The ShoeBox Effect

Transforming Pain Into Fortitude and Purpose

Non-Fiction - Memoir
196 Pages
Reviewed on 06/16/2021
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

Marcie J. Keithley draws from her own profound experience to pen an engaging self-help book called The ShoeBox Effect: Transforming Pain Into Fortitude and Purpose. Her story is one that cannot be ignored. Her candid confession begins when at the age of twenty-two, she gives birth to a child out of wedlock, and the child’s father refuses to provide any support. Under her doctor’s advice, she gives away her child for adoption in order for her baby to have a better life. It was a heart-wrenching decision, and as part of her healing, she collects some of her baby’s mementos into a shoebox and tucks it away to represent an important episode in her past. But Keithley would soon deal with her past once more when her terminally ill dog leads her to the shoebox that she had tucked away.

People suffer in numerous ways. It is an integral structure of existence. Most of the time, we either suffer silently or express our pain through complaining, hoping, crying, self-sacrifice, and rebellious behavior. Marcie J. Keithley undoubtedly suffered, and her creative means of dealing with it is something that needs to be shared. She writes with strong emotion. You can’t help but feel sympathetic especially when reading about her thoughts that are driven by the indifference of the people around her, particularly during the time of her daughter’s birth. Real stories are more heartfelt, and The ShoeBox Effect is one that will compel you to open your own shoebox as your first step toward healing. Coping with pain and suffering is a process, and this story is a must-read as we can learn how to creatively deal with our own anguish that varies in dimensions.

A Story Of Inspiration

Wow! “The Shoebox Effect” is likely the most well-written and life-changing book I’ve ever read. I found myself living through each experience alongside the author while also unpacking my own shoeboxes along the way — shoeboxes that have been silently heavy in my own life. When an author can leave you inspired to take action while navigating the depths of grief and loss, you are left forever changed … for the better. Thank you, Marcie, for being vulnerable and sharing such an important story. And reminding us all that our stories don’t have to define us … instead they can refine us.