Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Banged-Up Heart: Dancing with Love and Loss
Banged-Up Heart: Dancing with Love and Loss
Banged-Up Heart: Dancing with Love and Loss
Ebook424 pages6 hours

Banged-Up Heart: Dancing with Love and Loss

By Melis and Shirley

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Banged-Up Heart by Shirley Melis is an intimate and clear-eyed account of finding love late and losing it early—and of the strength it takes to fall madly in love a second time, be forced to relinquish that love too soon, and yet choose to love again. When her husband of thirty years dies suddenly, Shirley Melis is convinced she will never find another man like Joe. Then she meets John, a younger man who tells her during their first conversation that he has lived for many years with a rare but manageable cancer. She is swept off her feet in a whirlwind courtship, and within months, made brave by the early death of a friend's husband, she asks him to marry her! What follows is a year-long odyssey of travel and a growing erotic and creative partnership—until a mysterious bump on John's forehead proves to be one of several tumors in his brain and spine. The nine months that follow are filled with a life-threatening infection, three brain surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. Two years and one week after their wedding, John dies at the age of fifty-nine. More than just a love story or a memoir of mourning, Banged-Up Heart comes down solidly on the side of life. It takes you deep inside an ordinary woman, her deeply felt grief butting up against her desire for more than companionship: passion, sexual fulfillment, and self-realization. It bears eloquent witness to the wild trust it takes to fall madly in love and risk profound loss—a second time. Ultimately, it shows that it is possible to dance with a banged-up heart.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 8, 2017
ISBN9781938288869
Banged-Up Heart: Dancing with Love and Loss

Related to Banged-Up Heart

Related ebooks

Science & Mathematics For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Banged-Up Heart

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5

2 ratings1 review

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Living and loving again after a devastating loss is the main theme in Banged-Up Heart. This fast-paced memoir reads like a romance novel only with a powerful universal message for anyone who faces the loss of a beloved spouse, in this case two spouses within a span of four years. The pace slows as she reaches levels of awareness in her grief journey. There is life again after loss. I felt engaged in this story from the first page.Melis’ writing is fluid and vivid with realistic dialogue, believable characters and a well-paced plot that kept me in suspense. The narrative is enriched with layers of introspection that connected me to my own story. Though my story is different in that I left two emotionally abusive marriages and spent years being single-again. But, the specifics don’t matter as much as the underlying message that a willingness to take a risk to love again can lead to a full and satisfying life. Melis showed me how taking a chance on love again and so soon after a loss can indeed yield positive results. The most endearing part of this memoir for me was the author’s courage in living life to the fullest despite the risks. While her outer journey of losing two spouses in a short period of time is compelling, it was her skill in revealing her inner journey where she questions her choices and reflects on her own actions and responses that kept me turning the pages. She showed me how she “stepped out of her cocoon of grief and found joy in just being alive.”Loss is something we all have to face eventually. For those who are engulfed in their own sea of grief, this memoir will offer hope that it is possible to move on. For others, as myself, it offered me a chance to reflect on how I will face my own grief should I lose the love of my life. At the end of the book, she offers a series of questions to further explore her theme which makes it an excellent guide for a book club discussion.A relevant,compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to explore their own relationship to loss and grief, as well as a guide for grief support groups.

Book preview

Banged-Up Heart - Melis

C62^book_preview_excerpt.html}}˒ȱ@,tmfb[ӊfIlde$ɕ>B{`;O%GUZL$ߝq}wqwǶ |+~q\{?_^W~Oo7wV}ݏի?Tz^Uƭ.V:Kuƾ8u4Tp\&_Ú!qġxѻucՌrs]%_R-Cq $.iV&\:}lǹ:bT|U6Dηޕa|k_Ve@^Fg'!~r2sc;bFr~ CG'.Q$Mⶳw^X~t x&4];v݅C~4*|QT qeG׹?1꾊٨s|2\yAV/ċ,P]#O̱TwX&=ndg'0ex7N24va!2t p{,YL7NTѧ/#G0 2.t#e=Wj|qW9xH8;"sa;ʮx]R= ,,"ocJ< x=58ApX]d$gg7׭\.7t(wC(%26QAquf4;QwM?cͲ01"H}Usd*Nݫ14Cʙ8r!^&0F9#2M<s+މ\^WW'ǥDŻW^ G n\꭛}'rpDB=C٨m6iK䔸i=a X3nu8.^Iܹ Yf)թs؃&^ѩop."7 R_ҩT~ܹTA6UD#ʥ]pruPP_T,>B-`kqcyEaC9˪X =j yw<[q_pzz+,8eV$3p6c ԝԨr ;K;r_il HD_y9#qt[}8t]#W/Sfw{,fs(/l֮ 5LJL<%@ !}Cϙh) o hד(f78yd@+uv{Q1 ^7jcQNr<ۚ5PϚWu9s@9o \[^Ly]N3[S΀|^~j 'a`y忭rgXx8I;z6C tm/ZHL=#ŧ:ngp ~E.MaK+6f䐥WP$-:ad<_Tz}@@MWO-S)[> "Q9PeG8s#ib@W6?z|ܘXYn6y4C8vr vo;t"QºrTŦGH^j>=& sD{A6dnTueFh=:639@=-M;~h!)3)nH0mzxZD/: SwAȷngW=mVMN(Dp˫̓MԿEQ'?%>D`1r-qĨ^?,woax%mC,hbvrIQZkfX w*ꮏrkC]r>b*zSgs׻op5.ʆ<;j~늊R wj* 9e[N%^zJQcSl;C/Y|In!`)'|mE0DKz q`1GHm~(=BA-7vzJ c <>D!0n!&;[Y옆,D/FN-51$*p!5-4M^/#"K;a%;J0SfNqv&⋼{E?)$O8u0kBg_czJ\*1rcm=$+V2@R9'8Z@;8ŽOf Z.=CY,)L*WwR=')i ?^iMb_ƋAqmm}fF# }xCRxk0A5Tǥdbp'(tjݰEqOUS28vb^4(K3u64jƀ.'0 @3pNfM>qQu!wD1AxEiHEYY=ouP&붳e0FxNZ'\~p{y\M{m`g.*`D [Ck4E x'ӌU7qHjDݮYQLuqNB`{92Do^/+u}1{Wp_QO.\e劗G캝Dlμ]L (y6(?xu2_8RE+b_}Blä??KJPUW|Det qȃ!Cјzl'@\zW!I+rz8qI`#A56b!3pRȺ%$Vvy4։ @r^ppj/(LFθz2F5-eD\E5BWA)Y` o3J}MxӢpcF=ߔE{{׉Ӈ~.TDi"|qmc0J:3X⋿M~yI#}@EA4*߈?£Q'[H5A`w QpL#CiI d'C0\k Ac7Aڸ*g>k4{7I(!r4ww *&]anєfIt.16| KpH#HԄaC z粴v]EdSU G#3T}3*}A.b@08p_^EE0%` a~W\P6i [/1)z>hbLi5Lxgb e4,I1b2TN="HƐ4]`1)cKd ;̏u;V>e˱ 5'2,;GflIa8,`PvCvǒ1sbǜ_f]bTgQ S( :[`\g20MU'tiėh(iMa paD >`8)3ǓX{#d!z#Mц^xJ`_:Sy^B/>ײCH-҉("z\0u4.d39b:e٠zYn![*qhM~nߜf@F5"꿻ATVM$⭛8q]Fj~pe-JSaC~@V,;gmJ8cۤ {{uC[ >X_#IWWQĆqυpG8%S3(hN2\ E l "]KFr8Va&nZZTAP”sN8A=⯲k93?4gqt5E1-bb xŃsKCӃwPZ & ?&cK%z&GS@ݙg]lə^ڬA,igoꡤ9X xl½6}R![/dRNmJ?TY~ecMМ9KԀ̺f0Eh + h5b0j{  ףCi6Omz E=G5.$_CEK\؅*Ge8 I'Rx[zjP8) ɢ.՝U}pԂ84C ;d#5񯝹7!S%*cR^'oQM+\)+ ,)l[8! jxu7\>2W+M!_$3nYV| IyU҅䳉=Mkr\@S6KZluTW4#~QҜ6,Z3Zκ%\|aR+SB&<›YD~2􈜪@r|g;6Dt* 0#MsH^ hI6 X0qg鼲R# dD>g,)D_Hy 2&#F[.:ج-s jO7,!o eOС V)q)hXC'RAg*\):gM. ~*@n*;Fe5 Z)o | eBFxiƿa^x`aLk.}[} :1 i3(u-/B֝Vމ} =O aj;Ȅ3IOE$:=h6!R/+^d$zK !ox/Q3e [V4Km\Js ڷdt47hȀgwҔ H}HH嗳i̶JzALC݈QS3⏃K&x=s{Qٲ }CH6jf]qiڷ,%"zc,Z}חÆgT&+i00!F6p[Ci~+s (KP@&Ŏ Ef+jV~`,vL8,)ҳn_HT\=jmǽ)RXCSsV#c!9ߊ@rhP+􇼞)OZv.Ab\zWMέ#A>XK\aA9S,Yh'(ݼ6qIR6[nK|Iљ'SqsTHRϋ(s~KQ2lZR>b|qYf!~'70,obcS]NNͳ#mʜJWBdsu*Fc?`_~8'YXAXJl5'*LZ7SH >T;ϒ$J^fنh+]_P7u2?Ov Gtha2) e vQ@qf4j"sVE6 .6uv}x=*ܻ' F]CD?SkBUujH-1OjA9Z<[oj8:$ ?\Og }Bshw׍X#]__|ow_{oVTO7QaȄոG'4g:8)F_ZױёC05RC!(R *C_hƉ!ڳ嘵vIEޙu1~(E&)K <ސJNcںf C-cas˽63MvYCh4.S3Z%}@ 쵰Jt։M0xC86F鱱D.D,SpW\WF&hot5LOWԜ)ܰhd)%KXFTj S<K܍f͟giP@'Ba(glus3җ(ŕ9Viy FQC9C*v2G.^zx-z&GORwI%V ȊdP8jȹfOÁ2 !4; EU s4hM@~XxZKuq4Ҩ5tzIh(iӢUa* gRRcc&@޳fݗɛʺ^"S vǬx$с]J\h%ūcz7/TĥPqLkc'Uֽ7i}hnj6jYC?Uud%V;,SZ{X̛瀃x,P52wru_k0g@IBG4tI=.<;+'?9Q1 3 C$*>q~JuK캘xѲ4n b7hۚ,mFU09s5UˢݔnCbx"Dmw`vvʆb'$-1t/΂4X}A$TɘߡJ4yՔt#u)${Q(WR%4x#rhvިCay~sT 1Va<7>(-x7t纑n)uc}y&CQ~z6͝" 6Q2|ӳj/K2On犣+Mc,U=o&{6nGZrzSH#Xyë:ꃱ0Y, 1+Ĥ1EՎ&se!iiig a%g+Xc`uH6yڕ.׮jhSA"ʁJae?Gwma44=rR_9O1y4*浡(%qV p%I ~gwp[!o0|#NNkMQa手u*+ξvFHcb}+FS䆂J[dU;G4d껜JVWѻgb8`+IKJG#aOP+dhg[`,H42B=CuL/lz*A3Zr& *Ziv$fRVaN1sCZm.e֖WledR?Y2m{F(@*kz>T&=5 ׊^{&Ir5k퍷$\*لG4)Z)>0 "h}V %1kJ6Gk5/a4Sm MD_`42s&N3Q,1 @+&Fd%3-pMXvkA%Z+e{R(5IE ~M_!/N_7jV7)A?d)\sh֮mFJ]|"u)V lN(Bkӈa=~LƓ C.֛&)|(_s|:#(^w]h5%x`Msk$L ;"NMps hσf ι :+ pA͗N^= =cH*#I ȁltLwm$ p&.i(-CRJkNU5f1םthCz1j\)4G~DH%287Fq\97%٨go!'D)Y[QWhKޮdY{rCK3EeH{|);,qWRvY]b%"1wm&4@U%!S 7[`MqdDH1^אn6%Ƽ\wT6U hr0Av˯f4!81O~sA C-._|P'텑$3sښCRFuݵ <7gb)n s +&6,O(tX-I4 F}b֊]&MhGWC*K1bmowJr/Z깜H=L/L噢io*P:zYTV-rΒҼA]zbo[S;7xP YB6in .m*5cdw^oOaLn~NjNN#EÇfauFwS]+W`PiOjsT ҍ'ib 7@ ֙O7C`̓o`qAU饷fQ)2pkK4U _aN,Sz)o"4m]P4cIRXm@߮a-L|\si=ƺ]GX"6 M/uG'AJ9kmuLl!9Z*X"Dܜ,'q5Շ̠<&w*T.Rpb \J. @TxfTe}ܻ~R" (sx 1^9v۵.5uQz;6+m839qfYA͂)bFu5h 9 c{4:59Ti-xCkDe"L@Q&TKԎ+~ê婟bg({?>yW} n~2E)%}$fijv|-QkڡOI$$ =-kHm٪jrC~w~්Dk$q7+K.A9)@HFbNIu4HԷܥ,>kyoƄr ,()k.`V&ztNסYe)3=URvmޗ `OhX* M=M (ǡXQbN{{w a)m۟vAcMX Tt|[Dw -2j H)JW"E  6eʑ?'Q%cمRAӢq,*0gt7-dVԃO0&s#4v[˱GqkFkzk*ѿwZW )umA0,4.1&gV?)$3V5/=C^f{^ӒVuTc85|Km rY42bcڙ-R߬WCs~g=fr_JeQ\֟{HjN;_Iɗ1 y1aӗZ5!?(7DO: 6?ږe+sQ2Nm'ķy>ydfVnd>3ljFx!7bJ2Prj.j-~F`2Jyisjϸ3T7u8 +ZB5|/H`t^5LΩz?7Yq-{kc!?,'.)ӘԘ쬱vKѶ-^M֤>몰4 Y|xM4*n{R^V[7M͖ÜLIXjc뺕3kӡT.Qr׍,wMVp8 Zfk
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1