancer sufferers will be glad they picked up this tiny gem.” —Library Journal
“It may be short, but it’s powerful. An absolutely beautiful book.”–Sue Monk Kidd
“Heartening.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Writing with sparkling directness, warmth, humor, and long-steeped wisdom, Hoffman has created a companionable and genuinely useful book for times of crisis. Small, intimate, and lovely . . . Hoffman’s storytelling artistry enlivens each intimate, thoughtfully distilled, charming, and nurturing lesson in living.”—Booklist
Welcome, Alice!
Author Bio:
Alice Hoffman was born in New York City on March 16, 1952 and grew up on Long Island. After graduating from high school in 1969, she attended Adelphi University, from which she received a BA, and then received a Mirrellees Fellowship to the Stanford University Creative Writing Center, which she attended in 1973 and 74, receiving an MA in creative writing. She currently lives in Boston and New York.
Alice Hoffman is the author of 21 novels, including The Dovekeepers and the forthcoming The Museum of Extraordinary Things. Her inspirational nonfiction, Survival Lessons, was released last month by Algonquin Books.
Hoffman’s work has been published in more than twenty translations and more than one hundred foreign editions. Her novels have received mention as notable books of the year by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, Library Journal, and People Magazine. She has also worked as a screenwriter and is the author of the original screenplay “Independence Day” a film starring Kathleen Quinlan and Diane Wiest. Her short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kenyon Review, Redbook, Architectural Digest, Gourmet, Self, and other magazines. Her teen novel Aquamarine was recently made into a film starring Emma Roberts.
My review:
It’s true. Good things really do come in small packages. Best selling novelist Alice Hoffman packs a lot of practical wisdom about life and surviving breast cancer in this eighty-three page guidebook.
In a voice that stems from the heart of a woman who has survived breast cancer, we glean page after page of trustworthy, day-to-day tips for living a full life. Filled with simple, practical lessons, she draws us into her human experience and helps us connect to our own.
I found myself immersed in her story and connecting on many levels—as a woman, a cancer survivor, a wife, a mother, a friend, a human being. Interspersed throughout the book are photos and poems that highlight her messages of reclaiming your life and enjoying its simple pleasures. She even pays forward gifts her family and friends have given her—a recipe for brownies, a pattern for a knit cap.
Each section has simple, yet captivating title. Here’s an excerpt under Choose to Tell Your Own Story (page 66):
“When people ask you about your terrible year, the first thing that will come to mind is the grin on your son’s face on the roller coaster and how fast your daughter ran on the beach. She was almost flying. She was the most beautiful thing on earth”
Underlying each message is the idea that life is precious and we need to stop and appreciate its beauty every day. One does not need to have cancer or a life threatening illness to appreciate these words.
The gentle reminders Alice offers in this little book are a gift to all of us.
My reviews can be found on Amazon and Goodreads.
Other Book Tours and Giveaways of Survival Lessons for this week and next:
11/15 – 11/29:The Celebrity Café: http://thecelebritycafe.com/contests/win-copy-survival-lessons-alice-hoffman hardcover giveaway (5)
11/18: Curled Up With A Good Book: http://www.curledup.com/int_alice_hoffman.htm
11/20 Women on Writing Blog: http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2013/11/survival-lessons-by-alice-hoffman.html giveaway for social Likes
11/25 A Musing Reviews: www.amusingreviews.blogspot.com review, signed giveaway & visual excerpt
11/26 Women’s Memoirs Blog http://womensmemoirs.com/memoir-book-review review by Lanie Tankard + signed giveaway
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How about you? Have you survived a life-threatening condition? What survival lessons have you learned? How do you find the beauty in each day?
We’d love to hear from you.
Please leave your comments below and your name will be entered into a book giveaway contest. A winner will be chosen randomly from a drawing and notified via email.
Next Week:
Monday, 11/25/13: Memoir Author Diana Cruze will discuss her memoir, A Life in the Day of Lady Salesman. Diana will give away a copy of her memoir to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.