Jackie Ewing’s memoir, LIFE LESSONS FROM A LATE BLOOMER, begins with her statement that she is fifty-five years old and still figuring out who she is, calling herself a navel-gazer—often getting caught up in focusing on a single issue and ignoring things going on around her—an sentence which gives readers a better understanding of the author and her decisions. Ewing goes on to describe many occurrences in her life, several of them ordinary and therefore relatable to most people. At the end of each chapter, Ewing includes a “life lesson” that ties in with some of the chapter’s content, providing a source of inspiration and empowerment for those who read the book.

Within each chapter of LIFE LESSONS FROM A LATE BLOOMER, Ewing jumps from one period of her life to another in no particular order, retracing her steps in some time periods more than once. These vignettes (as she refers to them) include scenes from her childhood, college days, marriages, various teaching jobs and how they’ve had an influence on the woman she is today. Skillful descriptions help to portray the variety of people, places, and situations Ewing has encountered,  such as her first day as a teacher in Kuwait City—an assignment that lasted five years—where she found herself completely unprepared in a room full of kindergarteners who spoke minimal English. Ewing also effectively uses humor in her recollections, at times making fun of herself which—along with vivid descriptions—keep the narrative interesting and engaging. Because the narrative isn’t written typical memoir fashion–one that unfolds the author’s distinct journey in chronological order—it is sometimes challenging to piece things together to get a sense of the big picture, as there is no unity or connectedness between all of the parts. This lack of cohesion gets in the way of a clear and logical understanding of the relationships between all the elements of Ewing’s life.

Jackie Ewing uses humor and candor to engage readers about her experiences in her memoir, LIFE LESSONS FROM A LATE BLOOMER, which includes life lessons at the end of each chapter.

~Florence Osmund for IndieReader