Walk Beside Me by Christine Handy

I was given this book by the author herself to read and review it. I must say, it was an emotional ride for me. Read on for the synopsis and my review.

Goodreads Synopsis:
Willow Adair has a picture-perfect life or so it seems. A stunning model-turned-wife-and-mother, she lives in a beautiful home with her husband and two kids in historic Bexley, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio. On the outside, she has everything. On the inside, she struggles with issues of self-worth. Spurned by her neglectful husband and hated by her rebellious teen daughter, Willow never feels she is good enough. She fears everyone she loves will leave. Piece by piece, the cornerstones of Willow s life begin to crumble. A routine colon operation goes horribly wrong. A yoga injury leads to a series of surgeries and misdiagnoses, ultimately ending in permanent loss of motion in her right arm. And then Willow is diagnosed with breast cancer. Convinced that no one will stand by her for one more day of sickness and depression, she prepares to end her life. That’s where the Angels come in. Willow s friends lift her spirits when she is sad, and weep with her when she is hurting. They walk beside her quite literally, on sidewalks from Cleveland to Miami. And they walk beside her spiritually and emotionally, soothing her heartache and reminding her that every single minute of her life is abundantly worth living. Walk Beside Me is the story of a woman who peels away the layers to find her inner warrior, a woman who faces insurmountable odds and thanks to her earthly Angels learns to treasure the gift of God’s infinite light and love.”

My Book Review:

From the title of the book, it may seem like its a romance novel but it’s not that at all. The story is quite different here. When I started reading the novel, honestly I felt frustrated because the woman who was telling her story, she just did not love herself and downgraded herself so much. She was going through severe medical conditions and while reading, I felt like her husband was just tired of her and her conditions.

I took my time reading this novel because I knew there’s a positive side and a deep message in this story. Then I realized, why I felt frustrated in the beginning. It was because this novel was an emotional ride and it took me time to absorb all of the emotions pouring out of the story. The truth is, I was reading this deep and emotional novel after such a long time.

When you get cancer. . . EVERYTHING changes. . .

Your emotional self.

Your physical self.

Your spiritual self.

Your friendships.

All your relationships change, really.

People treat you differently, some better, some worse. . .

So the woman Willow went through a breast cancer, after her stomach and arm surgeries. She thought she will suffer through this alone. She did not want to burden her friends or family. She was going to take an easy way out. But her friends and family did not leave her side. She was loved by everyone. It was not an easy ride, she went through hell but she fought her way through.

By killing yourself, Willow, you would rob us of the memories that we get to make with
you. Walking through your suffering alongside you, supporting each other – that’s a gift. This is the love we can share together—don’t rob us of that.”

This book made me realize what a person goes through when he or she has cancer. How painful and nerve wrecking – chemotherapies are. Love and support of friends and family help you fight your way through cancer. When finally the battle ends, you become a completely new person. You learn to love yourself, body and soul. Every scar, may it be physical or mental; is a part of you. It is a part of who you are as a human being. Loving yourself is not enough, you have to give out and share all the love that you receive or feel. Life is a gift from God and we need to cherish it, live it fully. Pain is a part of life. You need to take control of your life and decide how you want to live it. Its all about your willpower and your faith.

Author Review:

When I went through such an emotional ride while reading this book, I can imagine what the author must feel while creating this story.

The author wrote an inspirational story by creating a story about the struggles of breast cancer. The message she tried to portray was crystal clear and very deep. The lacking I felt was the part played by Willow’s husband. I wanted more of their husband-wife moments because husband plays a very vital role when his wife is going through cancer. Overall, this book will be very helpful for those who go through cancer or any difficult period in their lives.

In the end, I would like to thank the author for sending me her book to read and review. Hope you like my honest review.