Sacred Hearts Rising: Finding Your Wings by Brenda Hammon is a non-fiction collection of true accounts of people who have undergone severe challenges in life and learned to rise above it. This book is the second of its kind and, having read the first one and liked it a lot, I was excited to read this one. This book also builds on similar themes and it is mainly a showcase of the different types of challenges people go through, ranging from sexual abuse, mental illness of any kind including depression, dysfunctional relationships, trauma, the pain of miscarriages, physical disability, and many such things. Each person writes in their own words a brief sketch of what they went through, how it affected them, and how they have managed to look at the silver lining and the bright side of things. These people have managed to not only look past their own difficulty but have tried to help other people in society and been of service to others, which is very inspiring. A brief introduction and bio in the book explain the concept and framework of the book as well.

Sacred Hearts Rising: Finding Your Wings is a good collection and the stories that have been picked cover a wide range of topics. It is inspiring to read about people suffering from major physical disabilities or mental illness who still care to help others and try to be of service to them. The writing throughout the book is concise and well-organized and the stories can be read in any order. The accounts of sexual abuse or trauma are also very important and can go a long way towards assisting others in similar situations to get help, speak out, and also feel that they are not alone. This is a great collection that I would recommend to everyone!

Sacred Hearts Rising: Finding Your Wings, compiled by Brenda Hammon, focuses on the topic of overcoming trauma and discovering personal strength. The book is delivered as a compilation of twenty-seven personal essays, written in a deeply personal style but also designed with an inspirational feel. Topics such as loss and grief are discussed with raw, honest emotional quality, as well as personal experiences of trauma, disability, pain, and mental health issues. Though each narrative is profoundly different, the stories lead to a lesson learned, with some discussion of a turning point for each writer as to when they began to find the strength and resilience to overcome their problem.

Brenda Hammon does a superb job in handling these harrowing, heartbreaking, yet empowering tales of overcoming the worst obstacles life can throw at a person. The stories flow from one to another in a well-constructed order, offering different issues and perspectives to create an atmospheric break from chapter to chapter. Though the messages of strength were similar, I never felt as though I was reading the same story twice. I found Rachel Dyer’s “Scoliosis Strong: The Beauty Within” to be particularly uplifting and motivational in its perspective, and “Living With The Hand I Was Dealt” by Kurtis Clay struck similar notes. All of the works were extremely well edited for high readability whilst also staying true to each author’s unique voice. The overall aim of Sacred Hearts Rising: Finding Your Wings is to offer solace and companionship to those in need of strength, and I believe these stories deliver exactly that. A superb and inspirational collection for anyone seeking strength.