Unbreakable Spirit. 18 Stories of Feminine Resilience, Blessings and Renewal
Compiled by Laura Joan Cornell, PhD.
The inspiring title hints at deeds of extraordinary heroism followed by victorious endings, but these stories are about women we might pass on the street every day. They could be any one of us. Lives of courage, grace and persistence are to be found in plain sight, hidden only because women’s experience is so often ignored or glossed over.
Some of the authors, such as Rachel Chase, were born with special but invisible gifts that rendered life especially difficult. Others were thrust into situations where just coping required wisdom and strength. Rather than neat three-act story arcs, these real-life experiences are a mish-mash of lows and highs. Or as one of the authors, Lorraine Manzo, describes it, like a chiaroscuro painting, contrasting light and dark. I found the stories very relatable. They gave me a real appreciation of women’s everyday heroism.
