The Art of Brave Living is a moving anthology by women who have overcome a variety of life issues. Each story is compelling, with thoughts and phrases that provoke thought and drive a desire to keep reading. Because each story is different and easy reading, you can also be inspired one short interval at a time.

This is the guidebook on authentic, transparent living.

There is a important movement brewing in the literary world that challenges women to live authentically and embrace life fully (including their challenges), thereby becoming true to themselves. If you’ve ever read Brene’ Brown, Iyanla Vanzandt, and now Glennon Doyle Melton—they are both the heartbeat and navigators of this important direction. This book introduces you to some of the real life stories of women who are living this forward-based movement. These pages are quick moving, deep, raw, real. The application of what this movement honestly looks like in the day-to-day playing out. These women are the embodiment of the faces of front-line warriors in the battle of life. Join them, learn from them, see how to become one of their tribe. This is the guidebook on how to execute life in the lane of authenticity.

Each story in this book is like a small piece of glass colored by life experience and arranged like a stained glass work of art to show an inside view of “The Art of Brave Living” in real life.

The demographics vary and yet are melded together by faith, hope, and mostly love. There’s no mistaking the hand of God working in and through their stories. I learned about some of the highs and lows of Type 1 Diabetes and things I had never heard of about Tourette’s syndrome. I loved the story about going to Ghana because it was an answered prayer where God’s first answer was not now.

You never know what someone is dealing with or what they have lived through. These stories serve as a reminder to be more thoughtful because what seems like a joking, lighthearted quip to you could be a jab to an old wound, hurt, or scar for another.

Ideas of what it means to be brave will vary from person to person. These stories leave you thinking about what you might do in a similar situation. For some, it may be the seed of hope planted at just the right moment to see there is a testimony that needs to be shared on the other side.

The picture collages of each contributor were a nice touch. The photos drive home the reality that these are real people doing life, and that’s something we can all relate to. Diane Cunningham did a wonderful job with pulling together a group of women willing to share their brave experiences (and some sharing their stories for the first time ever) in this book. Curious about what will be revealed in future through the sharing of these stories.

There are many ways to be brave. But one thing that I know very well, there is no brave that is small or insignificant. You’ll read many brave stories in this book. Each story about a life experience well-lived by one woman. And to that one woman, her brave was big. Try to imagine yourself as the woman you’re reading about—you’ll get to know her through her photos as well. You are a woman who went, who left, who succeeded, who accomplished, who survived in spite of your fear, trepidation, or uncertainty. The stories you’ll read could easily be your story. I felt much braver and stronger after reading them. I suspect you will, too.