Finding the fire to keep going when all seems lost is a common dilemma for more people than the world probably wants to admit. In this memoir Emboldened, the author, who usually writes novels, traces her own recovery from a traumatic time in a simple, highly readable volume.

Alexandra is adamant that this is not a self-help book. It is simply a sharing of stories of people who personified ‘emboldenment’ to her, and her responses to those stories. In emboldening herself, she told her soul stories of resilience, purpose, passion and connection. Not interested in stories of revenge or anger, eventually she found her own courage in her darkest times.

Her Russian-born mother was the storyteller. She enthralled the young Belinda with tales of her ancestors, people of the vast Russian Empire. These included how her grandparents met in Harbin, China, as White Russians after the Bolshevik Revolution; how her grandmother was widowed twice; how the family withstood the Japanese invasion, then the Chinese Civil War; and eventually, how her grandmother and mother came to Australia.

These were the examples the author used as she dusted herself off and regained her life.

Her other illustrations of emboldenment were American Virginia Hall, who lost a leg in an accident but became a top Allied agent in France in World War II; the greatest flamenco dancer, Carmen Amaya, born in abject poverty; and Australia’s own Edna Walling, a garden designer who lost her home to fire.

With her own interest in dance, the author shares advice once given to her by a teacher. ‘Focus on each step, not the whole routine.’ It is advice that has worked for her.

Reviewed by Jennifer Somerville

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I currently live in Sydney, Australia, with my three black cats, Valentino, Versace and Gucci, and a garden full of the beautiful Australian wildlife I love so much.

When I’m not writing, I enjoy flamenco and belly dancing, playing the piano and attempting to wrap my tongue around foreign languages. I am passionate about animal welfare and am an active member for several animal charities.

Visit Belinda Alexandra website