About the Book: Shannon was quick to blame others for her anger. She struggled with darkness and pain. Shannon was born with a learning disability, which left her feeling defeated. She tried drinking to quiet the demons inside her mind.
After being kicked out of college, Shannon began working in a nursing home as a Certified Nurses Aide (CNA). This is when the miracle began in Shannon's life. Shannon's new elderly friends served as angels, providing her insights and wisdom to help her find her path through life.
My Thoughts: I was intrigued the minute I read the book description. From the time I was young, I have adored seniors. I feel they have so much wisdom and insight to offer, and it saddens me that so many are pushed aside or ignored, especially in nursing home settings. I was excited to read about how the seniors in the nursing home where Shannon worked helped inspire and guide her life.
Shannon's book is an honest portrayal of her journey from struggling with anger, pain, self-destructive behaviors, and darkness to health, happiness, and finding a career she loves. She's courageous for being so vulnerable in her book.
I loved reading about Shannon's senior friends in the nursing home, but it saddened me to read about how much pressure there is in the medical field. CNAs were only given 15 minutes to get each resident up, toileted, dressed, and groomed before breakfast, for instance. Shannon tried to provide her residents with the care they deserved in a setting where the staff were expected to get as much done as humanly possible on each shift.
Having worked in a nursing home setting myself, I found the amount of paperwork we were required to do on each resident disheartening - it left little time to actually attend to resident needs and making personal connections with them.
Not only did Shannon take the time to form personal connections with her residents, they offered her a great deal of wisdom and support.
Shannon talks a lot about her learning disability, and I admire how she finds ways to conquer the challenges related to it. I can relate to Shannon's struggles - being disabled myself, I have had to find ways to conquer numerous challenges in my life. I always find inspiration in others who do the same.
I only have one issue with this book. It was a little disjointed in places. Sometimes Shannon mentions people or events, and I'm not sure where they connect in her story.
Overall, this is an inspiring story about transition and finding one's path in life. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.
Abou the Author: Shannon Leith McGuire grew up in a small town in Eastern Montana. After she was kicked out of the college she was attending, she became a Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) in Billings, Montana. In her new job, she learned how to take care of others and bonded with her senior residents. For five years, Shannon worked in the same nursing home where she received her CNA training. Though the work was challenging, it helped her balance an unbalanced life.
Shannon now lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband of over 10 years. You may find her laughing with her husband, scuba diving, or taking walks with her rescued pit bull, Darby.
You can connect with Shannon Leith McGuire on her website. You can buy Finding My Sunshine: A Memoir on Amazon.
Giveaway
FINDING MY SUNSHINE Book Tour Giveaway
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book! It means the world to me! -take care- SLM
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a really good one and we enjoyed your review too.
ReplyDeleteNice. We are going to look into this one. I had a lot of challenges, different, but challenges when I was younger
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good. I enjoy memoirs.
ReplyDelete