Review on "She Made It Matter"
Scroll down to "The General Fiction Shelf" (May 2021)
Critique: An inherently entertaining and deftly crafted novel from the first page to last, "She Made It Matter" showcases author Chiara Talluto's genuine flair for originality, memorable characters, and a thoroughly reader-engaging story with an ultimate message of hope and redemption. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "She Made It Matter" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Self-discovery and forgiveness are two of the primary themes of Chiara Talluto’s new novel, She Made It Matter. Talluto, who has previously penned the Christian-themed adult story Love’s Perfect Surrender and children’s fiction tales such as Petrella, the Gillian Princess and A Tribute to Tulipia, tells the story of 36-year old Amanda Reynolds, a woman with a troubled past who embarks on a journey of self-exploration as she continues on her path to recovery from alcohol abuse.
After facing an alcoholic relapse, which rendered her unconscious in the presence of her two young daughters, Amanda finds herself at the lowest point in her life and wonders how her picture-perfect family will forgive her. Realizing that recovery from her alcoholism is the only option, Amanda begins to consider that the answers to her recovery lie in facing the darkness of her childhood and secrets that she has kept hidden, even from her loving husband, Ryan.
Despite facing initial disinclination from her husband, Amanda decides to temporarily leave her home and family in the Chicago suburbs and embark on a month-long journey to a rehabilitation center in Taos, New Mexico, in the hopes of cleansing herself of her alcohol abuse. Arriving in New Mexico, she suddenly realizes that while the rehabilitation center was not what she initially expected, it may be just what she needs to face her past and recover.
Throughout her journey, Amanda experiences both triumphs and losses. However, she learns more than she could have ever imagined and meets incredible people along the way who guide her on a path to physical, mental, and spiritual discovery and healing. By learning how to face the darkness of her past and forgive others, Amanda frees herself from her childhood's devastating family secrets and learns how to move on and make life matter.
As I began reading She Made It Matter, I was immediately intrigued by Amanda’s story. Since I have had no personal experience with alcoholism, I wondered how a young and successful wife and mother could have found herself in such an unfortunate position when everything in her life seemed to be perfect. After reading about her older brother's untimely death and her history of family abuse and neglect, I felt compelled to hope for Amanda's healing and success on her journey towards recovery.
This novel is separated into three parts, which divide Amanda’s story into her past, present, and her turning point towards a successful future. While the short first section provides an initial look into her troubled past, I appreciate how Amanda's childhood stories were continuously told through flashbacks in the much larger second section, giving even more insight into how Amanda's childhood molded her into the person she became as an adult.
While the story is written primarily as a realistic yet fictional account, I was surprised to see a hint of magical realism through the “physical” appearances of some of Amanda’s deceased family members throughout the story. Amanda’s older brother, Joshua, continuously appeared to her during her journey to serve as not only an emotional support system but a guide who directed Amanda towards the goals she needed to reach to find inner peace and forgiveness. As her spiritual guides, Amanda's family members are able to heal the emotional wounds from her past and help her move forward, which I thought was a unique element to the story.
I would recommend She Made It Matter to any readers interested in realistic stories of self-discovery, recovery, and emotional healing. Chiara Talluto has written a compelling story that displays that hope and inner peace can be found, even through the most unconventional journeys.
