The author shares her authentic soul journey with brutal honesty not often encountered. She takes the reader through a gamut of emotions as she reveals her personal joys,sorrows,triumphs and failures. She endured excruciating challenges and came through it all in a way most of us could not have survived. Bravo! JC Cochrane, this has the makings of a best seller and maybe a movie or TV series! It is that good!

A little more than four years ago at a high school volleyball tournament, I stayed up late into the night with a friend, listening to an amazing story about her and her family, with whom my family was establishing a new friendship. The story was amazing, and I knew it had indelibly shaped the story teller into the woman I had found so intriguing, and so attractive because of her authenticity and her ferocious advocacy for her children. Now, many family and friend hours later, I am able to read the story in its entirety, and I loved every minute of it! My husband is not the type to read such books, but we were both completely immersed in our own copies, laughing and crying, checking in with each other every few hours of the few days it took us to finish the book: "Did you get to the part....? Can you believe....?" We did not get to know Judy and her family until years after the events in the book took place, until the young children were near-grown-ups, but it is easy to imagine that this family faced the challenges they did with the grace, gusto, and love portrayed in the book. The family is simply amazing, and their priorities are spot on. The book struck me as a coming of age story, but into an age of further adulthood, not their first coming of age; yes, we're old enough to marry, have kids and a career, but who says there's not a lot more growth to come? And to find a way into that growth together, as a couple and a family, is something we can all strive for and model for our children. The way Judy tells her story, it's not about how-to, but about how-I-did, and about how you can (and must!) find your own way!! Thank you, my friend, and may all those who read your words be blessed by them, as well!!

I finished it within a few days, barely able to put it down, except that I was overcome many times with sadness and joy and could not stop reading. I have so overestimated some things about myself that I have now started working on. Based on other's feedback that I have been receiving, it seems to me that this book powerfully sweeps each and every one of us off our feet and yet speaks to us all in individual ways. There's magic in this book!!

I don't know if Amazon will list me as a "verified purchase," but I absolutely bought, read, and delighted in this amazing memoir. But wow, how do I describe it? And what kind of person is the ideal reader--the one who will enjoy it and benefit from it the most? The book: It's not really a rags to riches story. It's more like a riches to rags to TRUE riches story. It's a fall from grace and a fall INTO grace story. It's an underdog story and a story of overcoming. It shares the profoundly unique story of Judy Cochrane and her family and yet tells a story that is universal to all humanity and to all types of humans. At the risk of being accused of copping out, I can't really share a synopsis of the book and do it justice. You just have to read it--to experience it--to understand how really, really good (and life-changing) it is. And it's not just the content that's good. The writing is superb. It's astonishing that Judy is a first-time author (who didn't use a ghostwriter), because the voice, pacing, organization - it's all excellent. The prose of this book sparkles with clarity and energy. Judy has a knack for communication sublime thoughts in down-to-earth language. Readers: If you are a deeply spiritual person, this book is for you. If you have no interest in spirituality, this book is for you. If you are spiritual and cast a wide, wide net in terms of who and what you look to for spiritual guidance, this book is for you. If you come from a particular point of view spiritually and religiously, this book is still for you. Because the point is that you don't have to agree (or even believe) everything Judy believes or writes about. The reason this memoir is so universally helpful is because it tells a very HUMAN story of success, struggle, redemption, and resurrection; and it wrestles so beautifully and authentically with what it means to be HUMAN, and how we might stay sane -- and even thrive -- in the midst of the chaos that is so much a part of our modern culture. Oh--and besides all that, it is VERY VERY interesting and exciting; a real page turner, full of humor, pathos, and a host of quirky, likable characters--none better than Judy herself. I'm rambling at this point. So I'll stop. Bottom line: This is just a unique and delightful memoir, reflecting the personality and life of its author. Don't take my word for it. Go buy the book.