Book Review and Giveaway: Laughter, Tears & Braids by Bruce Ham


Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from the author, via Asylum PR , for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it


we love dad meme button


I don't think my dad would have ever managed getting my braids right,
should my mother had not been with us. he had a hard enough time getting a pony tail right!

This new book is about one dad who did get them right:

Laughter, Tears & Braids  cover


Synopsis:

Within six months, an aggressive cancer killed Lisa Ham, a Raleigh, North Carolina mom at the young age of 39. Her husband, Bruce, was left scrambling to pick up the pieces of their life, while maneuvering the world with a broken heart. The responsibilities of being a single father to his three active daughters were overwhelming. For some Dads being strapped with the responsibility of taking their three kids to the grocery store alone on a weekend is unthinkable. Not the case for Bruce Ham, who had to take over carpools, school calendarsbraiding hair, shopping for new clothes,­ everything his wife used to manage with the girls. And, Bruce’s brother-in-law moved in to lend a helping hand completing the transformation to the real Full House. 

Bruce chronicles his story in his book, Laughter Tears and Braids, sharing anecdotes from his courtship with his wife, their life together and his learning to be a single father to three girls ­ including giving fashion advice like "purple is the new black" when he couldn¹t find a black skirt in his daughter’s size on a shopping trip. Bruce wrestled with his faith and questioned his ability to parent competently without Lisa by his side. But slowly, his wife’s tough spirit inspired Bruce to shape his new normal and to find inner peace and laughter again.


Review::

As a parent to a young daughter, this was not an easy book to get through. Bruce is such a wonderful storyteller, that you could easily see yourself and your child in his story, and the sense of loss is so profound and moving! The story for the most part is the love story between Bruce and Lisa, and how they coped during her last 6 months. But it is a quick read, one full of charm, honesty and love. How Bruce had to deal with things he had never thought of- like holidays, or who got to flush the most recent dead fish, and the ordeal of letting go of the used car that his wife had sacrificed for him to have. This is a lovely story and Bruce is to be commended for such a loving tribute to his wife, and the mother of his wonderful girls! be sure to check out his blog, for more adjustment tales and life as the girls are now teens and preteen age! 


About the Author:

Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and the son of a preacher, Bruce Ham lives in Raleigh with his three girls and hamster. Graduating from North Carolina State University didn’t stop him from pursuing his late wife Lisa, who attended the archrival, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He is a consummate father, the Chief Development Officer at the YMCA of the Triangle Area, and he has a serious addiction to bow ties. Read his blog at: therealfullhouse.wordpress.com


Giveaway:



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