cover image Burdens Do a Body Good: Meeting Life’s Challenges with Strength (and Soul)

Burdens Do a Body Good: Meeting Life’s Challenges with Strength (and Soul)

Rebecca Kai Dotlich, . . Hendrickson, $14.99 (144pp) ISBN 978-1-59856-433-4

Howe and Foetisch offer a unique blend of inspiration and practicality in their first book collaboration. Howe, a women’s lifestyle writer (Still Going It Alone ) and PW reviewer, provides the inspirational flavor as she taps into the many personal and situational life challenges women face. Foetisch, an orthopedic surgeon, adds the “weight-bearing exercises”—health tips and practices—to heighten each chapter’s healing potential. Paired are such subjects as regret and the impact of stress on surgery recovery; parental behavior and handling disrespect; aging and good life habits. Occasionally a disconnect occurs between topic and accompanying exercise (hopelessness and rotator cuff tears, for example), but there are nuggets of truth throughout. Readers will find themselves in at least one of the 30 life challenges and “discover new ways of dealing with old problems.” (May)