What Doesn't Kill You by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant

DeBerry and Grant’s novel ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ is an interesting narrative of how a single mother navigates through life’s constant of ups and downs. It is a beautifully woven novel by two perceptive authors who had a clear vision of the constancy of this mother’s struggles. They also appeared to have a good handle on the hardships and challenges of a divorced mother who is left with making ends meet and with raising a small child with no support from her deadbeat, would-be songwriter ex-husband.
Tee, born in an era of change, learns how to adjust to, and possibly escape from, life’s punishing woes. She makes every attempt to be a good mother to her daughter, Amber, and to control her independence after her divorce by being opinionated, straight-talking, and witty. Nonetheless, at times, she fails miserably and finds herself succumbing to those behaviors which are outside of her character.
In some of Tee’s missteps, however, you are left with asking the question ’WHY’. Why did Tee, who was doing so well it seems, surrender to the temptation and wakes up the next morning to learn that she had slept with the best man at her daughter’s wedding? Was it overindulging in the champagne or was Tee too busy to find a man to call her own and was just lonely? Some behaviors are just simply crossing the line.
This novel follows Tee throughout her journey through life. It shows vividly her indecisiveness and her denial. It painstakingly points out her series of financial mistakes and miscalculations. But, at the end, it brilliantly shows when Tee’s light began to shine and she wakes up to face reality.
Now, she realized that instead of wandering aimlessly through life, she must start investing in herself. And the fact that she could eventually become a grandmother brought her carefree life to a sobering end.
What Doesn't Kill You A Novel