Author: Amanda Cole
ISBN: 978-064-653-5906
RRP: $24.95
Amanda Cole has written an extremely moving, beautiful tale of love, loss and the extraordinary lengths we would go to to right the harrowing wrongs we sometimes face in our lives.
You Are My Future details how the power of one sisters love was strong enough to change the world; to stretch the fabric of existence and make the impossible merely implausible.
One of the quotes on the back cover states that this book is addictive and grabbed the reader from the first line. That’s not quite how I found the book. After the first paragraph I was so deeply touched that I threw the book down thinking that there was no way I could read this book, I wouldn’t see through the tears and I wouldn’t be able to separate myself from the story. I picked it up again a few hours later and started again. It grabbed hold of me and would not let go. I had to read one more page, one more chapter, to see how the story developed.
Amanda Cole has laid this book out in a very unusual format, it is almost two books in one. Our heroine is working on her first book which is to be ‘Through My Eyes’ 100 days of observation where Sierra Field actually stops to look at things around her rather than just seeing life go by. So on the left hand page we have a notebook page of Sierra’s daily observations which are generally a brief description of one observation. On the right hand page is the story of Sierra Field as her life plays out in front of us.
I think the two stories tie in together perfectly. The journey we are taking with Sierra is really all about making the most of every moment and the ability we have to make amazing things happen if we love hard enough to make it happen and the book Sierra is writing is all about looking at things through fresh eyes to better appreciate the beauty we are surrounded by.
A very strong message in You Are My Future is the importance of knowing CPR, the devastating losses we can be made to suffer if we don’t know enough to begin early CPR to increase the chances of saving the life of a loved one.
The book has been endorsed by St John Ambulance Australia because of the emphasis placed on learning CPR. There is a two page worksheet in the back of the book detailing the process for performing CPR which is useful information but does not replace the need for proper training.
Amanda Cole is also an ambassador for the SISTER2Sister program, a part of the Life Changing Experiences Program which delivers youth support programs. The SISTER2Sister program is a 12 month mentoring program for teenage girls at risk of neglect and abuse who are disadvantaged and disengaged.
The program partners the teenagers with professional positive role models to motivate and inspire them to work through their past experiences, educate at risk teenagers to break the cycle and provide opportunities to enable them to be active. A $1 donation will be made to the SISTER2Sister program with every copy of You Are My Future sold.
The first chapter of You Are My Future shows us a heartbreaking scene that breaks Sierra’s heart and has her screaming to the heavens for help. When help arrives it is in the form of her return to the day before to confront Present Sierra and enlist her help to ensure the heartbreaking scene is not repeated, without letting her in on her memories of the heartbreaking scene.
Present and Future Sierra take it in turns to tell the story in very short chapters that make the story easy to follow and keep up with, as long as you pay attention to which Sierra you are listening to. There is quite a bit of repetition because you hear a lot of things from both Sierra’s points of view.
This beautiful book will have you thanking the universe for all the wonderful people in your life and hoping they remain right where they are for a long time to come. Without even thinking about it I’m sure Amanda Cole will have you looking at things around you in a different way after reading this thought provoking and very emotional book.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!