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.
I’m looking forward to ordering (perhaps winning) and reading this book. I am a fan of Alice Hoffman’s fiction and know her writing will be inspirational.
For me –living with an alcoholic husband and eventually growing the backbone I needed to leave him, were my years of disaster that I was able to overcome. I’m writing a memoir about that time of my life, now when 20 years later, I am happily married to a wonderful man who drinks wine for the taste of the libation and not for the foggy way it makes you feel after an overload of wine, beer, and martinis. Life is good again.
Good for you, Renee, for breaking the cycle of abuse and moving on to live a happy life with a wonderful husband. Our stories are similar and we’re not alone. Alice’s book is a powerful reminder to see the beauty in life, even in the midst of illness and loss. Thanks very much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and good luck in the drawing!
Surviving? How does anyone do it?
After my Martha died, the experience felt harder than hard. For the first six weeks, I was so bludgeoned could not even read. Sometimes, I would say to myself, “I can’t do this!” I would ask myself by way of challenge, “Can you do the next five minutes?” I would then “do” the next five minutes.
I began putting some of her things away–her toothbrush, her slippers–into a box for many months before I could dispose of them for good. (It was a “trick” that allowed me to remove the eviscerating reminders one by one.) People began to say, “You’re still torn apart–after all this time!” I would reply, “It takes as long as it takes.”
One day, about four years later, I knew/felt I was on some other side of grief. Now I remember mostly Martha’s love and support, her energy and creativity rather than pain. But the pain never goes away. Just last week, hearing a song we danced to often–sometimes in our livingroom, I broke into tears.
Dear Denis, I can feel your heartache through your poignant story of love and loss. You are so right, we all grieve in our own way and in our own time. While time heals, the pain of the loss lingers and we move on as you have to remember the good times and happy memories. Thank you very much for sharing so openly. I’m sure you speak for many who have suffered the loss of a beloved spouse. I feel Alice’s book is a reminder of life’s beauty despite our losses. It’s not sugar-coated but compassionate and uplifting. Sending blessings to you.I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Kathy, I’ve been hearing great things about Alice Hoffman’s Survival Lessons, and now you’ve confirmed what I’ve heard. I’m amazed that I haven’t read any of her fiction, but will now start seeking out her name and books. Hoping to win Survival Lessons, perhaps it will be my first Alice Hoffman read.
I have not survived the death of a spouse, or a life-threatening disease, but I have lost three men in my life who meant a great deal to me. First, my dad who was my rock, my hero, died when I was 28 after being in poor health 25 of those 28 years. Then a nephew, born when I was only 6 and who seemed more like a brother than a nephew, was murdered in his late 30s. And last year my writing mentor and friend, my brother-in-law Jim died following an 18-month battle with a rare dementia. Each of those left me with a void that must be filled. I honestly don’t remember how I got past the first two, but I know that as we celebrated Jim’s life on the first anniversary of his death this week reflecting on the high points and the most beautiful of our memories seems to be the thing that gets me beyond the hard and difficult days knowing he isn’t at the end of an email or phone call any more.
Thanks for an engaging post and discussion.
Dear Sherrey, Thank you for your lovely testimony to the healing power of celebrating the lives of our loved ones who have left us. I think you will find solace in Alice’s lovely book. I appreciate you stopping by, as always, to share your thoughts. Good luck in the drawing!
Kathy, I’m a fan of Alice Hoffman and have read many of her novels but somehow “Survival Lessons” escaped my notice until now. Thanks for letting me know. I hope to win, though I’m not the lucky sort 😉
My years of survival came after losing my mother to a stroke and older sister to suicide within eight months. It took almost four years before I felt any semblance of normal. I described that time as feeling as though the universe was off balance. That lack of balance manifested itself in a multitude of car accidents, ranging from scrapes to far worse. I was very fortunate I didn’t kill someone, though I came frighteningly close in a car/motorcycle accident. Any test would have shown me safe to drive, but clearly I was not. I’m glad to say that time of being out of kilter is past.
Carol, I had no idea you had suffered such devastating losses within eight months of each other. Of course,the universe would seem off balance. You probably wonder, as I would, how you were able to get on the other side of it safely. I’m sorry you had to face such deep losses and happy you have been able to move on. Loss comes in many forms and escapes no one. Alice’s book is a reminder that there is hope in finding peace and balance after illness or loss. Thank you for stopping by and good luck in the drawing!
Time was certainly a factor in my healing, Kathy, but a friend who also lost a sister by suicide dragged me to a suicide survivor’s conference, which helped considerably. Coincidentally, the annual suicide survivor’s conference is tomorrow. This year, I’m taking a friend who lost her son.
If there are other suicide survivors reading who haven’t connected with this group, I highly recommend they check it out: http://www.afsp.org/coping-with-suicide/international-survivors-of-suicide-day
Carol, I’m happy you found a support group for survivors of suicide and now you are paying it forward. Thanks so much for sharing the link.
I am not a breast cancer survivor, but I’ve survived teaching in the public school system. I survived being single until age 62. I’ve survived independence, dependence, and the perils and joys of finding a way out of the messy holes I dug myself into.
Thanks for sharing this interview. I’m an Alice Hoffman fan and like everyone here, I’d love to win this book.
http://www.writeradvice.com
Author of You Want Me to Do WHAT? Journaling for Caregivers
Welcome, Lynn! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your survival story. As I mentioned to Carol, loss comes in many forms and we all find our own ways to the other side. I’m intrigued by your statement, “I’ve survived independence, dependence and the perils and joys of finding a way out of the messy holes I dug myself into.” I’m happy you’ve worked your way to the other side. Therein lies your story. BTW, I checked out your website, writeradvice.com and see a wealth of resources for writers. I hope everyone checks it out. Good luck in the drawing!
I love Alice Hoffman’s writing and this memoir sounds encouraging. I’ve learned to take more time for myself as life can change so quickly. It would be nice to win a copy. TY Kathy for hosting…write on!
You’re welcome, Rhonda. You are so right–“take time for yourself as life can change so quickly.” Thanks for stopping by and good luck in the drawing!
My sister recently sent me this book to help me in my own battle with a chronic illness. It is uplifting and inspiring.
I agree, Pat, Alice’s book is both uplifting and inspiring and one does not have to have cancer to appreciate it. Illness and loss come in many forms, as you know so well. Thanks for stopping by. Sending you healing vibes across the pond. 🙂