Reviewer: Annie
I received a review copy
April Marie Libs delivers a story that has a lot of heart and the shows the grace we can access when life gets tough. I found this book to be a bit therapeutic, which I enjoyed. What this story lacked for me in narrative was made up for in subject matter. I felt that a few storylines needed to be a bit more in depth, so she missed the mark on some events that would have made the book more fulfilling. “Bridge to Destiny” brings to life; Love, Loss, Friendship and Resilience!!
Her main character, Avery is a wife and mother. While out for “date night” her husband, Mitchel dies in a car accident, which leaves Avery injured…but, the physical pain does not make the pain in her heart any easier to bear. While she is being hospitalized, her parents swoop in to help take care of her 4 year- old daughter; Hannah. Once she is released from the hospital and her parents leave, she realizes that she is truly alone. No friends to call or visit. For a very long time, Hannah was her only companion.
Then by happenstance she speaks to her neighbor, Rebecca when she is out checking her mail. Their friendship budded quickly, and they began seeing each other regularly. I really loved Rebecca, and hope that my friends think I am as wonderful a friend as Rebecca proved to be.
Then one day as Avery and Hannah are outside cleaning up the leaves and the gutters, Hannah falls off of the ladder and suffers serious injuries, most importantly; one to her head. She is brought by ambulance to the hospital, and after tests; they discover that she has a blood clot in her brain. Needless to say, she is hospitalized until they can relieve the pressure on her brain and the clot is gone. This requires quite a bit of time in ICU, spinal taps, and pain management. Avery put all of her faith in the Pediatric Neurologist, Dr. Nathan Banst that took care of Hannah during her entire hospital stay.
This type of brain trauma needs a lot of therapy, both physically and academically. Hannah had to relearn a lot of things which was quite challenging. Her therapy was often compared to therapy that was similar to that of a stroke patient. I felt so awful for this little girl, losing her Daddy and then having this accident.
Wonderful Rebecca brings in a great way for Hannah to do her therapy that was fun Hannah, and she did not complain having to do. This story pulled at my heart-strings for many reasons….and for that I am grateful.
