Living With Hope: True Stories of Chronic Illness by Ellen Krohne shares poignant personal accounts of individuals who have, or have had, chronic health issues. Ellen chronicles her friend, Jules, battle with mixed connective tissue disease and breast cancer. She talks about Nance, a friend with Parkinson’s and epilepsy, who founded a Parkinson’s support group. Ellen also shares the challenges faced by her daughter Joy, diagnosed with diabetes, and her son Ab, who took on type 1 diabetes with new technology and a plant-based diet. The book includes Donna’s journey with osteochondrosarcoma, Wendy’s vision loss from ocular histoplasmosis, and Rick’s Parkinson’s. Each story reflects resilience, from Kathy’s caregiving to Sherry’s coping with autoimmune diseases. Through these true stories, Krohne shows the strength found in family, faith, and community.

In her book Living With Hope, Ellen Krohne weaves together a wonderful collection that gets to the heart of resiliency when faced with adversity. Through the experiences and contributions of several people, who all sound just lovely and who I wouldn't mind sharing a cup of tea with, Krohne illustrates the power of determination and how far genuine support can go. The writing is clear, compassionate, and conversational, and there is a unique connection that feels immediate and personal. The story that touched me the most is Sherry’s fight with autoimmune diseases, as I care very deeply for a woman in a similar situation, and I see not only the physical toll but the emotional and mental adjustments required to live with hope as well. Overall, this is a heartfelt testament to the human spirit, and Krohne offers an excellent array of stories that inspire hope. Very highly recommended.

Living With Hope by Ellen Krohne contains individual accounts of the lives of families dealing with chronic medical conditions and both expected and unexpected loss incidents. The families cope with hard times and unsure moments through hope. Every chapter in this compilation conveys sincere feelings of losing loved ones and the help that faith, love, and community offer families to move on. The Luechtefeld family went through several hospital visits and rigorous medical interventions while building family memories through travelling and having quality time together. Others talk about how hard it is to go for mental health treatment, but they also tell how communication opens the door to genuine healing. The book illustrates how one can discover hope during hard times and how mental health challenges continue.

Ellen Krohne uses simple, honest, and clear writing that made me feel a deep connection with the stories she shared. The book presents actual persons who endure pain and show awe-inspiring strength. The contributors present their own stories briefly and concisely, which gives them impact. Each one retains perfect balance and progresses at an even pace, whether lengthy or short. While the book addresses difficult subjects like mortality, sadness, and terror, it ultimately gives hope. The book employs themes of hope, family bonds, strength, and encouraging support to form a calming read. It presents a peaceful but significant vision of the energy of love and hope. I highly recommend Living With Hope to families who are trying to overcome tough medical situations.