Item: Life Lessons from a Late Bloomer: Vignettes of a Small-Town Girl
Rating: 5
Author: chicklit

Life Lessons from a Late Bloomer: Vignettes of a Small-Town Girl by Jackie Ewing
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Life Lessons from a Late Bloomer: Vignettes of a Small-Town Girl by Jackie Ewing

A multi-award winning laugh-out-loud memoir/self-help crossover, entertaining true story of one woman’s bumpy path toward finding herself.

Told through vignettes with refreshing candor, Jackie Ewing imparts wisdom in a charming, relatable and down-to-earth manner in Life Lessons from a Late Bloomer.

Jackie Ewing is a stumbler.

She has stumbled around the world, bumping into green paint, bears, bullet holes, rattlesnakes, interlopers, errant camels, flying mattresses, and even … giant testicles.

From growing up in small-town Ontario to teaching in countries far and wide, Jackie has had many opportunities to bump into wisdom.

Although a slow learner, she eventually unearthed ten life lessons from her myriad adventures.

Life Lessons from a Late Bloomer, Vignettes of a Small-Town Girl, is a perfect book for fellow stumblers.

Jackie Ewing’s wonderful way with words will delight you, make you think, and remind you not to take yourself so very seriously. When you turn the last page, you will feel like you just spent a few hours with your new best friend.

* Vignettes are grouped via themes rather than told chronologically.
This book is for those who stumble through life, bumping into inanimate objects (and apologizing profusely) as they traverse the world.

Chick Lit Café Book Review:

Reading Life Lessons from a Late Bloomer: Vignettes of a Small-Town Girl by Jackie Ewing is like going out for drinks with some good friends—you feel giggly, contented, loved, and seen all at the same time. I was drawn to this book by the artistic and cheerful cover and clever title. This is the best collection of auto-biographical humorous, heartfelt and authentic stories I have read in a very long time.

Jackie Ewing truly embodies the idea of living every minute to the fullest. From teaching kindergarten in a war-torn Kuwait with zero time to prepare and a laughable amount of sleep, to riding camels, elephants, and running a dog sled, the woman can tell a good story! She’s got anecdotes for days and even better, she’s got lived experiences that will help guide and encourage any reader, of any age, to living a more embodied life as well. Her book, Life Lessons from a Late Bloomer: Vignettes of a Small-Town Girl, is nicely broken up into tiny offerings for the reader such as ‘Chin Up’ or ‘Nine to Five.’ Within each chapter, Jackie has planted life lessons like parents skillfully hide Easter eggs—they’re sparkly, shiny, and obvious with even better nuggets inside.

Jackie’s book is pleasantly different and original; her voice immediately comes through even as early as the disclaimer page. As someone who has lived in multiple countries, been married twice, raised children, worked in multiple industries, Jackie is someone who knows herself well. In short, she’s someone who has had such a wide range of unique experiences which have helped guide her to have a rich and full understanding of herself, and in turn she effortlessly offers these experiences and lessons to her readers. She’s humble, vivacious, and honest to a fault. And she’s funny…. I flat out laughed-out-loud in more than a few of her chapters! Her writing style is authentic, personable and memorable as she tells you each fascinating and amusing story and anecdote. It feels like sitting with a friend over a cup of tea—nice and relaxed, with occasional glances from those around you because it is obvious that you’re having such a good time.

Life Lessons from a Late Bloomer: Vignettes of a Small-Town Girl by Jackie Ewing is a humorous, entertaining book and one that I will want to read again. She leaves no stone unturned—even going as far as to discuss her boobs during pregnancy and again later on in her story. She’s consistently and brutally honest, yet her insightful and thoughtful words impart a measure of strength, passion and hope to the reader. Whether Jackie’s goal is to push her readers to live life fully or to reveal how a life well lived looks…she’s hit her mark. This is an extraordinary witty and memorable book filled with wisdom and relatable life lessons. Chick Lit Cafe highly recommends Life Lessons from a Late Bloomer: Vignettes of a Small-Town Girl by Jackie Ewing to any and all readers. Reviewed by avid reader and professional book review writer Rachel M. for Chick Lit Café.