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RISE by Cara Brookins is a captivating read about how Cara is determined to protect herself and her four children from relentless scary attacks her ex-husband plays on them. No longer will she live in fear. After a spur of the moment vacation with her children, she discusses her fears and concerns for their safety and listens to their concerns. They had a wonderful time off the grid designing their new home and became a family for the first time. Cara said they were going to build the home stick by stick with everyone helping. Cara proved to the banker that she could complete all the conditions on a construction loan timely and under budget. The children found new pride where hard work can lead to other opportunities. Cara is proud and passionate about her new skills. I hope more books will come from the wonderful writer she is. RISE is a genuinely uplifting story.

Is it possible to build a house on your own, with only two teenagers, a preteen and a toddler to help? Ask Cara Brookins. She and her children spent nine months doing just that. Cara got herself out of an abusive relationship (or two) and decided to help her family survive and thrive by creating something of their own. Alternating chapters tell about the abusive relationship and how she dealt with it, followed by chapters in which the reader learns about the process of building a house from the ground up. The book is often disturbing, but more often uplifting and inspiring. It is an amazing story that centers around Ms. Brookins' strength and love for her children, and her desire to help them get beyond the past and move into the future as healthy adults.

Cara Bookins has written an inspiring and heartening memoir. Who would ever think a single mother (who left an abusive marriage) along with her four young children, would ever think of building their new home together, all 3000 plus square feet of it! That they succeeded in achieving this goal is simply awesome.

I was not sure that "Rise" was the story for me, because of the history of domestic abuse. Rebuilding the life of a family after experiencing domestic abuse and mental illness from a spouse is an overwhelming order. However, this was a story about overcoming and rebuilding. This was one of the most spellbinding books I have read for a long time. It is truly a triumph over fear, as Cara Brookins and her four children planned and built a new life. The fascination of her inspiration in planning and building a house with her children by studying YouTube videos, and learning about it as they went is truly amazing. She shared both the story of the heartbreak of where they had been and the inspiring story of what they achieved. If the story had not been true life, I would not have believed it could be done. What courage and determination was shown to her children that will last them throughout their lives. She will be their hero forever. What a heartrending story it is, told in a lovingly way by an inspiring author.

An excellent writer has penned an intimate, compelling story of her and her children overcoming traumatic domestic abuse by, incredibly, building a house from the ground up. Who knew that details of construction could be so riveting? Brookins makes them fascinating as she sets out the family's "rising from the ashes" story and the redemption that follows. This is a wonderful book and I truly appreciate the author and her wonderful family. It is very inspiring!

Cara Brookins' tale of rebuilding her family by building a house from scratch with her children was inspiring and riveting. She told the tale in alternating Rise/Fall chapters, and I could only read it in the daytime thanks to her vivid portrayal of the domestic violence they lived with for so many years. I am amazed by their strength and resilience after surviving not one but two terrifying husbands.

Since I read an ARC, I hope some minor issues with timeline confusion and a repeated sentence on the last page will have been caught and corrected by the time the book goes to print in January. Mostly I wish the book had been a bit longer so Ms. Brookins could have explained more about things like how she escaped her second abusive husband and how the many problems caused by stoned electricians were able to be fixed.

I think book groups would enjoy discussing this memoir.

This was a very inspirational story that was a quick read. It really made the reader feel like you should never doubt yourself and you can overcome adversity. Cara's story makes you realize the strength women have cannot be broken, especially when protecting their family. It was interesting learning about the home building processes well. The strong family bond they have is touching.

I find it interesting that this book is publishing in January, the traditional month for new beginnings, because that's exactly what it describes. The author and her children were victims of abuse, and she managed not only to get them out of the bad situation and into a safe one, but also cemented them as a strong, viable family unit by building their home together -- with no previous construction experience! It's all pretty amazing, but overall her story is extremely empowering. No, it's not great literature - but it's a fast, enjoyable, enlightening read that book groups in particular will love.