Note to Self: 30 Women on Hardship, Humiliation, Heartbreak, and Overcoming It All

by: Andrea Buchanan, editor and introduction

Published by: Simon Spotlight Entertainment

Reviewed by Connie Anderson

· Resilient · Powerful · Determined · Unstoppable · Incredible · Strong · Amazing … What wonderful words to use when you think about women.

Note to Self starts with Andrea’s personal story of humiliation and growth that leads into amazing stories of women overcoming… .

These women, some are well-known like Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order, SVU), others are known in their own field. They all tell their stories of overcoming major bad things that happened to them: illness, injury, job-related, relationship-related, etc.

The stories show how strong and resilient women can be–of all ages, some who had nothing, and others who “had it all.”

Several of the stories are about the men they married–and the good, the bad and the ugly things human do to each others. One’s husband gave her AIDS and asked her not to tell anyone, even after he died. She could not even tell her or his children. That was when AIDS filled the nation with fear.

All I could think of when I read each story was: “You go girl!” I was rooting for their success or even for their life-changing ah-ha moments.

The 3Hs (humiliation, heartbreak and Hardship really sum up life, and the collection Buchanan has assembled is worth any woman’s reading time, and this is true for younger women just dating as well. It is full of advice hidden within personal experiences.

One story was written by Candy, one of the professionals that do interventions on the TV reality show, “Intervention.” Herself a recovering alcoholic, her story was so heartwarming about how drinking had filled her long hours alone with a musician husband on tour for weeks at a time. Then she got sober, and now helps others–many in the entertainment industry.

My surprising favorite, maybe because it made me laugh, was the stand-up comedienne Carol Leifer. She wrote about getting rid of her dad’s things after he died, and how memories are tied to “stuff.” But she reminded us that “we are not our stuff but the lives we touch.”

Amen to that and all the wonderful women who shared their life’s story. You’ll be humbled just reading about these resilient individuals.

Armchair Interviews says: HIGHLY recommended for all women. WOW.