Heather Wardell

I have been trying to type up a review of this book for about the last two hours. As I sit here, having erased what I wrote yet again, I realize that I can't write this like a normal review. Wiping the tears in my eyes as I try to figure out exactly what to say has made me realize that I'm just going to have to write exactly what I feel. I hope you don't mind, dear readers. Try to keep up, and I'll promise not to ramble too much.

From the moment that I opened Planning to Live, I was at one show more with Rhiannon. In fact, I'm fairly sure that all of us out there can find at least a bit of us who is just like her. Always working. Setting goals. Never feeling like what you do is good enough. Down on yourself for one reason or another. Truly I saw so much of myself in Rhiannon that it scared me a bit. I wondered how on Earth someone out there could mirror me so perfectly. What I liked is that she isn't written like an "every woman" though. Rhiannon has her own personality, her own self, she just happens to be going through a life that is similar to most of us out there.

This book is all about living life for the journey, not for the destination. It reminds us, rather jarringly, that you need to focus on the little successes and be proud of those. It's easy to forget that in the normal hustle and bustle of life, especially when you live in a world that pushes success as the norm. Rhiannon's story struck me most of all because I am slowly pulling myself out of the same hole that she was trapped in. It made me realize that I'm not alone, and that it is important to try no matter how hard it hurts. Am I rambling? I'm quite sure I am, it's hard not to, but I'll wrap it up.

Once in a blue moon I stumble upon a book that touches me so deeply it alters my thinking. This book did that for me. I can't say for certain how it will touch any of the rest of you, since I don't know what parts of your life you are currently in, but I can say for certain that no matter what this is a fabulous read. Rhiannon is amazing, her story is touching, and you'll be moved. Make sure you have a big box of tissues though. I recommend this book 200%!

A huge thanks to Heather Wardell for allowing me to read this amazing book. I'm a whole hearted fan and I can't wait to see what she writes next! show less

I received a copy of Everybody’s Got a Story by Heather Wardell in exchange for an honest review.

Alexa is still struggling to move on after the assault of her ex-boyfriend Christophe, and who can blame her – no one should ever have to deal with that. His assault affects Alexa in every facet of her life, both work and personal.

This was such a heart-breaking story and I could not help but feel absolutely saddened for Alexa and what she was dealing with, emotionally, mentally and show more physically. This book brought the long lasting effects on victims of assault to the forefront and the reality of the lasting feeling of being a victim can in fact for some, last for a lifetime. This book is a great read, but not a light one. show less

So here’s a book with a great story, interesting characters (some likeable, some boring), a superfluous romance, a heart-breaking tragedy, great research into a historical event, and decent writing. As is evident, there are many things I loved about this book, and many I found a drag. But first…

Story:
Fiery Girls comes to us from two perspectives and is written in first person:
1. Rosie Lehrer, a Russian Jew who is sent by her parents to America to earn some money so that they all can show more escape their troubled lives in Russia. Rosie is a shy sixteen year old who uses her sewing skills to get a job in a waist (a shirt-blouse) making factory. She is greatly influenced by Clara, a colleague-cum-staunch-unionist and soon helps out in union activities against the wishes of her parents.
2. Maria Cirrito, a sixteen year old Italian whose parents send her to America with her elder brother Vincente. The plan is for them both to work there for four years, earn enough money and then return to Italy where Vincente can set up his business and Maria can settle into matrimony. Maria however has other plans; she simply wants to earn enough to get her secret boyfriend to America. Life in the States works better than she expected and she enjoys the freedom. Her gutsy nature initially makes her look down on unionists but soon she realises that they have an important role to play.
Through the eyes of these two young girls, we get a glimpse into the America of the 1909-1911 period, the struggles of the immigrants, the working conditions in the garment factories, the tragic fire in the Triangle Waistcoat factory, and the rise of women power in the unions.
The title is dually nuanced. It indicates the fiery, rebellious nature of these young immigrants who strive to make the best of their circumstances. And it also hints at the fire that destroys the lives and/or livelihoods of these girls.

Where the book clicked for me:
• Yet another book that served to enlighten me about a historical milestone of the past. Some of you might have heard the 1911 Triangle Waist Company Fire, one of the largest industrial disasters in the United States. I hadn't. So this book offered a painful insight into that tragedy. I was sobbing hard while reading about the fire and its aftermath, and that is a rarity! I hardly ever cry while reading.
• The writing is mostly quick-paced, so the 300 pages go by very fast. The main exception is around the 50-60% mark where nothing new seemed to be happening.
• There are so many things today's working women (and men) take for granted but the roots of all these safety protocols were instilled by the men and women of the past. It is said that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. This adage is proved time and again in this story. I loved the way it revealed the role of the unions in ensuring fairness for all employees. Most stories tend to focus only of the negatives of unionism. This was a pleasant change.
• The picture the book painted of the working women in 1909 was an eye-opener. While we all know the struggles women have undergone to be part of the workplace, the author deftly reveals what these women must have undergone, especially as they were always supposed to follow whatever their families wanted.
• I enjoyed the build-up of Marie’s character. She was spunky, stubborn, and strong-willed, everything a woman in 1909 wasn’t supposed to be. Her character growth was the most impressive and she proved to be a woman of substance underneath her seemingly selfish exterior.
• This line: “We girls and women will never be respected unless we stand up for ourselves. The men aren't going to do it for us, after all. Why should they give us rights when it means they'll have less power over us? We will have to take those rights.” Clap, clap, clap!

Where the book could have worked better for me:
• Sometimes, the plot become repetitive, especially in Rosie's thoughts. It might have been a way for the author to indicate how under-confident Rosie was about her abilities. But the same thing repeated over and over can just drive you nuts.
• The romance between Rosie and another character was needless. Whatever bond they had would have worked well even through friendship.
• Rosie was so whiny! She could have been so much more with her intelligence but her character seems to be stuck in the same emotional position from start to almost end.
(I guess all my problems with the book are focussed on Rosie!)

To sum it up, I think this can be a good one-time read as it offers a well-researched plot and brings to modern readers a forgotten tragedy of the past.

A 3.5 from me, rounding up to 4.

Thank you, NetGalley and Heather Wardell, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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If you're looking for a light, heart-warming story to read this holiday season, this is the book you should be reading. This might not make sense to some, but the only word I can think of to describe my experience of reading Fifty Million Reasons is "soothing." It’s just rare to find a book that I can easily read through without pausing once to think, “Hmm, that doesn't seem right.”

For most of us, winning a million dollar lottery is nothing but a dream, a nice little fantasy we like show more to entertain ourselves with only in our wildest daydreams. For Angela whose dream just became a reality, however, she quickly finds out that there's more to being a multi-millionaire than living extravagantly and buying private jets. While there are definitely some perks, there are surprisingly a lot of downsides in which Wardell is unafraid to explore.

This is the first book I've read by Heather Wardell but I can already tell she excels in character writing. We've all read a book where at least one character seems to lack any personality and whose only purpose seem to be for (bad) things to happen to them and then to be forgotten. You'll find no such character in Fifty Million Reasons. Instead, you'll find characters that you'll remember for their emotions, their motives, and their view in life. Aside from Angela, who I will talk more about later, the people I enjoyed reading about the most was Claudia, John, and Zack. Claudia is Angela's best friend and her struggles with trying to have a baby had me crossing my fingers and hoping the best for her. John's stubbornness really made me want to punch him and hug him at the same time. Zack is a precious kid who is sometimes too wise for his age, but if I had a kid who grew up to be like him, I would be so proud. So much time and effort has obviously been put into writing these characters, you can't help but easily connect with them and wish the best for them.

Angela, herself, is a genuine, generous protagonist who I found very difficult not to like. The only hitch in her characterization for me was her hangup on a relationship that ended nine years ago. I know "first loves" and "the one that got away" aren't easy to forget, but nine of years of wondering how your life would've been different if you were still with that person seems a bit excessive. Still, I liked how Angela's view on this managed to change throughout the story and was a nice indicator how much character growth she went through in just six months. As someone who is also afraid of change, Angela's fear that the money might have changed her and her relationships with others really resonated with me. Being privy to her thought processes as she slowly learns to accept those changes and start to balance her life only made me empathize with her even more.

This book will surely stop and make you reflect on your life, if even for the shortest of moments. Yet the book never, for one moment, gets preachy. Wardell doesn't tell the reader what is wrong or what is right. Instead, each character must try to find the solutions to their problems that best suited their own individual ethical code. In that process, the readers also end up pondering the same questions as the characters. If you won the lottery, how do you determine among your family, friends, and loved ones who gets what? How much is too much and too little during birthdays and holidays? What would you do if your relationships with the people closest to you changed because of money? If someone you knew won the lottery, would you ask them for money? If they offered it even when you didn't ask, would you accept it? When I thought about those questions, I couldn't help but be just a little more devoted to the characters and their stories and hoping that there was a happy ending for all.

The ending did manage to wrap up Angela's experience as a multi-millionaire extremely well. Although some might see it as predictable, I still found it satisfying while staying true to their characters. Overall, I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a light, refreshing read that just leaves you with a warm feeling and rosy cheeks in the end. (Rating: 5/5)

** See review @ Bookcharmed show less