Learning To Breathe Again : Choosing Life and Finding Hope After a Shattering Loss

Rating:
Summary: Be thankful for what you have....
Review: Although Tammy suffered a terrible loss, I have to admit I find it a little hard at times to feel sorry for a woman who had the "perfect" man for 15 years of her young life, when other women (including me) have never even come close. Be thankful for the love that you had, and that you will have. Many women have never experienced anything close to that kind of love, ever, their whole lives. Many women have been alone their whole lifes. Tammy is only experiencing something that many other women have experienced. Life is not perfect, so be thankful that you had something so perfect, even if only for a seemingly short time. That is the lesson to be learned. We have all suffered, but God will get us all through it if we trust Him.

Rating:
Summary: Hope after tragedy
Review: I just had to write a review after reading the ones referring to the writing style. The editorial review was harsh, others were softer, but still said that it left something to be desired. I read the book (also after a WOF weekend -- keep up the awesome work touching lives, Tammy!!) and thought that the writing style reflected the shattering affect of what she went thru. She was/isn't writing about something that affected her lightly or something that happened long enough before that it had the perspective of decades (a collection of one's thoughts, if you will). It reminds me of what is becoming popular in cinematography with the use of cameras in a "rough-shod," not Hollywood, polished manner - sometimes a jerky perspective - to put the viewer directly inside the action (think "Last of the Mohicans", "Momento" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind").

When Tammy writes of her pain and her grief that has her struggling to breathe, it doesn't seem strange to me that her writing style is not polished and smooth. As a reader, I was drawn into what she was dealing with, whether it was the new love of a 15 year old girl, the indecisive, temperamental collegiate, or the grieving widow. None of these Tammies that I met in the pages had to be polished or hyper-edited to tell her story. Least of all to get her point across that when pain and tragedy have you on your knees, there's only one pair of hands that will lift you up and give you the strength to get thru the next day.

Awesome book! I've recommended and given it to all my women family members and friends!!

Rating:
Summary: Grab your Kleenexes!
Review: I purchased this book after attending a Women of Faith conference. Tammy was one of the speakers, and I was so touched by her story, that I just HAD to buy the book. And so I did.

Once I began reading the book, I couldn't put the darn thing down! The love Tammy had for her husband is definitely a love we don't see every day, especially in this day and age. So in a way, I became completely entranced by their wonderful love story.

After losing Trent, Tammy completely relies on her faith in God to get her through the darkness. As Christian who's just finding her way back to practicing faith and atending church, I found Tammy's story truly inspirational. It really has changed my life. I want to hug my family every day and let them know how much I love them. I want to be a better person because of this book.

However, I will note that Tammy is not the most experienced writer; and perhaps that may bother some readers. I, on the other hand, was able to set aside the inexperienced style merely because I was so encapsulated by the story itself, not the language in which it was told.

I will definitely be reading this book again.

Rating:
Summary: God Will Bring You Through
Review: I think this is an incredible book. Tammy Trent shares candidly how she tragically lost her husband and how God brought her through. What an incredible testimony. This book will encourage and inspire you that God loves you and no matter what you face on this earth, He'll bring you through. I also think this book would be a blessing to anyone who has lost anyone or anything in their life. In addition to the book, I recommend her CD's. They are entitled, Set You Free and You Have My Heart. On her website, she has Learning To Breathe, which is her latest one. She has a beautiful voice and is anointed. There were many times I have played her cd and have been blessed and forever changed by it.

Rating:
Summary: Heartache and Life
Review: I was blown away by Tammy at a conference and I had to know more about this incredible lady, so I bought this book. I loved it, the real emotion behind every word and the pain that this woman went through is beyond my imagination. I could not put it down until I'd read every page. What a blessing and God send Tammy is to women everywhere. The courage and love for God that she exudes at Women of Faith conferences make this a "must read".

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Summary: A touching story of loss, recovery and learging to breathe
Review: The week of 9/11 I remember thinking that while we were in shock over the horrific events in New York, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania, there were people who were going through their own personal tragedies that would be overshadowed by the events of this day. Someone's mom would be dying, someone would get a diagnosis that they did not want to hear or a car accident would spin someone's life in a new direction. It reminded me that C.S. Lewis had passed away the same day as JFK's assassination and his death was barely noted as a result.

Tammy Trent was one of those people. September 10th dawned wonderfully for her and her husband, Trent. They were enjoying some idyllic days on a Jamaican beach before doing a mission trip on another part of the island. Thrilled to be together --- away from cellphones, Internet access and the demands of Tammy's music career --- they were reveling in their time together and making plans. Trent was an accomplished free diver, which means that he dove without air tanks, able to hold his breath up to five minutes. The beautiful Caribbean waters beckoned him to make a dive at Blue Lagoon before he and Tammy went off for a relaxing afternoon together.

Trent pushed off and turned back to wave to Tammy one last time before he made his dive. This was a tradition of theirs. One never left; you walked away and then turned back again and again. Trent waved and dove into the blue water. Fifteen minutes went by and he still was not back. Then 30 minutes. Then 45. Tammy knew something was drastically wrong. Beckoning people to help her, a search for Trent commenced. But he was not found that day, even when divers went to 240 feet down.

She called her family back in the States to share her heartbreaking news. Her father-in-law raced from a meeting in L.A. to be with her. Everyone else vowed to be there in the morning.

The morning of 9/11 the world fell apart and Tammy found herself trapped in a nightmare in Jamaica without her family and friends surrounding her. Her father-in-law was the only family member to make the trip, as he had left California late the previous evening. He quickly took over the details of searching for Trent, whose body was found later that day. There was one gash to his head; the assumption is that he was struck by a boat or a piece of coral. No one will ever know what happened.

For the next eleven days Tammy was trapped in Jamaica, unable to return home. As her father-in-law tried to handle the paperwork, Tammy found a Bible in her hotel room and turned to Scripture for guidance to get her through this nightmare. While her friends and family could not be there to wrap their arms around her, God's word was there for her, and through her Bible reading she tried to make sense of what was going on.

The metaphor of Trent holding his breath to dive and Tammy learning to exhale to get on with her life is a beautiful one. It draws readers into the essence of their relationship. They fed their relationship with notes, cards and little traditions that bound them together. Tammy shares these intimacies and, from them, readers draw how much of her strength came from Trent --- and how she relied on him.

When she was on tour with him, she knew he was just a glance away at the soundboard. She was free to make music while he managed the details. Suddenly she was on her own. Shortly after the tragedy while she was still in Jamaica, her mom called to say, "Keep breathing, honey. Trent wants you to breathe."

Readers will feel the rawness of her hurt and will walk with her through the healing process. She and Trent clearly had a special relationship, but Tammy is not above also admitting her shortcomings along the way. She is quick to share the moments where she was more selfish and immature than Trent. She easily admits her own faults in the relationship and how she may have hurt him along the way.

Tammy Trent fans will enjoy this book, but so will readers who are looking for a story of hope. Yes, tissues are a requirement with reading this one, but I dare you not to send a card to a loved one, or make another special expression of your love once you finish reading it. The book made me stop and think about all the little things that consume us and do not allow us the time to be there for the people we love. I daresay that Tammy and Trent put more into their 18 years together than many people have in a lifetime. Take that away and figure out how you can put more into the relationships that matter to you.

--- Reviewed by Carol Fitzgerald


Rating:
Summary: I had to get in on this of course!
Review: This is a terrific book. Hands-down - it's a "feel this from the bottom of my heart" story - that tells of life, love and loss. Losing your life partner, unless you've experienced that kind of loss personally - you will never EVER know what it is like or the feelings that go with it and will go with it for the rest of your earthly life. I love Tammy Trent's outlook, her candidness, her spunk, her candor and her amazing fortitude. YOU ROCK GIRL!

I read this book in a weekend and passed it on for someone to share w/ her friend who just lost her husband. There is hope and healing in God and how Tammy trusted - believed - clung to that promise from day one is AMAZING and she SHOULD share her story. It's compelling, it's real and it's personal. It's a testimony to her character and God's faithfulness.

Rating:
Summary: a message for the editor
Review: This is something I never do, but could not help myself as a friend told me about your less then desireable review of my book "Learning to Breathe Again". I'm assumming you're a man because there was certainly no words of compassion, as most Women express to me after reading my book. Forgive me if I'm wrong. The mere fact that you would say the I (hagiograhpic) "idealize or worship" Trent in my book is so alarming. There is truly a difference between idealizing a person and giving honor to a person who has impacted your life. Just as I honor the Lord through those pages too. But you must not know the difference. "It is not well written" you say? How much better can a person put their life onto paper? And why is it that I'm told everyday that people can't put it down? Have you walked in my shoes? Then what rights do you have saying that the way I described my anguish was too much and possibly over done or said. Were you there with me in Jamaica when I was all alone? NO! 90% of the ones buying this book have never even heard of me before, so NO, it's not just for 'my fans". "Learning to Breathe Again" came out of a heart that was broken and then giving honor to a man that change my life AND honor to a God who is putting it back together again. At least one young women that I know of gave her heart to Jesus after reading my book. I would say that has everything to do with the "spiritual" and less of the "chatty". Yes, some times healing is slow, but don't knock somebody because of it, or mock their words or their pain. I started writing this book only 24 months after I lost Trent, so undoubtedly I didn't have too much to say about the "other side" as I was still working my way towards it. I will be everyday of my life. I wish you well, but I also wish you would learn a bit more about reviewing someones autobiograhy. This is NOT fiction. This is my life and I take offense to your review of it!

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Story and Testimony!
Review: What an awesome story and testimony of how someone can not only survive a tragic loss but also keep a positive outlook on life and encourage others! Tammy Trent is a wonderful singer and speaker, but reading her story makes her that much more inspirational. I can't imagine someone reading this and not being touched by it. It will make you stop and thank God for the people you love - and not take a moment with them forgranted.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Story and Testimony!
Review: What an awesome story and testimony of how someone can not only survive a tragic loss but also keep a positive outlook on life and encourage others! Tammy Trent is a wonderful singer and speaker, but reading her story makes her that much more inspirational. I can't imagine someone reading this and not being touched by it. It will make you stop and thank God for the people you love - and not take a moment with them forgranted.