Review: Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected--A Memoir

Title: Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected--A Memoir
Author: Kelle Hampton
Length: 288
Publisher: William Monroe
Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir
Source: Purchased
My Rating:
Synopsis: (from Goodreads): The author of the popular blog Enjoying the Small Things recounts the first year of life with her daughter Nella, born with Down syndrome-a celebration of the beauty found in the unexpected, the strength of a mother's love, and, the gift of experiencing life in a wondrous new way

Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me.
That was the most defining moment of my life. That was the beginning of my story.

When photographer Kelle Hampton learned she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband, Brett, were ecstatic. Her pregnancy went smoothly and the ultrasounds showed a beautiful, healthy, high-kicking baby girl.

But when her new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her two-year-old sister Lainey had at birth. As she watched friends and family celebrate with champagne toasts and endless photographs, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome-a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle's fear and pain were vanquished by joy, as she embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift. 

Bloom takes readers on a wondrous journey through Nella's first year of life-a gripping, hilarious, and intensely poignant trip of transformation in which a mother learns that perfection comes in all different shapes. It is a story about embracing life and really living it, of being fearless and accepting difference, of going beyond constricting definitions of beauty, and of the awesome power of perspective. As Hampton writes, "There is us. Our Family. We will embrace this beauty and make something of it. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky."

My Review: I stumbled across Nella's birth story on day on the web. I didn't start following the blog but the story really stuck with me. It did so for a few reasons. First it was a moving story. Second I know how a medical diagnosis can rock your world, though in my case it was MY diagnosis. Third, I remembered the feelings I had when G had an increased possibility of having DS. I was really excited when I heard Kelle Hampton was going to have a book coming out. I even pre-ordered it!

Bloom was delivered on it's release date and I delved right in! Unfortunately I found myself not connecting with the book, with the story, but almost annoyed.  

 I guess I should start with the book itself. It is bigger and heavier than a normal hardcover.  It seems like it is trying to double as a photography book and there are a lot of pictures in it. I found the layout of the pictures to be odd.  they would just randomly be on the side of a page, then the bottom, then on both. It was distracting and I didn't find that more than 50%, if that, helped to really supplement the story. I know why they were included but they just didn't work for me.  

As far as the story goes Kelle just felt over the top to me. I couldn't relate to her. I found myself getting frustrated with her. Her writing was over descriptive and felt very self-indulgent. 

With all of the above said I don't think that is my place to judge her story. I can comment on the layout of the book and the actual writing, but in the end the story belongs to her. It is her life, her daughter, her grief, and her hope, not mine.  I admire her openness, the courage that it must have taken to write and share some of the things in this book. I love where she ended up in the end.  Kelle might have taken the long way around but she ended in a good place. Acceptance and love for Nella, and the rest of her family, an understanding of what might be ahead of them, and the willingness to deal with those problems as they come up while living and loving life one day at a time. Oh, and Nella is simply adorable!!


If you are interested in this book, read it, digest it, and feel for yourself. Just because it didn't turn out to be for me doesn't mean that it won't be just what you need. 


I wish Kelle, Nella, and the rest of the Hampton family all the best as they continue their journey!

 

Review: Stiletto 911

Title: Stiletto 911: The Makeover Manifesto of a Career Woman
Authors: Vivian Valtas Schmidt, Sue Publicover
Length: 269 pages
Publisher: Glamour Press House
Genre: Self-help, Chick-lit, Fiction
Source: Goodreads Giveaway
My Rating:
Synopsis (from Goodreads): “No matter how bad you’re feeling, you perk up when you have something to strut about — and in. But, while shoes are fun, stilettos represent a challenge. You can’t possibly slip on a pair of four-plus-inch stilettos for the first time and walk the walk without wobbling. Everyone starts in flats, because there’s no challenge to walking around in them — nor do you enjoy the feel of red-hot femininity and admiring glances. You have to work your way up, and the same is true in business: Inch by inch, we get taller. Our confidence rises. We will undoubtedly stumble —that’s called 'experience' — but we will never give up.”

Morgan Demarest is a twenty-three year old fashion diva who has a passion for shopping, stilettos, and indulgence. But her spree-filled life takes a life-altering turn when her fiery artist lover tosses Morgan and her precious designer wardrobe out of his Chicago loft. Having been raised by well-meaning parents who swooped in and saved the day on countless occasions, Morgan is distraught to find that safety net is now gone. As her self-centered world crumbles, Morgan is forced to take a hard look at her past, present, and future. She begins a surprising journey of self-discovery on the road to a new life — in the company of a 21st century Fairy Godmother who has her own set of rules.

This fable for today’s woman also features a series of 'footnotes' with advice, ideas, exercises, and the occasional kick in the big girl panties.

My Review:  This book sounded like it would be a fun read. I must admit that it was an easy read and it had some amusing moments and some of your typical self-help advice which everyone could use a reminder of now and then.

However the Fairy Godmother really irritated me. I don't think that there was any point where I liked her, which decidedly took away from the story. I also found that the timeline was a little hard to follow, i.e. had just one day past of a couple of months, and a few characters who commanded attention and weren't followed through with properly as the story progressed. Some of the advice given occasionally seemed to contradict, or be at odds with, other advice and the general intention of the book. Possibly a small or petty issue I had was some proof-reading errors and sentences that started with "and" and "but". These would not normally be a breaking point but along with the other issues I had they were noticeable.  In the end the story was summarily and tritely ended.

I hope that some people get some needed advice from this book and that I eventually get back into my stilettos. Unfortunately I would not recommend this book to my friends.

Review: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle

Title: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle
Author: The Countess of Carnarvon
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Genre: Historical non-fiction, Biography
Source: Goodreads Giveaway
My Rating:
Synopsis (from Goodreads): Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration for the hit PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon and the basis of the fictional character Lady Cora Crawley.  Drawing on a rich store of materials from the archives of Highclere Castle, including diaries, letters, and photographs, the current Lady Carnarvon has written a transporting story of this fabled home on the brink of war.

Much like her Masterpiece Classic counterpart, Lady Almina was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Alfred de Rothschild, who married his daughter off at a young age, her dowry serving as the crucial link in the effort to preserve the Earl of Carnarvon's ancestral home.  Throwing open the doors of Highclere Castle to tend to the wounded of World War I, Lady Almina distinguished herself as a brave and remarkable woman.

This rich tale contrasts the splendor of Edwardian life in a great house against the backdrop of the First World War and offers an inspiring and revealing picture of the woman at the center of the history of Highclere Castle.

My Review: If you are looking for Downton Abbey in book form than this is not the book for you. I had a hard time with that at first. I was looking for the same feel of the Downton Abbey television series.  I wanted the stories of both those living in the castle and those whose job it is to keep it running smoothly.  There is obviously some of that in this book but as it is not a fictional story written for drama, it can not be the same.

It's well written and a good history. There are lots of interesting pieces of information and connections. I found both Lady Almina and her husband, the 5th Count of Carnarvon, very compelling subjects. The Count in particular played a large part in a wonderful, historical find of that time period.  This story is not solely about Lady Almina and Highclere castle which I felt actually added something to the book. 
  
However, I think I frequently got side tracked by the many names thrown out there not pertinent to the story. Names that were obviously important names in that time in English history, but since they were often not more than a mention it did as much, if not more, to distract from the book than it did to add to it. If you are interested in this time in English history I am sure you will enjoy this book.