Celia LaVon Belt's memoir, My ValHalla, details her harrowing experiences following the death of her husband, Randy. Her book captures her severe health issues, including a grand mal seizure and PTSD from volunteer work, compounded by a traumatic stay in a psychiatric facility where she was mistreated and misdiagnosed. Belt recounts the grief of losing her Friesian horse, Broer, and the financial and emotional betrayal by family member Ahlab. She speaks about experiences with multiple arrests, police brutality, and legal troubles related to firearms and guardianship disputes. In the throes of these trials, she must also confront identity theft, financial ruin, and personal loss while advocating for herself and others. Through severe isolation in jail, Belt maintained hope and resilience, finding support from friends and family, and continues to fight for justice today.

My ValHalla: Angels Are No Strangers to Chains by Celia LaVon Belt is a completely raw and unfiltered account, personalizing a journey of loss and legal hell with her own voice. The book, which no doubt required considerable bravery to write, has a conversational style, making Belt’s work very simple to read and digest. It's incredible what she has been through and my heart ached for her. I understand that journaling is frequently recommended for healing and sincerely hope that the cathartic nature of the writing process did serve as a means for Belt to process her trauma. Readers in similar situations may find comfort in Belt’s resilience and her effort to shed light on the injustices she faced. Her memoir not only chronicles her struggles but also shows her dedication to the ongoing fight for others who have been similarly abused by a system meant to protect them.

In My ValHalla by Celia LaVon Belt, she leaves her family early on for foster care. Celia continues to care deeply for her baby sister, and her death years later due to cancer is very traumatic to her. Things are made worse by the fact that she cannot attend the funeral because of a tragedy that led to a traumatic brain injury. This tragedy changed Celia’s life, leaving her with frequent seizures that made many loved ones accuse her of having mental health issues. Ahlab is Celia’s cousin, and her actions against Celia cause more pain. Despite Celia trusting her, she is one of the people who conspire against Celia to take over her assets and commit her to a psychiatric facility. Can Celia brave all the trauma and the pain?

My ValHalla by Celia LaVon Belt takes you on a roller coaster of emotions as she tells her story of betrayal by loved ones and hurt by the same institutions that are supposed to protect citizens. As a medic, I was appalled by the behavior of those who participated in hurting Celia with utter disregard for basic medical ethics such as autonomy and non-maleficence. It got me thinking about ways to make medical personnel serve their patients better and the importance of making people aware of seizures and other conditions that are easily mistaken for mental health issues. Reading this thought-provoking work also gets one thinking about police brutality, and how some of their actions fall short of serving and protecting. This was a great read, and I look forward to reading something else by Celia.

In My ValHalla, Celia Lavon Belt has written a deeply personal story about how she had to survive a brain injury that caused her to have mal seizures, the loss of her husband and friend, as well as the fact that someone she loved and trusted stole her identity and then proceeded to turn everyone near and dear to her against her. The memoir is written with an openness that makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing for themselves each episode, attack, unlawful arrest, helplessness, and betrayal. The author shows her will to survive and how she feels that to harbor hate against those who inflict the most pain on her and cause her to doubt herself is self-destructive; she would rather walk away and leave it in God’s hands. The author encourages the reader to survive against all odds in their own lives, to have courage, and to keep the faith as God never leaves you.

My ValHalla is written from the heart to help people who are facing similar losses or any loss in life to cope with the cruelty of society, those in power, and those who live off the despair and helplessness of others to gain financial freedom for themselves. Living in a country where one does not trust the police at all will make the reader realize that it can happen in any country, no matter how advanced that society may be. Money talks and if you grease enough palms, you can get away with the incarceration of an innocent person. Celia Lavon Belt draws the reader in from the very first to the very last page. All the while, the reader hopes that everything will come right but the twist in the tale is not what the reader expects and it is daunting. I enjoyed this soul-searching book and it made me realize that if you have hope and faith, you still have a chance of survival, no matter how long it takes. A most inspiring book. This is a book you will pick up from time to time in your darkest hour of need for comfort and guidance.

My ValHalla: Strangers Are No Strangers to Chains by Celia LaVon Belt invites readers on a harrowing journey through her struggles with seizures, trauma, and betrayal. Belt’s narrative, told with raw honesty, is gripping and intense. What stands out is the emotional depth she conveys when recounting her traumatic experiences, including her grand mal seizure, psychiatric misdiagnosis, and the heartbreak of her closest relationships unraveling. As a survivor, Belt reflects on the nature of betrayal and the strength required to rise from it. Her service dogs, Taboo and Risqué, add warmth and companionship to her story, grounding it in her daily battle to overcome physical and emotional barriers.

My ValHalla: Strangers Are No Strangers to Chains is not for the faint of heart, as Belt's depiction of her time spent in psychiatric units and the betrayal by trusted loved ones is an emotional read, something she warns of in the prologue. However, the book offers moments of hope and triumph, highlighting how Belt fights for her autonomy and the protection of her personal and financial well-being. She offers inspiration and lets readers into her world of challenges, disappointment, and heartbreak. Yet, she also shows her tenacity and determination to overcome adversity with courage that doesn’t always come easily. Readers who appreciate intense, personal accounts of survival will find My ValHalla both profoundly moving and thought-provoking. It’s a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to endure, recover, and find strength even in the darkest times. It’s a memorable book, and Belt’s journey isn’t one to be forgotten.