Co-authored by LeAnn Thieman, L.P.N.
Reviewed by Marilyn Colter

This book, like others in the "Chicken Soup" series, is a compilation of inspiring stories submitted by caregivers who have found fulfillment, hope, and a sense of themselves in the act of caring for others. Caregivers of brain injury survivors will see themselves in these stories. Co-author LeAnn Thieman—who has spent her life as a nurse, educator and, now, author and speaker—dedicates this Chicken Soup book to caregivers, "who by their benevolent acts of kindness, single-handedly ease the suffering in the world." That's you.

What's Chicken Soup for the Caregiver's Soul about?

Thieman also wrote This Must Be My Brother, the true story of her daring adventure helping 300 orphaned babies escape Vietnam as Saigon fell in 1975. In Chicken Soup for the Caregiver's Soul, she shares stories that show love, loss and the stress of caring for others. One theme is constant throughout every story, though: Caregiving is not only an act of giving, it is an act of learning and receiving as well.

This book is full of stories that will touch your heart. There's the story of Lianna, a six-year-old who knew instinctively that her nine-year-old brother's blindness, caused by treatment for a brain tumor, need not limit exploration and discovery. There is the story of Ray, a hospice patient whose spirit and faith gave his caregiver hope enough to recover from a long, painful illness.

You'll meet caregivers in a broad range of different personalities, sizes, ages and abilities—from Mother Theresa to dying children. All of them have something wise and wonderful to offer other caregivers.

The stories in Chicken Soup for the Caregiver's Soul are grouped around the kind of gifts that come from caregiving, such as special insights, the ability to overcome obstacles, attitude adjustment and the angels among us who we've all met at one time or another. The stories are short—suitable for when you have just a moment. You can also read several stories before bed to make the world seem a better place, and to give you hope.

Some stories will not seem outstandingly noteworthy as you struggle with your own brain injury caregiver burdens, but others may wedge themselves into your heart and mind where you'll carry them forever. They are sometimes sad and sometimes joyful, but they are all worth reading.

Think of the stories in this book as a prescription for gratitude as you deal with brain injury in your family. Take one or two stories a day to help you get through the difficult times.

Author web site: LeAnn Thieman

www.leannthieman.com

Reviewer byline: Marilyn Colter

Marilyn Colter is the author of "Missing Pieces: Mending the Head Injury Family." Her husband suffered a brain injury in 1982 during surgery to repair a brain aneurysm. She and her family founded the Brain Injury Family Resources web site at www.braininjuryfamily.net

Want to buy Chicken Soup for the Caregiver's Soul online?

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_kinh?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Chicken+soup+for+the+caregiver%27s+soul

Tattered Cover (Brain Injury Family Resources' favorite independent bookstore!)
http://www.tatteredcover.com/NASApp/store/Search;jsessionid=bacPgd5G3P3Uq_n9F1Ffs?s=results&initiate=yes&ks=q&qsselect=KQ&title=&author=&qstext=Chicken+Soup+for+the+caregiver%27s+soul&x=6&y=3

Want to find Chicken Soup for the Caregiver's Soul in a library near you?

Search for the book in a library near you at WorldCat