In a world of over 8 billion people, each person has their own story to tell. Stories personal to them, though interconnected with other persons. This is one of those stories. This story begins with a single teen-mom who has to find a father for her 4 children from different fathers and a husband for herself. While doing this, she must remind herself to substitute longing with responsibility and wants for needs.
The book 480 Codorus Street Book II: Trials and Tribulations, authored by Sandra L. Kearse-Stockton, is a rich capture of a life, the author’s, not perfectly lived yet beautifully experienced. It is an apparent continuation of the author’s first reveal into her own life; 480 Codorus Street Book I. This autobiography reminds its readers of the realities of life and the inevitable passage of time. Knowing that creates a consciousness of our own lives, our own stories, our own truths and points us towards appreciating every moment of love, of loss, of growth, of change. From the author’s lens on life, this includes navigating through family ties, love, passion, motherhood, and responsibilities while still living her own life. Sandra was not just a mother to her children and Tracey. She became a mother to her husband, who, being younger than she was, also needed to figure out his masculine identity. The reflections at the end of the book are a pointer that one cannot truly live life alone. The beauty of living are in the ways our lives are beacons of light to everyone we come across. Sandra expressed this through her resilience, perseverance, courage, and large heart.
I love the way the author reminds us that life is simple. Beautiful. It takes off the pressure of perfection and unrealistic standards, encouraging its readers to want to embrace living a day at a time. Consciously. And intentionally. There are colorful pictures at the end, giving life to the stories within, as the reader gets to see the persons being talked about. The book, however, has several errors with its pages that make it a bit difficult to follow, and is filled with numerous mentions of profane words which can be disturbing to a sensitive reader.
I will rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Its language is simple and humorous; the message of the book is communicated exhaustively, however, the pagination of the book is sloppy, and there are some errors the editors missed.
Finally, I’d recommend this book to anyone who isn’t dazed by fairytales but loves true storytelling, raw truth, and wants to have a good laugh. And also to anyone who wants to live a full life, one that isn’t focused on how other people live or how society dictates living, but one that is about themselves, their own stories and expressions. Single mothers who also find themselves trying to navigate motherhood, individuality, and longing can also read this book. Sandra shows us how.
