Mitsy's Life: Tender Tales of Friendship, Loneliness, Loss, and Love by Marti Eicholz isn’t your run-of-the-mill coming-of-age story with a typical plot. It is an inspirational story that follows the life of Mitsy Fisher, daughter of a pastor, as she navigates life, creating connections, discovering faith, overcoming challenges, and finding true love. Mitsy’s childhood hasn’t been a glorious one, with a daddy who spent more time on his Bible and sermons and a distant mother. The young Mitsy looked forward to occasional encounters with grandma for light and great humor. From an early childhood, she’d developed a powerful friendship with Grandmother Fisher, a friendship that imbued in her lessons that will help her stand with her head held high when the storms come.

Marti Eicholz writes about personal relationships in a very insightful and compelling manner, helping readers rediscover the strength of friendship and trust. Mitsy is a young woman with questions, emotions, and experiences that are infused with the realism and the intimate humanity common to many people her age. She is a compelling character that is well-explored through each story. Mitsy's Life: Tender Tales of Friendship, Loneliness, Loss, and Love is a book that doesn’t need to be read chapter by chapter, because each chapter stands alone, created to communicate a unique message. The writing is beautiful and the author displays a unique style and phraseology. This might not be the type of story that keeps the reader turning the pages, but it will remind them of what really matters, of the joys of human encounters, of the beauty of friendship, of the pain of loss. It is as edifying as it is inspirational.

Mitsy's Life: Tender Tales of Friendship, Loneliness, Loss, and Love by Marti Eicholz is an enlivening collection of short stories that follow the life of Mitsy from her childhood days to her coming-of-age, stories that feature family connections, love, faith, loss, and loneliness. Mitsy is the daughter of a pastor and she experiences an acute sense of loneliness when she is still a small girl, because her dad is too busy with his Church ministry and her mother has too little time for her. But then, her grandmother teaches her a lesson that will help her through the rough and difficult moments of her life — to always remember Jesus. The reader is introduced to stories about Mitsy and her interactions with others, her friendships, her challenges, and the nagging questions that occasionally assail a young and growing mind.

This is a great story told in a tone that is both captivating and jovial. Marti Eicholz has a gift for taking readers into the inner workings of the minds of her characters. I was captivated by the excellent prose and, right from the first story, the reader already has a strong sense of childhood. The author makes that world come across vividly for readers as she introduces them to the protagonist and her expectations. The narrative follows the protagonist’s point of view and it brilliantly reflects her world, her emotions, and the way she sees life unfolding around her. Mitsy's Life: Tender Tales of Friendship, Loneliness, Loss, and Love is a great and inspiring read, a story in which most readers will feel, see, and hear themselves. It was a great read for me.

Mitsy's Life (Tender Tales of Friendship, Loneliness, Loss, and Love) by Marti Eicholz is a young adult coming of age tale that would appeal most to a mixed audience of young adults and adults who enjoy stories of young girls who overcome their neglectful upbringing in order to become young women with a positive world view. Mitsy Fisher was born to parents, Paul and Sarah, who both dedicated their time to activities that did not include Mitsy. Mitsy’s mother had little interest in Mitsy as a young child and her father devoted his time to his church. Her father spent more time disciplining young Mitsy than providing her with positive attention. Yet, despite the lack of parental interest, Mitsy does not allow herself to become sad or depressed; instead she remains a bright, happy child enjoying friends and flowers.

Mitsy's Life (Tender Tales of Friendship, Loneliness, Loss, and Love) by Marti Eicholz was a unique book to read because it showed that a neglectful childhood does not always have to cause a cycle of abuse or neglect, and that the child can still grow into a healthy and well-adjusted adult. I found myself sympathizing with Mitsy and wishing that her parents could have understood that amazing treasure that they had been given. Mitsy reminded me a lot of the Luna Lovegood character from the Harry Potter book series with how both characters faced difficulties, yet still maintained a happy life and a positive outlook towards their life. Overall, I have to say that this was an enjoyable and inspirational read and I would love to see more of Mitsy in the future!