A kidnapping, the divorce of her parents, the loss of her father, temporary abandonment and extreme poverty are just some of the issues the author dealt with as a young child.
Her mother finally tells her she must go to college so she can break out of this cycle of poverty and hopelessness. But how can she when she has no money and absolutely no confidence or self esteem?
Read this true story to discover what hope, faith and determination can do to change a life.
A truly inspiring, deeply personal tale of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardships, Safe from the Past makes clear the restorative power of an education.
Told in an open, honest voice with the deepest sincerity, the author's life story serves as a rousing inspiration to those with the desire to create a better life than the one they are currently living.
No matter how helpless you feel, everyone has the power to shape their own life.
My thoughts:
First I want to thank Litfuse for providing me with this book to review. I am excited to be on this blog tour and to be one of the first to post an opinion about the book.
Patrica Miller Mauro grew up in an unstable family who subsisted at a poverty level. Her mother and father divorced when she and her sister were young. Although her father tried to stay in her life, even going so far as to kidnap his two daughters, her mother made it difficult on all of them to maintain the contact and he exited their lives rather than continue to subject his children to intense grilling every time they came back from a visit.
Living in poor neighborhoods, buying food with food stamps, using space heaters and blankets in doorways to trap heat, and constantly being in survival mode became the families norm. Then her mother remarried and new issues came into their lives in the forms of alcoholism and domestic violence.
Through going to college and getting an education, and figuring out how to do it all on her own with no financial help from her family, Mauro was able to build confidence in herself and build a new way of life. Her mother always told her that she had to go to college.
I was struck by the intense faith Mauro had in God. So many times we associate faith with going to and belonging to a religious community and place of worship. Of spending time praying as group, but it seems like Mauro had faith even in the worst of times and she never mentions stepping inside of a church. It was a wonderful reminder that God is everywhere and everyone can have faith, even if they have little else. God always provides for tomorrow if we trust enough and understand what is being asked of us.
It was a bit odd to me how much faith and love Mauro was able to have in her mother even after all that had happened. From the not allowing her ex-husband to be a part of his children's lives to the alcoholism and later mental health issues, it was very hard for me to understand how she could keep saying how she owed her mother so much. I'm not sure how many favors her mother really did for her except for drilling into her that higher education was the way to escape the life they had. Maybe the faith and love come from her faith and love in God and her willingness to forgive the past.
Litfuse is sponsoring a $30 Amazon.com giveaway.
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Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Safe-Past-Story-Faith-Determination/dp/1933651849/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310054112&sr=sprightly-20
About the Patricia Miller Mauro:
Patricia worked in New York City's financial district for thirteen years in the field of securities operations. At that time, she went on to obtain an MBA from New York University. She and her husband moved to Dallas, TX in 2001 where they are raising their two children.
During her time in NY, Patricia wrote an article entitled "A Tribute To My Mother" which was published in "The Recovery Journal" in 1999. Her book is a continuation of that tribute and serves to spread the message to those in similar situations that good news is on its way to children considering a higher education but who are afraid to dream. For more information please visit, www.patriciamaurobooks.com.
Blog Tour Schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13380085)
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