This is a thoughtful but relaxing read and will make a great Mother’s Day gift for Mums who love real-life stories. Lorraine’s life has had lots ups and downs: the earlier chapters cover her happy childhood in Auckland’s Pakuranga, her Miss Universe win as a teenager, and marriage and children in her twenties, but by her thirties she had also already experienced divorce and the loss of her beloved Dad, then lost her soulmate Martin Crowe to lymphoma in 2016.
The chapters on her relationship with former Black Caps captain Martin Crowe are especially touching. They got together in 2005, married in 2009 and were blissfully happy until his diagnosis in 2012, after which Lorraine was at his side constantly until he died in 2016. She writes powerfully about accompanying someone on their cancer journey, with interesting insights into medicinal cannabis and other aspects of palliative care.
She wrote this book as part of her healing process and it has many thoughts on who and what helped her through that terrible time: she really hopes the book will help anyone else going through a similar experience with a loved one.
But she also talks about lots of good times: behind the scenes at her Miss Universe and Dancing with the Stars wins, running a successful consultancy business, her deep and enduring friendships, and the music she loves to dance to at parties!
Lorraine says her children are her greatest achievement and anyone with kids will recognise with a wry smile the bits about being their taxi driver/personal assistant/chef etc! And also the mixed emotions experienced when they grow up and leave home.
This is the kind of book to share with anyone having a tough time who needs reminding there is still joy and purpose to be found in life even after suffering terrible grief and also to pass along to the women you have travelled through life with – the bits about raising children, blended families and the importance of sisters and friends are really lovely.
The book is also packed full of gorgeous photos – take a trip down memory lane when you check out the eighties hairstyles!
Get the book now from Mighty Ape: hot price of $23.99 for GrownUps readers when you use the promo code ‘LIFELOSSLOVE’
Treat Mum to a high tea with Lorraine!
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