Guest Book Review - The Brotherhood of Silence

Review of The Brotherhood of Silence 
by Margaret Holland and Delana Reese 
Guest Reviewer: Diane Kulkarni

When I read the first pages of Margaret Holland’s memoir, The Brotherhood of Silence, I was immediately taken by the incredible tragedies that Margaret faced as a young wife and mother. The obstacles that stood in her way would have put me down, but she never gave up, even when she faced an uncertain future. Since I keep journals myself and often mine them for insights into my early experience and thought life, Margaret’s journals fascinated me. They honestly revealed her unfolding character right in the middle of enormous challenges. As I read, I could identify with her in many ways, and I was learning from her. At one point, she asked God for His help. I was intrigued by that and with the distinct changes in her attitudes that took place in the following days and years. Where others might have buckled under, she stood up with courage and determination to make her suffering count for others. She has definitely inspired me to live a more thankful and encouraging life.

The Brotherhood of Silence By Holland, Margaret Author Reese, Delana 2015-08 - Lulu Publishing Services 9781483434605 CHECK CATALOG The Brotherhood of Silence gives voice to the recollections of a woman who suffers debilitating injuries in an accident and then faces working through how to live with a disability and how to pursue doggedly the resolution of a medical malpractice lawsuit that took nine years to settle. Margaret Holland, assisted by Delana Reese, co-author, turns her personal experience, captured in the pages of a surprisingly therapeutic journal, into a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit and to the grace of God who answers prayers for help in troubled times. Preserving the form of the author's original journal with dated entries, The Brotherhood of Silence does not avoid the depths of pain and the shadows of despondency. In turn, though, it finds cause for celebrating over the triumph wrought by the author's human spirit guided and empowered by the grace of God. As Margaret Holland notes, "I believe everything happens for a reason. And if we look hard enough, we can always find the good that comes from it."