Self-help Book Review: Rebirth
By Kate Brenton, ED.M.
Self-help
146 pages, 2022, Inspirebytes Omni Media
Review by Sheri McGregor, M.A.
Book Review: Rebirth: Real-Life Stories About What Happens When You Let Go And Let Life Lead
By Kate Brenton, ED.M.
Self-help
146 pages, 2022, Inspirebytes Omni Media
Some books just surprise you. That’s how I feel about Kate Brenton’s Rebirth. The single-word focus and minimalist cover with its simple image of connected spheres, implied to me something scientific and data-bound. Instead, the book is a rich unfolding all its own—a bit like birth itself, which unveils a unique little being who, as parents know, continues to surprise. That’s how the chapters, each a study of one person’s “rebirth,” unfold.
Brenton, who is a holistic mentor and educator, originally interviewed the individuals featured in the book on her podcast. As their stories are told, Brenton reveals her thought processes. Her interior reactions drove the discourse during the podcast and led those interviewed to share more about their shifts in life (their “rebirth”).
Each chapter is named for a theme that fits the person’s story told. For example, “This Life is for You,” shares Lisa O’Rear’s account of life after an untimely stroke at the age of 34. According to Brenton, O’Rear’s story reminds us we are each born with innate knowing about ourselves and our bodies. The trick is to recognize and remember who we are and what we need “no matter what the outside world is telling us.”
O’Rear was ignored by medical professionals when she believed she was having a stroke. Young and fit, she didn’t fit their risk criteria. She was right though. She did suffer a stroke. And afterward, she couldn’t feel the right side of her body. Instead of concentrating on her limitations, O’Rear focused on what she could still do. Her unique brand of resilience based on her circumstances matches the discussion in my book, Beyond Done With The Crying More Answers and Advice for Parents of Estranged Adult Children, about the unique forms of resilience we all possess. O’Rear’s story, sprinkled with Brenton’s nuggets about her own life experiences, inspires readers to consider their own circumstances from a new vantage point.
The real-life stories in Rebirth share the twists and turns that result in change yet also honor and draw from previously learned knowledge and strengths. For example, one man who studied law but shifted to a life centered on spirituality and yoga came to recognize the value in his previous pursuit. Those years in law school weren’t wasted time. The pragmatism he learned there trained him to see situations from various angles, and to fully comprehend the impact of decisions before making them.
Similarly, Brenton shares some of her past as well, using the word “discipline” as a catalyst to recall the order inherent in her Catholic school upbringing and then segue into how authenticity can transcend the expected, and make an even bigger impact. It’s a new take on the idea that rules were made to be broken. Or, as the writer in me once learned about storytelling and grammar: You must learn the rules before you can break them. No doubt, readers will be inspired to recall their own histories and consider how their education, relationships, and pursuits are relevant now (or as they are reborn).
Rebirth Real Life Stories About What Happens When You Let Go And Let Life Lead is an inspiring book. The format of individual persons featured in each chapter allows for a pick-up and put-down style of reading … but the inspirational nature may keep you turning pages until the end (which may be a new beginning for you, a “rebirth” all your own).
Beautiful review!