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Rise: How a House Built a Family: How a House Built a Family
After escaping an abusive marriage, Cara Brookins had four children to provide for and no one to turn to but herself. In desperate need of a home but without the means to buy one, she did something incredible.
Equipped only with YouTube instructional videos, a small bank loan, a mile-wide stubborn streak, Cara built her own house from the foundation up with a work crew made up of her four children.
It would be the hardest thing she had ever done. With no experience nailing together anything bigger than a bookshelf, she and her kids poured concrete, framed the walls and laid bricks for their two story, five bedroom house. She had convinced herself that if they could build a house, they could rebuild their broken family.
This must-read memoir traces one family’s rise from battered victims to stronger, better versions of themselves, all through one extraordinary do-it-yourself project.
Equipped only with YouTube instructional videos, a small bank loan, a mile-wide stubborn streak, Cara built her own house from the foundation up with a work crew made up of her four children.
It would be the hardest thing she had ever done. With no experience nailing together anything bigger than a bookshelf, she and her kids poured concrete, framed the walls and laid bricks for their two story, five bedroom house. She had convinced herself that if they could build a house, they could rebuild their broken family.
This must-read memoir traces one family’s rise from battered victims to stronger, better versions of themselves, all through one extraordinary do-it-yourself project.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 24, 2017
118 people are currently reading
3407 people want to read
About the author
Cara Brookins
11 books139 followersCara Brookins is a computer analyst and social media marketing expert based in Little Rock. You can read more about her, as well as see shots of her home and family at http://www.carabrookins.com/. Her memoir, Rise: How a House Built a Family details the house she built with her children after they had left a domestic violence situation. She is also the author of seven middle grade and young adult novels and one adult novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 303 reviews
November 22, 2016
This memoir is about Cara Brookins who lives in Arkansas with her four children ages 17,15,11, and 2. She works as computer programmer and freelance writer and is currently divorced. A victim of domestic violence, Cara lives in constant fear of her ex husband, Adam.
Together with her children, Cara embarks on building a house. The idea came from her desire to reclaim her family’s life from an unsafe environment. The family continues to be traumatized by Adam who is schizophrenic. However, working as a team the family bonds together while developing life skills that will help them forever. This new structure is symbolic of her new found freedom and the steps she has taken to restart their life.
I found this book to be inspiring. There is an easy flow to the book and author does not write in an angry tone about her past marriages. The book alternates between the present day build of the house and past difficult situations with her ex husbands.
Cara and her family are truly survivors and tested their resilience. Unfortunately, many women in these situations do not find their way out and find safety.
I am giving away copies on my blog on facebook until 11/23 https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved/
Together with her children, Cara embarks on building a house. The idea came from her desire to reclaim her family’s life from an unsafe environment. The family continues to be traumatized by Adam who is schizophrenic. However, working as a team the family bonds together while developing life skills that will help them forever. This new structure is symbolic of her new found freedom and the steps she has taken to restart their life.
I found this book to be inspiring. There is an easy flow to the book and author does not write in an angry tone about her past marriages. The book alternates between the present day build of the house and past difficult situations with her ex husbands.
Cara and her family are truly survivors and tested their resilience. Unfortunately, many women in these situations do not find their way out and find safety.
I am giving away copies on my blog on facebook until 11/23 https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved/
April 21, 2017
Visit my blog for a more complete review:
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Brookins claims many times to be an optimist in her book and she must be in order to build her own home with four children in tow, one a toddler. The story is very depressing, though. I have read a lot of memoirs that center around the author's horrific past and they were able to maintain some semblance of lightness and hope but this book did not even though it had great potential to do so. The author is very black and white in her representation of the different personalities in the book. Her children are written as lovable, responsible and gifted whereas her ex-husbands are written as villains with no redeeming qualities. I could have forgiven all of this if this were an interesting book to read but it was not engaging, at all. I had to push myself to finish it and the story moved very slowly. I really wanted to like this book and I believed it to have a lot of potential when I put it on my to be read list but I just didn't enjoy this book.
http://reviewsofbooksonmynightstand.b...
Brookins claims many times to be an optimist in her book and she must be in order to build her own home with four children in tow, one a toddler. The story is very depressing, though. I have read a lot of memoirs that center around the author's horrific past and they were able to maintain some semblance of lightness and hope but this book did not even though it had great potential to do so. The author is very black and white in her representation of the different personalities in the book. Her children are written as lovable, responsible and gifted whereas her ex-husbands are written as villains with no redeeming qualities. I could have forgiven all of this if this were an interesting book to read but it was not engaging, at all. I had to push myself to finish it and the story moved very slowly. I really wanted to like this book and I believed it to have a lot of potential when I put it on my to be read list but I just didn't enjoy this book.
February 4, 2017
Good premise but I just wasn't that interested as the author tried her setup. If I'm going to be totally honest with you, I would tell you that I was actually a little judgey about the author's predicament. Not once, not twice, but three times she self-admittedly chose abusive husbands. Husbands to the point that her children have behaviors that hide themselves and each other from the possibly of the new abusive boyfriend/husband finding them.
I gave this book seven chapters and each one was more depressing that the previous one. I'm sure the book evolves at some point - I've read the five star reviews - but I just couldn't get into the story. It depressed the hell out of me.
I gave this book seven chapters and each one was more depressing that the previous one. I'm sure the book evolves at some point - I've read the five star reviews - but I just couldn't get into the story. It depressed the hell out of me.
March 9, 2017
I wanted to like this book. I liked the idea of this book. But some people need drama in their lives, and at the end of the day, this was about her weird needs than anything healthy for her children. People who have been married three times and can list the myriad issues in their exes and never remove their own logs need to rethink their lives.
January 3, 2017
In "Rise," Cara Brookins and her four children have been on the run to rebuild their lives after suffering through Cara's three marriages that were rife with violence and chaos. They are finally ready to stop running and instead of simply symbolically not running any longer, they decide to put roots down and truly make a place of their own so they build a house. Neither Cara nor her children have any experience in building a house but they learn... together and try to carve out a new life from the ground up.
In one word, this memoir is incredibly raw. It's real and unflinching. The book is not just about the building of the house but of a family's recovery. Cara covers her history of abuse. She covers her childhood where she watched her brother face abuse almost every day. She covers her marriage and as difficult as it is to read about, how as an optimist, getting out of a terrible relationship is anything but easy as you are continually hopeful that your partner might change if the conditions are just right, if x happens, if y happens, etc. and so you stay because of the maybe.
I really appreciated the tenacity of the family throughout the book! Although it was Cara in the relationships, her children have witnessed more violence than they should ever have to. They are incredibly strong even through the difficulty they go through in trying to build the house because they realize that it could be worse and they have been through worse before. This family definitely shows the triumph of the human spirit.
You should read this book if you're looking for a book that will lift you up after taking you for a wild ride. This is a memoir that pulls you in from the beginning and doesn't let go for the duration. What a solid read to start out 2017 with!
In one word, this memoir is incredibly raw. It's real and unflinching. The book is not just about the building of the house but of a family's recovery. Cara covers her history of abuse. She covers her childhood where she watched her brother face abuse almost every day. She covers her marriage and as difficult as it is to read about, how as an optimist, getting out of a terrible relationship is anything but easy as you are continually hopeful that your partner might change if the conditions are just right, if x happens, if y happens, etc. and so you stay because of the maybe.
I really appreciated the tenacity of the family throughout the book! Although it was Cara in the relationships, her children have witnessed more violence than they should ever have to. They are incredibly strong even through the difficulty they go through in trying to build the house because they realize that it could be worse and they have been through worse before. This family definitely shows the triumph of the human spirit.
You should read this book if you're looking for a book that will lift you up after taking you for a wild ride. This is a memoir that pulls you in from the beginning and doesn't let go for the duration. What a solid read to start out 2017 with!
October 12, 2016
What an incredible story, and what an incredible family. I had to double and triple check that it really was non-fiction.
The situations and characters are all heaped together at the start - it could have been confusing, but the clarity of writing makes it straightforward to follow. The time line continuously jumps between past and present, which again runs the risk of being confusing but each chapter is labelled either "rise" or "fall" and once you get what that means, it all makes perfect sense.
Despite the terrible family circumstances and the extraordinarily hard work, this is a hugely uplifting book. Cara's positivity is infectious, and her trust in, and relationship with, her kids is inspiring.
Building the house itself is central to the story, but it's not what it's about, it's about what a person can accomplish irrespective of obstacles or situation.
I reviewed a review copy of this book.
The situations and characters are all heaped together at the start - it could have been confusing, but the clarity of writing makes it straightforward to follow. The time line continuously jumps between past and present, which again runs the risk of being confusing but each chapter is labelled either "rise" or "fall" and once you get what that means, it all makes perfect sense.
Despite the terrible family circumstances and the extraordinarily hard work, this is a hugely uplifting book. Cara's positivity is infectious, and her trust in, and relationship with, her kids is inspiring.
Building the house itself is central to the story, but it's not what it's about, it's about what a person can accomplish irrespective of obstacles or situation.
I reviewed a review copy of this book.
May 22, 2017
This book reads more like a long Facebook post than a thought out memoir. Often rambling and hard to follow, the author seems to have no self awareness, is almost always condescending toward anyone outside of her family who has experience in construction, and is trying desperately to make connections that aren't there. She writes that her family grew together but if there was any dysfunction before they started the project she doesn't actually show it. Instead she complains that people think she's crazy for building a house with a toddler wandering around and is super snarky. I really got no inspiration from this book and found it hard to believe how unsympathetic the author is.
May 4, 2017
The book sounded very interesting - Brookins undoubtedly has an amazing story to tell. I had three major issues with the book.
She jumped back and forth in time. I had no idea how long ago something was until she mentioned the age of her kids at the time. There should have been a subtitle to the chapter or a change in font - something to indicate to the reader that we're in the past.
Brookins would say how tired/grumpy/etc the whole family was at the end of the day. She also barely mentioned any negative interactions with/amongst her kids. I don't care how magical and well-behaved your toddler is, he doesn't just giggle and declare cookies and kisses while jumping in puddles at a work site all day every day.
The last qualm was that Brookins would narrate the story while telling all the symbolism and other feelings that should be experienced throughout various points of her story. A good storyteller wouldn't have to point all this out on every other page. Granted, her tale is a very emotionally charged one, but it would have been much better told if the reader developed the connections instead of being told what they were.
She jumped back and forth in time. I had no idea how long ago something was until she mentioned the age of her kids at the time. There should have been a subtitle to the chapter or a change in font - something to indicate to the reader that we're in the past.
Brookins would say how tired/grumpy/etc the whole family was at the end of the day. She also barely mentioned any negative interactions with/amongst her kids. I don't care how magical and well-behaved your toddler is, he doesn't just giggle and declare cookies and kisses while jumping in puddles at a work site all day every day.
The last qualm was that Brookins would narrate the story while telling all the symbolism and other feelings that should be experienced throughout various points of her story. A good storyteller wouldn't have to point all this out on every other page. Granted, her tale is a very emotionally charged one, but it would have been much better told if the reader developed the connections instead of being told what they were.
June 19, 2019
I didn’t finish this book for several reasons. The first is that the author called her husband “slap ass crazy” several times and I found that completely inappropriate and callous. One would think an editor would have found that inappropriate given the need for sensitivity regarding mental illnesses. The second reason is that I found her writing un-authentic and manipulative. I don’t believe the crafted scene where she visited “Caroline’s” home or her “recollection” of her meditations with “Ben” ever happened. Lastly, I don’t believe for a hot second that a bank gave her a loan with hand written plans and no construction company involvement.
December 16, 2016
The title of this book is really perfect, because the act of building the house truly did build - or at least rebuild- a damaged family.
Cara's story, and the way she tells it, offers tremendous insight into how easily domestic violence escalates and takes over the victims' lives. One of this book's major strengths comes in the way Cara writes, with unflinching honesty, but without the bitterness that so often permeates this type of memoir. Cara doesn't wallow in self-pity, nor does she allow anger to change the person she is at her core. Instead, once she acknowledges the damage done by her then-husband, she decides on a healing path. Granted, her choice to build a home from scratch is far more drastic of a path than most of us would choose, but all along her motive was about much more than a mere dream house.
Cara tells her story in two parts. Sections marked "Rise" at the top are written in order, from the beginning of their house-building project to the end. Sections marked "Fall" at the top are random flashbacks from her life before, when an abusive man nearly destroyed her and her children. These sections are told out of order. I had no problem following along with the alternating timelines.
The flashback sections are intense and powerful, as well as beautifully told. Much of her focus is on her short marriage to Adam, a man whose mind becomes ravaged by paranoia and schizophrenia. These sections give us an up close and very personal view of the damage - physical and psychological - to the entire family. They also show us Cara's strength and resilience.
The sections that follow the building of the home are interesting, for the most part. By midway, I found some of the details tedious, though I understand that much of that detail was necessary for us to truly see what this family went through to build their home.
My only complaint about this book is that one line in the description is quite misleading. "In desperate need of a home but without the means to buy one, she did something incredible." Yes, she absolutely did something incredible. But at no time was Cara anywhere near what I would call "in desperate need of a home", nor was she without the means to buy one. Cara owned a home at the time. In fact, she and her four kids lived in that home throughout the time they built their dream home. They lived in comfort. Yes, they scrimped at times, though no more than many of us do each and every day. They always had plenty of food, and they had comfortable living arrangements to return to at the end of each day. The problem was that the house was where she'd lived with Adam, her abusive, mentally ill husband. And he kept returning, thinking he still had rights to that home and the people inside. Cara wanted and needed a refuge, a home all her own. She was desperate to escape Adam's hold on her family, but she was not desperate for shelter.
In the end, we see that this entire experience was about building more than a home. This family needed to build trust and safety. Merely selling her home and purchasing something else would have solved the housing problem, but would not have healed the wounds. Taking on and conquering the huge challenge of building a home ultimately allowed this family to reclaim their power.
*I was provided with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.*
Cara's story, and the way she tells it, offers tremendous insight into how easily domestic violence escalates and takes over the victims' lives. One of this book's major strengths comes in the way Cara writes, with unflinching honesty, but without the bitterness that so often permeates this type of memoir. Cara doesn't wallow in self-pity, nor does she allow anger to change the person she is at her core. Instead, once she acknowledges the damage done by her then-husband, she decides on a healing path. Granted, her choice to build a home from scratch is far more drastic of a path than most of us would choose, but all along her motive was about much more than a mere dream house.
Cara tells her story in two parts. Sections marked "Rise" at the top are written in order, from the beginning of their house-building project to the end. Sections marked "Fall" at the top are random flashbacks from her life before, when an abusive man nearly destroyed her and her children. These sections are told out of order. I had no problem following along with the alternating timelines.
The flashback sections are intense and powerful, as well as beautifully told. Much of her focus is on her short marriage to Adam, a man whose mind becomes ravaged by paranoia and schizophrenia. These sections give us an up close and very personal view of the damage - physical and psychological - to the entire family. They also show us Cara's strength and resilience.
The sections that follow the building of the home are interesting, for the most part. By midway, I found some of the details tedious, though I understand that much of that detail was necessary for us to truly see what this family went through to build their home.
My only complaint about this book is that one line in the description is quite misleading. "In desperate need of a home but without the means to buy one, she did something incredible." Yes, she absolutely did something incredible. But at no time was Cara anywhere near what I would call "in desperate need of a home", nor was she without the means to buy one. Cara owned a home at the time. In fact, she and her four kids lived in that home throughout the time they built their dream home. They lived in comfort. Yes, they scrimped at times, though no more than many of us do each and every day. They always had plenty of food, and they had comfortable living arrangements to return to at the end of each day. The problem was that the house was where she'd lived with Adam, her abusive, mentally ill husband. And he kept returning, thinking he still had rights to that home and the people inside. Cara wanted and needed a refuge, a home all her own. She was desperate to escape Adam's hold on her family, but she was not desperate for shelter.
In the end, we see that this entire experience was about building more than a home. This family needed to build trust and safety. Merely selling her home and purchasing something else would have solved the housing problem, but would not have healed the wounds. Taking on and conquering the huge challenge of building a home ultimately allowed this family to reclaim their power.
*I was provided with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.*
January 3, 2017
I've said it so many times that I don't like reading Non-fiction. I get enough dose of reality as it is but every once in a while some story gets me curious and hence I pick it up. Rise was one of those books. A memoir about Cara Brookins who escapes an abusive marriage with her children and builds a house from scratch through YOUTUBE VIDEOS. ( Yeah you heard that right)
My head spins thinking of how difficult it must have been, so I picked up the book. The whole book is divided into chapters like 'Rise' and 'Fall' alternating between the present and past. Now inspiring as it was to read about her build her own house with the help of her kids, I was mostly looking forward to reading the darker parts of her past. That would be considered understandable if this was fiction and that's one thing I struggled with. Reading those things and accepting that they really happened to her, just the thought is appalling. The writing style of Cara just made it all the more real and terrifying.
The only thing that kept me contained after reading such passages was knowing that she survives this, and not only that, she thrives. I loved how all the emotions are balanced in the book and Cara adds a bit of humor to lighten the mood.
Let's just say that got a chuckle out of me. Reading this book, I really had thought that it would be all technical about how the house was built and would end up boring me to death. But instead it was much more than that. it was about re-building her family, finally overcoming the past that haunted them and yeah building a house too. And if it's the house that is shown on the back cover of the book, then DAMN! Inkwell Manor is beautiful.
Rise is such an incredible, inspiring and uplifting book despite the horrors, actually because of it.
My head spins thinking of how difficult it must have been, so I picked up the book. The whole book is divided into chapters like 'Rise' and 'Fall' alternating between the present and past. Now inspiring as it was to read about her build her own house with the help of her kids, I was mostly looking forward to reading the darker parts of her past. That would be considered understandable if this was fiction and that's one thing I struggled with. Reading those things and accepting that they really happened to her, just the thought is appalling. The writing style of Cara just made it all the more real and terrifying.
Real terror doesn't come at you like a fist in the middle of an argument, or a thump on the back of the head after you do something stupid. You can see those things coming. Real terror is going to sleep thinking everything is fine at the end of an ordinary day, a day where you laughed over dinner and watched a late movie, and then waking up to this reminder that you don't have to wake up. Not ever. Not if he doesn't want you to.
The only thing that kept me contained after reading such passages was knowing that she survives this, and not only that, she thrives. I loved how all the emotions are balanced in the book and Cara adds a bit of humor to lighten the mood.
Five minutes later, he fired up his chainsaw in my bedroom. I shook my head: There's a thing not every girl can say with a straight face.
Let's just say that got a chuckle out of me. Reading this book, I really had thought that it would be all technical about how the house was built and would end up boring me to death. But instead it was much more than that. it was about re-building her family, finally overcoming the past that haunted them and yeah building a house too. And if it's the house that is shown on the back cover of the book, then DAMN! Inkwell Manor is beautiful.
Rise is such an incredible, inspiring and uplifting book despite the horrors, actually because of it.
September 19, 2016
Thanks to Goodreads and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
This book was a real eye-opener, not for only having the courage for building their house on their own, but also for surviving a life like theirs -- especially Cara, for living with ex-husbands who were abusive in their own individual ways. She has such courage and I admire her for this. The ending was what I wanted to hear, that the kids are well-adjusted and I hope they are all enjoying the fruits of their labor.
This book was a real eye-opener, not for only having the courage for building their house on their own, but also for surviving a life like theirs -- especially Cara, for living with ex-husbands who were abusive in their own individual ways. She has such courage and I admire her for this. The ending was what I wanted to hear, that the kids are well-adjusted and I hope they are all enjoying the fruits of their labor.
November 22, 2016
Incredible, incredible story! Well written and riveting! Horrifying the terror this family had to go through, but so amazing how they were able to survive and then thrive. And I was most impressed with the kids' attitudes during the build! I think my attitude was worse just having to read about all the hard work ..... just the idea of it all was overwhelming! lol Great job Brookins Family!!
4.5 star. Book would have been perfect had it included pictures to reference as the build progressed.
4.5 star. Book would have been perfect had it included pictures to reference as the build progressed.
May 28, 2019
I wanted to love this book, but it was a challenge. The author’s detachment from her very real trauma and abuse made it hard to find her genuine. Impressive feat—but the story or storyteller lacked authenticity.
December 21, 2016
This book is about Cara and her family, and how they built a freaking house with the help of Youtube-videoes. Because I mean, if you thought you had to have some sort of experience for building a house, Cara proves you wrong. You need willpower. And that's pretty much it.
Meanwhile, I still brag to everyone I meet about the bookshelf from IKEA i actually got up myself! It was the most incredible 12 hours of my life and I only cried once.
Really - Cara is a pretty amazing person. She escaped domestic violence and have a complicated past. Both she and her kids lived in fear in many years, and then Cara decided that it was time to stand up for themselves and build a house. Because they could. And with building the house, they built a family and all became a stronger, better version of themselves.
Meanwhile, I do not brag about the office chair in my room from IKEA that my roomie had to mount up for me. I could totally do it myself, I promise. It's just random coincidences that made my roomie do it for me. Like the fact that the box with all the parts was randomly placed right outside his bedroom door until he finally mounted it up and put it in my room. Totally random coincidence.
While Cara's book is a really inspirational biography that I would recommend to a lot of people, it isn't quite my kind of book. It's kind of sad to say it, but it's the truth.
What made me struggle a bit with this book was that it was a little too generous with the details about making the actual house. I can't really relate to that because I am a 22 year old girl. Although the instruction manual for my IKEA bookshelf was quite complex (the bookshelf came with DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCREWS GOD HELP ME), I've yet to make it even close to understand much about how you build a house...
The personal parts about Cara, her children and her past was way more interesting, and I kind of wish there could have been a little more of that and a little less about the details of building a house.
That being said, I think this would suit a little older audience way better because it is not a bad book at all. It's just not my type.
and THAT being said, Cara has inspired me. She inspires me to keep on believing that if you just decide that you can do it, you can do anything. Cara proved that.
Maybe I'll do the next office chair completely on my own.
Marley has written a more detailed review of what we feel about the book on our blog! Check it out:
https://booknookreading.wordpress.com...
Meanwhile, I still brag to everyone I meet about the bookshelf from IKEA i actually got up myself! It was the most incredible 12 hours of my life and I only cried once.
Really - Cara is a pretty amazing person. She escaped domestic violence and have a complicated past. Both she and her kids lived in fear in many years, and then Cara decided that it was time to stand up for themselves and build a house. Because they could. And with building the house, they built a family and all became a stronger, better version of themselves.
Meanwhile, I do not brag about the office chair in my room from IKEA that my roomie had to mount up for me. I could totally do it myself, I promise. It's just random coincidences that made my roomie do it for me. Like the fact that the box with all the parts was randomly placed right outside his bedroom door until he finally mounted it up and put it in my room. Totally random coincidence.
While Cara's book is a really inspirational biography that I would recommend to a lot of people, it isn't quite my kind of book. It's kind of sad to say it, but it's the truth.
What made me struggle a bit with this book was that it was a little too generous with the details about making the actual house. I can't really relate to that because I am a 22 year old girl. Although the instruction manual for my IKEA bookshelf was quite complex (the bookshelf came with DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCREWS GOD HELP ME), I've yet to make it even close to understand much about how you build a house...
The personal parts about Cara, her children and her past was way more interesting, and I kind of wish there could have been a little more of that and a little less about the details of building a house.
That being said, I think this would suit a little older audience way better because it is not a bad book at all. It's just not my type.
and THAT being said, Cara has inspired me. She inspires me to keep on believing that if you just decide that you can do it, you can do anything. Cara proved that.
Maybe I'll do the next office chair completely on my own.
Marley has written a more detailed review of what we feel about the book on our blog! Check it out:
https://booknookreading.wordpress.com...
October 9, 2016
Thanks to Goodreads giveaways for this advance copy! The book is based on a true story of Cara Brookins and her family. They escaped the torment of Cara's abusive husband and built a home themselves from Youtube and trial and error. Your heart will break reading of the fright the family lived with daily. The chapters alternate between the past and the building of the house. She uses the word "Fall" for the past and "Rise" for the building. The abuse escalates in the book and, thanks be to God, so does their peace in the end. I did find her use of New Age spirituality (fictional spirits named Caroline and Benjamen) offputting. At one point, she says she thinks maybe it's a demon - I would agree with that. These "spirits" seemed out of place and, frankly, irritating. I also was put off by her comments about Hillary Clinton's work. As someone who finds Clinton immoral, I was glad those comments were at the end of the book because I wouldn't have continued with the story otherwise. I hope and pray the family stays at peace and free of fear.
February 23, 2017
I liked the premise and the author's voice, but I had a hard time divorcing myself from some aspects of the story that I found myself being judgemental about (her choice to keep a loaded gun in her closet when she has a toddler, for one.)
Overall this was an entertaining and touching memoir, it's just that parts of the story frustrated me. Like in a horror movie, when you want to tell the pretty high school student not to go in the basement by herself; I had a lot of those moments with this book.
Overall this was an entertaining and touching memoir, it's just that parts of the story frustrated me. Like in a horror movie, when you want to tell the pretty high school student not to go in the basement by herself; I had a lot of those moments with this book.
January 27, 2017
I could not finish this book. I saw The story on the new and thought that i would really enjoy the book. It was confusing. I felt like the book was jumping from one subject to the next, with no flow.
March 24, 2022
Such an incredible read. The author is one of the best writers I have ever read and her story is insane. I would be the LAST person to build my own house but reading about her doing it with her kids was so entertaining. This book was equally terrifying and could be made into a movie. I’m shocked by the horrors she has overcome and the fear she has managed to put behind her. She’s leaving an amazing legacy through her kids and she deserves Woman of the Year award!!!
August 27, 2023
The subtitle of this book truly describes it’s content: How a House Built A Family. But as much as the story is a memoir of survival in the face of disastrous relationships, it also describes how this mother and her four children moved through fearful situations and faced huge challenges by working incredibly hard and supporting one another.
February 4, 2017
Rise is more than the story of building a house – it’s about rebuilding a family, rebuilding security, and rebuilding a life.
The chapters in Rise are divided into two headings – “Fall” and “Rise”. Those that come under the “Fall” heading revolve around flashbacks, scenes of abuse and fear that Cara Brookins and her family lived under for years. The “Rise” chapters focus on their decision to survive, to recover, and to figure out how to thrive again.
No one should have to endure what they suffered, and my heart ached as a woman to read about her pain. And especially I hurt for her kids. They had to grow up too fast, and they spent way too many years that should have been carefree looking over their shoulders instead.
But then … they rise. From the ashes.
I liked that the chapters alternated the way they did, though it took a bit of getting used to at first. It broke up the heaviness of the flashbacks as well as the sometimes mundane nature of the house building sections. Cara’s writing voice is conversational and easy to follow, though there were some cases where I felt she was too matter of fact given the subject matter.
Rise by Cara Brookins is inspiring as much as it is heartbreaking. The narrative is well-written and engaging and is organized in such a way that it gives readers breaks and levity when both are needed. While I wish it had less profanity and had avoided the whole visualization/Benjamin thing altogether, I did love how Cara and her children chose to move forward together. They built a house together. Even with teenagers involved! What could have irreparably destroyed all of them ultimately made them stronger as a family and as individuals. And that’s really the theme of Rise.
Reviewer’s Note: Readers may want to be aware that there is some excessive language throughout this book. There are also accounts of abuse that, while they should absolutely disturb us all, may be especially disturbing to some readers.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
See my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower
The chapters in Rise are divided into two headings – “Fall” and “Rise”. Those that come under the “Fall” heading revolve around flashbacks, scenes of abuse and fear that Cara Brookins and her family lived under for years. The “Rise” chapters focus on their decision to survive, to recover, and to figure out how to thrive again.
No one should have to endure what they suffered, and my heart ached as a woman to read about her pain. And especially I hurt for her kids. They had to grow up too fast, and they spent way too many years that should have been carefree looking over their shoulders instead.
But then … they rise. From the ashes.
I liked that the chapters alternated the way they did, though it took a bit of getting used to at first. It broke up the heaviness of the flashbacks as well as the sometimes mundane nature of the house building sections. Cara’s writing voice is conversational and easy to follow, though there were some cases where I felt she was too matter of fact given the subject matter.
Rise by Cara Brookins is inspiring as much as it is heartbreaking. The narrative is well-written and engaging and is organized in such a way that it gives readers breaks and levity when both are needed. While I wish it had less profanity and had avoided the whole visualization/Benjamin thing altogether, I did love how Cara and her children chose to move forward together. They built a house together. Even with teenagers involved! What could have irreparably destroyed all of them ultimately made them stronger as a family and as individuals. And that’s really the theme of Rise.
Reviewer’s Note: Readers may want to be aware that there is some excessive language throughout this book. There are also accounts of abuse that, while they should absolutely disturb us all, may be especially disturbing to some readers.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
See my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower
February 23, 2017
Quite a story. At times I was holding my breath. I liked the way she went back and forth. It worked well. The message is... it is okay to fail. And the next book I picked is about failing! I totally agree with the philosophy.
April 14, 2017
Cara Brookins is the author of a number of children's books. But Rise: How a House Built a Family is her own story.
A victim of domestic violence, Cara found the strength to leave that relationship. But years of uncertainty and fear had taken a toll on not just herself, but her four children. The home they were living in was full of bad memories and the abuser knew where they were living. In an attempt to heal herself and her family, Cara came up with a plan - they would build a new home for themselves. Not simply have somewhat build it for them - but actually do the work themselves. If they built a house, could they rebuild their family?
I was fascinated by this idea. Brookins herself is the narrator of the audiobook, which gave the book so much more depth. Hearing someone tell the story of their own life is very powerful.
Can you imagine building a house from the ground up with no previous experience? What would you do? Cara turned to YouTube videos and they went from there. The trials and tribulations of building a house with your children would be near impossible for many. Cara did it while still working full time as a computer analyst.
The descriptions of the abuse, (psychological and physical) danger and fear that the family lived in is hard to hear - but it is more than overshadowed by the strength Cara and her children draw on. Rise is one of those triumph of the human spirit stories that I love to read - uplifting and inspiring.
A victim of domestic violence, Cara found the strength to leave that relationship. But years of uncertainty and fear had taken a toll on not just herself, but her four children. The home they were living in was full of bad memories and the abuser knew where they were living. In an attempt to heal herself and her family, Cara came up with a plan - they would build a new home for themselves. Not simply have somewhat build it for them - but actually do the work themselves. If they built a house, could they rebuild their family?
I was fascinated by this idea. Brookins herself is the narrator of the audiobook, which gave the book so much more depth. Hearing someone tell the story of their own life is very powerful.
Can you imagine building a house from the ground up with no previous experience? What would you do? Cara turned to YouTube videos and they went from there. The trials and tribulations of building a house with your children would be near impossible for many. Cara did it while still working full time as a computer analyst.
The descriptions of the abuse, (psychological and physical) danger and fear that the family lived in is hard to hear - but it is more than overshadowed by the strength Cara and her children draw on. Rise is one of those triumph of the human spirit stories that I love to read - uplifting and inspiring.
October 14, 2016
Cara Brookins and her children have survived years of abuse but are left feeling unsafe, even in their own home. On their way to a secluded retreat, Cara spots a tornado ravaged home that 1) reminds herof her broken and battered ffamily, and 2) inspires her dream of a safe place for her and her children. Though she lacks a contractor's license, she boldly decides to build a home with the help of her kids.
Interspersed with memories of the abuse they've suffered, Rise tells the story of how one woman and three of her four children rebuild their lives while building their new safe haven.
Inspiring, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and occasionally terrifying, this is a story of triumph and of new beginnings.
You may find yourself laughing, followed by tears and/or gasping in horror as this amazing family rise from the ruins of their old lives.
A must read!
Interspersed with memories of the abuse they've suffered, Rise tells the story of how one woman and three of her four children rebuild their lives while building their new safe haven.
Inspiring, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and occasionally terrifying, this is a story of triumph and of new beginnings.
You may find yourself laughing, followed by tears and/or gasping in horror as this amazing family rise from the ruins of their old lives.
A must read!
October 20, 2016
Overcoming. This is a theme of many memoirs. The author tells her and her family's story of overcoming domestic violence and rebuilding their lives. There are MANY other books that tell the same story. But this one is different. I love how the author is very real about the danger of their situation--I felt as if I was there in the room with her. However, she doesn't dwell on it. A majority of the book is on rebuilding their lives, brick by brick. Showing that she has actually overcome the abuse of her past and risen like a phoenix from the ashes. This is a very uplifting read. I highly recommend it! Thank you to St Martin's Press for providing an Advanced Reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 10, 2016
This powerful, inspiring book will break down stereotypes of women who have been victims of domestic violence and give readers an up close and personal glimpse of how mental illness can threaten and destroy families. I was in awe of Cara Brookins - her intelligence, resourcefulness, and capabilities. I think my favorite part was reading about how Brookins and her children healed and gained confidence through completing a seemingly impossible task. I found myself constantly looking at the photo on the back of the book of these five survivors. As soon as I was finished, I looked up all the photos of their house building progress on Brookins' website. Kudos to Brookins and her incredible kids!
June 4, 2017
Honestly, I expected a much better story.
August 14, 2017
Caught my eye on the library new nonfiction shelf because the title evoked Miranda Lambert's wonderful song "The House that Built Me". I suppose that is not a foolproof method for choosing books, but it worked well in this case.
Extremely impressive story of her escape from an abusive marriage to a guy with schizophrenia who stalks her and her 4 kids with terrifying perseverance. She decides they need to make their own way and heal the family by building their own house, which they proceed to do for the most part (she hires guys to handle electricity, roof, a couple other things).
The kids ranged from early high school down to toddler at the time, so keeping them focused and working together for such a long project is probably as impressive as teaching yourself construction from YouTube videos. Certainly a remarkably resourceful woman, which is good because stuff keeps happening to her [e.g., even as they finish the house, her Mom dies unexpectedly in late 50s, and she needs to go do some work on that house to get it sold].
Engaging writer, and some parts are suspenseful [stalker] or funny [her observations of the dope-smoking workers who are the ones she could afford to hire, some of the kids' antics], but not a 5-star book for me just because unfortunately I'm not only incompetent at but also uninterested in construction. She must have gone home at the end of long work days and spent quite a bit of time writing in a journal b/c there is an awful lot of detail about the building. In the second half I did a decent amount of skimming -- just wanted the gist of what caused her injury, or what setback they encountered, not the actual task specs. Otherwise, excellent reading.
Extremely impressive story of her escape from an abusive marriage to a guy with schizophrenia who stalks her and her 4 kids with terrifying perseverance. She decides they need to make their own way and heal the family by building their own house, which they proceed to do for the most part (she hires guys to handle electricity, roof, a couple other things).
The kids ranged from early high school down to toddler at the time, so keeping them focused and working together for such a long project is probably as impressive as teaching yourself construction from YouTube videos. Certainly a remarkably resourceful woman, which is good because stuff keeps happening to her [e.g., even as they finish the house, her Mom dies unexpectedly in late 50s, and she needs to go do some work on that house to get it sold].
Engaging writer, and some parts are suspenseful [stalker] or funny [her observations of the dope-smoking workers who are the ones she could afford to hire, some of the kids' antics], but not a 5-star book for me just because unfortunately I'm not only incompetent at but also uninterested in construction. She must have gone home at the end of long work days and spent quite a bit of time writing in a journal b/c there is an awful lot of detail about the building. In the second half I did a decent amount of skimming -- just wanted the gist of what caused her injury, or what setback they encountered, not the actual task specs. Otherwise, excellent reading.
April 8, 2017
There are days when I feel lazy and tell myself it's okay to just sit around and do nothing and so it's been hours since I've done anything more productive than grab another row of Oreos to enjoy as I watch a movie on the couch. But there are also plenty of days when I feel overwhelmed and work and work and work until I feel too tired to do anything else but I'm still going to bed at a semi-reasonable hour. However, none of my days compare to that of this text. After a marriage to a schizophrenic man and then a marriage to an abusive husband, Cara has had enough of being afraid. She associates her home with her ex-husbands so she decides to build a house from scratch in less than a year with her four children even though none of them have any extensive building experience. She does it while holding down a job as a programmer and writing / freelancing on the side. Most weeks she's running on 10-14 hours of sleep, a feat I'd never be able to achieve. She tells the stories of all the stitches, gouges, and bruises as she built the house and alternates chapters telling of all the truly frightening things her ex-husbands subjected her to as well. However, she also shows how this truly epic project has brought her family together. If you want a story of true American grit and determination, read this book. I will not be complaining as extensively about my own trials and tribulations again.
May 20, 2019
4.5 stars. Wow. What a story. Cara Brookins and her four children (17, 15, 11 and 2 -- yes, 2 years old) build a house from scratch to create a safe home and overcome the effects of 2 abusive husbands/fathers. As someone who has renovated a house, the idea of building a home from the ground up, with nothing more than YouTube videos for guidance, is astonishing. As someone who has seen how easy it is to fall into an abusive relationship, I will never judge Cara Brookins for her choices in husbands. I will only applaud her ability to accomplish what she has -- not just a house, but a relationship with her children which appears solid and strong. This is a story of resilience and the devastating effects of mental illness, and about how trying something you think you could never do turns out to be the best thing you could have done. The only reason this wasn't a 5-star read for me was that I wish she could have brought more of her exceptional scene-building skill to the chapters about building. Granted, the chapters about her ex-husband are hard to beat for drama, so it may just be the comparison that is making me think that. All in all, highly recommend.
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