Review: Repairing Rainbows by Lynda Fishman

Summary: At thirteen years old, Lynda’s life comes to a disastrous halt when her mother and two younger sisters are killed in a plane crash. Her father, overcome by despair, simply continues to exist, in a state devoid of hope. After burying a wife and two young children at the age of 44, the overwhelming responsibility of raising a daughter alone completely immobilizes him.

Teetering on that tender brink between childhood and adolescence, Lynda faces the responsibility of a father in a complete state of shock, a house to take care of and hundreds of decisions about how to proceed with their shattered lives.

In Repairing Rainbows she candidly describes the agonizing memories, deafening silence and endless hardships that are the fallout of incredible loss. As we follow her through marriage, motherhood and her own spiritual journey, Lynda reveals her complex feelings of hope, anger, pity and determination. Most importantly, she learns the crucial difference between “truly living” and the existence that is so often mistaken for being alive.

A true story, written by a woman whose normal and abundant life hides a terrible past, Repairing Rainbows is loaded with important lessons to help others overcome struggles and obstacles, and fulfill their lives. It is a powerful, captivating, riveting and easy-to-read story that will undoubtedly touch the hearts of its readers.

My Thoughts: It is hard to put my feelings about this book into words. It’s hard to think too much about it. It’s a very difficult story to read. That poor child. That poor, sweet child! I know she’s all grown up now, but reading this woman’s account of life after losing her family … heartbreaking. Perhaps it’s more so for me, the oldest of three sisters and mother of three children. Not only did she lose her sisters and her mother, she lost her father – her very much still physically alive father – as well. Reading the account of how life was, especially once Sonia entered the picture … so tough to read. And then Barry. Another amazing story of survival. That they found each other is amazing. That they both chose to find a way to make it through, to live instead of letting their tragedies ruin their lives – such strength.

This book took me longer to read than I’d anticipated, simply because it’s emotionally difficult to read. Even as she gets past her childhood into her adulthood, it’s tough. It’s less so, but still tough. Despite that, it’s an amazing tale of strength, resilience, and hope. Both Lynda and Barry chose life, and chose to live as best as they could.

Favorite Quotes: There are quite a few golden nuggets in this book. Below are the two that resonated most with me.

You can’t change the past and you shouldn’t worry about the future. Live the present to the best of your ability. ~ page 200

The only way to see new opportunities, to see the reason for something having happened, the opportunities now available, was to look ahead. To stop looking back, staring at that closed door. To believe that the best was yet to come. ~ pages 271-272

Source: Received as part of a blog tour promotion on Tribute Books. (Tribute Books can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.)

About the Author: In 1970, when she was thirteen years old, Lynda’s life came to a disastrous halt when her mother and two younger sisters were killed in an Air Canada plane crash.

As a young teen, Lynda made a conscious decision to become happy and to lead a fulfilled life. Lynda chose to live. She was committed to learning, growing and making a difference. Determined to find meaning and purpose in her life, she managed to muster up the courage and strength to dream big, to be idealistic, to strive for more, and to live a meaningful life where she could make a difference in the lives of others.

Lynda Fishman is a trained clinical social worker who has spent over twenty years as a camp director. In the early 90s, Lynda was one of the first camp directors in the Toronto area to incorporate children with special needs into mainstream camp life. Lynda has devoted a lifetime to organized camping and is passionate about the positive role of camping in a person’s life. She is the owner and director of Adventure Valley Day Camp.

Lynda is a motivational and inspirational speaker and facilitator. She has published articles and training manuals on leadership, teamwork, bullying, trust, childhood health and wellness, communication and customer service.

Lynda’s husband, Barry Fishman, has his own amazing story to share, having been orphaned at age 17 and left alone to care for his brother with special needs. Lynda and Barry met as teenagers and have been together since then. They have three grown children, and the whole family is heavily involved in supporting children dealing with tragedy, cancer or other life-threatening diseases, fund-raising and charity events.

Barry has spent his entire career working in the health care and pharmaceutical industry. He is President and CEO of the Canadian operations for the world’s largest generic pharmaceutical company, Teva Pharmaceuticals. Barry serves on the Board of Directors of the Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Lynda is a woman of action. She has incredible enthusiasm for life. She is persistent, focused and faithful to her dreams and goals. She is willing to work for everything with patience, optimism and determination. She finds ways to be grateful and positive. Lynda goes out there and does what she has to do with a CAN DO attitude of gratitude, positivity, compassion, and honesty.

Lynda Fishman can be found Twitter.

More Information: To learn more about Repairing Rainbows, check out the Web site for the book HERE. You can also find reviews, an excerpt, and more TOUR STOPS. Below is a TV interview of Lynda Fishman.

Read It: Get your own copy HERE. (This is an Amazon link, and purchase through this link will benefit Tribute Books.)

Challenges: Counts for the 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge.

FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.