LIFE DOES NOT COME WITH GUARANTEES: A Story of Love, Loneliness, Abuse, and Faith

by Germaine L. Allen

I prayed for help to just maintain, to keep my children out of harms way and to let us be happy with all the good things we had. I loved Ken, yet there was always a spot in my mind that said be cautious.At the age of eighteen, author Germaine L. Allen married a sailor in the U.S. Navy. She wrestles with the loneliness and despair of having a husband at sea for months at a time. But within a few short years of their marriage, Allen's husband died in Vietnam, leaving her to raise their three children entirely on her own.Allen faces a host of tragedies in the coming years, including the pain of divorce, the death of her fiancé, and the struggle to hold on to her possessions. But in the midst of it all, she realizes that there is a purpose to the ups and downs of life and a grand design for each of us.With perseverance and courage, she keeps her life together and emerges from every tragedy with a deeper appreciation of life. It is through her faith in God, combined with the wisdom to trust His will and the courage to forgive, that Allen discovers the path to inner peace and learns that Life Does Not Come With Guarantees.

200 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2006

Reviews

[Candice N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding out about this book and realizing who Germaine L. Allen is made me really want to jump right into Life Does Not Come With Guarantees. After reading what the book was about I realized that there are many people in the world with a complicated life. Germaine L. Allen is actually one of my grandmother's old high school friends and when I knew that I wanted to talk to her about this book and about all of her experiences.
This book really opened my eyes to experinces that Allen has gone through. It showed me that even though people go through the hardest situations, you can still get through it with a strong heart and mind. In reading this book I have seen how emotional Allen's life has been. In her younger years meeting what she thought was the man of her dreams she realizes very quick that she has no idea who her husband really is. My thoughts on this was that she was very strong for staying with her husband for as long as she did because he was away in Japan.
Germaine's book has really inspired me and I now know how to stay strong through tough times that I have had. She has showed me so much strength in all of her experiences especially when she no longer wanted to live the gift of life. She still lived on through everything. Many people aren't strong enough to live their lives when things eventually get better in the long run.
I have rated this book a 5 star because of the way she kept her life in words and she was able to put it out there for the world to know. Many people do not know the life of love, loneliness, abuse and faith. This book tells readers no matter their age how hard life can be and that is what this has showed me.

[Chelsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is actually written by my very own grandmother. I felt that it was a great eye-opener to my family history. It gave great insight into where I have gotten some of the stubborness and other traits. I learned a lot about my family, mother, and a little about myself after reading this. I highly recommend it- not because it was written by my grandmother- but it really has some great stories and good laughs. It is a true show of determination in her life and how much of a role model to others she has become because of it. I have taken from this that there will always be someone who has life a lot worse than you, and that no matter how bad a situation becomes, there are ways to take control and push forward even when you feel you can't move an inch more. I have a lot of respect for my grandmother being the strong person she is to have achieved the things she has in life, and to become a true role model to us kids and others in similar situations.