Review of (dis)Empowered
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- Latest Review: (dis)Empowered by Ellen Busch
Review of (dis)Empowered
Ellen Busch's moving narrative, (dis)Empowered, follows the author's turbulent youth and adulthood. Ellen Busch was raised in a loving home, but they still had to deal with a lot of challenges, such as being put in a system of education that thought they were defective due to dyslexia. The author’s life was devastated by trauma, and Ellen was left without a job, a place to live, or trustworthy relationships. Ellen’s journey from a disturbed teenager to an insecure adult who, in the end, achieves empowerment through perseverance and self-discovery is captured in the story.
Ellen Busch is the main character, and the book offers a genuine and unpolished account of the author’s challenges with perseverance, self-worth, and empowerment. The author dedicates the book to their parents, who had taken them shelter at forty-three after their divorce and supported them throughout their lives. The author starts the book with the chapter "Surrender,” which tells how they started anew after a disastrous marriage.
Ellen highlights how their coaches played a major role in helping them regain control of their life. Ellen shares about Mark Divine, a retired Navy SEAL commander who trained them physically and mentally; Dennis Stoika, who taught them yoga and fitness and corrected their self-judgment; Jim Brault, who was Ellen’s sparring partner; and many others.
The authenticity of the book is one of its strong points. Busch is not afraid to talk about their weaknesses, which strengthens the book's authority and effect. Well-examined themes of empowerment and resilience provide readers with insightful takeaways for dealing with similar challenges. The book's emotional depth and narrative flow also keep readers interested from beginning to end.
From Ellen’s life at school to their married life, the author gave the perspective of people whom the world considers and treats as defective and insufficient to survive. Although some of the details of the abuse discussed might be disturbing to some, the author doesn’t shy away from telling people sensitive parts of their story, like how the author and husband went bankrupt, wasting away the resources they had because of their husband’s failure mindset.
I liked the book for its raw honesty and got a new perspective on people with disabilities. The book is inspiring and practical at the same time. I really enjoyed reading the book and have no criticism of it. I would rate the book five out of five stars. The book is flawlessly written and edited.
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(dis)Empowered
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