Pearls of Wisdom: Surviving Against All Odds, Book Two

Marie Davis and ‘Survivors’
A Better Be Write Publisher (2005)
ISBN 0976773260
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (6/06)

A sequel, yet a stand alone, “Pearls of Wisdom: Surviving Against All Odds” is a compilation of life stories of five “over fifty” women: Leigh Anne, Sandra, Emily, Dolores, and Lynetta Marie.  The women are anonymous and use only their first names. Each writer discloses a touching narrative of her life, or part of her life, that truly does depict “surviving against all odds.” There are portrayals of sexual abuse, incest, cultural adversity and a search for Prince Charming.

Dolores’s story touched a cord for me. Although we were raised in different cultures, different countries, and thousands of miles apart, I paralleled much of my experiences with her.  Dolores was raised in a impoverished Hispanic community in southern Texas with four siblings by her mother.  The father was in the military and rarely made an appearance – often 5 years apart for each visit. She speaks of her upbringing, her innate defense mechanisms being the youngest of 5 children, going to school without knowing English, constant whippings for whatever reason, her relationships, her marriage, and the adoption of her children.

Even though each woman speaks of the dark moments of her soul, each one also speaks of how she was able to find peace within herself and continue to live a balanced life. There is something to be said that maturity gives us the opportunity to reflect on our life, accept the negative experiences, pick out the good, and carry on. The five women that share their stories are certainly survivors and give those who feel hopeless a glimpse of hope.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories. The writing is very personal and as I read each woman’s sequence of events, I felt like I was right there experiencing life with them. I commend Marie Davis for compiling the anthologies and sharing them with us. For anyone that loves to read about other people’s lives, this is a great book for them.

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