Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

"Bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a moment of lightness on even the darkest of nights.
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• Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna Niequist
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Wake Up to the Joy of You. The Book of Joy. How to Be Here. The Other Side of the Sun. The Happiness Project Revised Edition. Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition. Why Won't You Apologize? The Danish Way of Parenting. Present Over Perfect Study Guide.

Shalom for the Heart. How to write a great review. The review must be at least 50 characters long. The title should be at least 4 characters long. Your display name should be at least 2 characters long. At Kobo, we try to ensure that published reviews do not contain rude or profane language, spoilers, or any of our reviewer's personal information. You submitted the following rating and review. We'll publish them on our site once we've reviewed them. Item s unavailable for purchase.

Please review your cart. You can remove the unavailable item s now or we'll automatically remove it at Checkout. Continue shopping Checkout Continue shopping. Chi ama i libri sceglie Kobo e inMondadori. Buy the eBook Price: Available in Russia Shop from Russia to buy this item. Or, get it for Kobo Super Points! Ratings and Reviews 1 1 star ratings 1 reviews. At first I adamantly disagreed but by the end of the book I had to admit they had a point. I give Shauna commendation for sharing honestly difficult emotions and personal situations; and what she found both spiritually and in a practical way that helped her work through them.

However, by the end of the book it began to feel that she was wallowing in a self indulgent pity party a bit. I found myself wondering how she would suggest someone cope with loss who does not have ministers in their family, a lakehouse to retreat to and a huge supportive group of friends? Not to mention the means to go on vacations to Mexico, California, etc. What if you have to just stay where you are with little support and just deal with things? What advice would she give in that situation?

My fear is that she cannot even imagine that is how it is for many people and would not have a clue as to how to advise them.

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Bittersweet was a mix between like and repetitive for me. While I appreciated and quite often really enjoyed the author's outlook and words of wisdom, there didn't seem to be enough new ones to completely fill the book. The book also has a very heavy religious tone to it. I knew going in that it had some, but it was a little too much for my taste. Detailing every meal she ever had, how it was prepared, and if people liked it or not was too much. I'll be honest, I stopped reading those parts and just skipped right over them with a mental "And then they ate.

It's how people react and allow those bad times to shape the rest of their lives that can make or break a person. Learning to enjoy the good moments in the busy lives most of seem to live is a lesson I need to learn sometimes. Her stories of the simple things that stayed with her helped me remember some from my life, and it was very refreshing. One person found this helpful.

But my daughter had recommended it. And I trust her recommending abilities. While the negative reviewer referred to the author as a whiner, I thought Ms. Which is a good thing. But it would make a great book club selection as it provides insight into lessons we can learn from the good and from the good hard. To clarify, I didn't finish this book. I gave up around page This book is purportedly about how to deal with life's lows, trusting in God to bring you through.

How to live life fearlessly, letting God accomplish His work in you through the changes He brings to your life. Which is a noble idea for a book. But if you're dealing with some very harsh, devastating, life-altering lows, hearing the author go on and on about farmer's markets and arugula with feta and wine and her brother sailing around the world and her travels and her expensive vacations and her perfect large group of perfect friends and perfect babies is not what you need.

Nor is hearing Ms. Niequist humble brag about the night she and her friends laughed over Italian food and wine while collecting a little money for the homeless food truck.

The book is just unsettling, in that Ms. Niequist is clearly upper-middle-class, very comfortable, and has not much of an idea of suffering beyond her own. I think that's what bothers me most about this book: I love the way Shauna Niequist uses details to bring her memories to life.

What's hard, she said, is figuring out what you're willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about.

These are the people who cry when you cry. These are your people, your middle-of-the-night, no-matter-what people. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow. This season is about becoming. Don't lose yourself at happy hour, but don't lose yourself on the corporate ladder, either. Use the first day of fall: Our tree-lined streets are set ablaze, our kitchens filled with the smells of nostalgia: The leaves as they spark into wild color just before they die are the world's oldest performance art, and everything we see is celebrating one last violently hued hurrah before the black and white silence of winter.