Living Passionately

In this essay collection, Blon and 21 others examine times of great adversity and how those experiences taught them valuable life lessons. The opening chapter exhorts readers to examine who they are and why they matter, and several poignant stories follow. A young mother whose eight-month-old child died from a congenital heart defect eventually learns to see “challenges as opportunities.” Blon’s daughter, Carina, volunteers in Haiti after the tragic 2010 earthquake, where she sets up a school and learns the importance of “observing and listening.” Shad St. Louis, who emigrated from Haiti to the U.S. as an infant, returns to his homeland to help with Carina’s project, discovering in the process that hope and perseverance can change anyone’s life. Financial planner Charles Yarnold learns his father hid his Parkinson’s from his family for years, which he takes as an illustration of the importance of relationships. Bradley Nelson, after originally planning to get an M.B.A., instead becomes a holistic chiropractic physician; this teaches him to listen and then act. Sue Keane, whose 32-year-old son functions at the mental level of a three-month-old, discusses how even in the darkest of situations, it’s important to enjoy life. Blon and her coauthors tug at the heartstrings while teaching readers to follow their own passions. (BookLife)