Freefall to Fly by Rebekah Lyons (book review)

Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning

From the back cover:

THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS

At first glance, Rebekah Lyon’s life path seemed straightforward: walk the aisle, take the short road to motherhood, and build a family on a suburban cul-de-sac in the South.

But life looked radically different when her family relocated to the heart of New York City. She was forced to navigate a new normal with three kids, two toy poodles, and a minivan. Blindsided by crippling despair, Rebekah wrestled with bigger questions woman often ask: Why am I here? Does my life matter?

In a Western culture driven by performance and Pinterest fantasies, her story echoes the rise of loneliness, depression, and anxiety that women are facing at all-time highs. Why are expectations and lifestyles breaking us down in unprecedented ways?
In this beautifully moving memoir of vulnerability, courage, and ultimately transformation, Rebekah shares her journey in the unknown- a thrilling, terrifying freefall that eventually led to flight. Searching for meaning , she stumbled on surrender, discovering that meaning follows surrender.

Rebekah found freedom when she faced her greatest fear, and she invites other women to do the same. For it is only when we freefall that we can truly fly.

　

My Thoughts:

Rebekah Lyons is a brave woman. She writes with a powerful sense of self that is also relatable to any woman who has questioned any part of her own life. Lyons speaks of her own experiences with different stories of her own life and tries to relate them to everyone else. She speaks of her own struggles with anxiety and depression. She questions how does this happen to someone who is seemingly normal.

One of my favorite quotes in her book is : “ We aren’t depressed because we are getting old; we are depressed in the prime of our lives.” (p. 67). That quote resignated with me and speaks volumes about my own experiences in life. Lyons argues that if we learn to listen to ourselves and to God then we are more than able to come out of our depression and become the best woman that we can be.

This book was thought-provoking and engaging to me. I liked hearing about Lyons’ life experiences, however I felt a little disconnected with her as her situation is so much different than my own, when it comes to money and situation in life. This took away from some of the story but the overall message was there. This book was a hard read for me, as the author jumped around a lot and I found that I had to re-read sections in order for her words to really make sense. That may just be her story telling style though.

Overall, I think that the message of the book is great and should resonate with each woman who reads this.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher, Tyndale House Publishers and Handlebar Marketing, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.