After the Rain: Gentle Reminders for Healing, Courage, and Self-Love

by Alexandra Elle

In After the Rain, celebrated self-care storyteller Alexandra Elle delivers 15 lessons on how to overcome obstacles, build confidence, and cultivate abundance.Part memoir and part guide, Elle shares stirring stories from her own remarkable journey from self-doubt to self-love.This soulful collection is filled with illuminating reflections on loss, fear, bravery, healing, love, acceptance, and more.• Readers follow along her journey as she transforms challenging experiences—a difficult childhood, painful romantic relationships, and single parenting as a young mom—into fuel for her career as a successful entrepreneur and author driven by purpose and pasion• Filled with Elle's signature candor and warmth• Includes empowering affirmations and meditations for readers to practice in their own livesAfter the Rain is a soulful guide to help you embrace all the beauty, love, and opportunity life has to offer.• Presented in luminous package with a foil case and gold accents• A beautiful gift for anyone on the path to self-discovery, and an uplifting reminder that there is always sunshine after the rain• Perfect for the friend who loves meditating, self-care, journaling, or seeking personal transformation and empowerment• Great for those who loved Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist, 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs, and anything written by Brené Brown, Rupi Kaur, Rachel Hollis, and Elizabeth Gilbert

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Poetry, Mental Health, Memoir, Personal Development, Audiobook

158 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2020

About the author

Alexandra Elle is a writer and creative living in the Washington, DC metro area with her husband and daughter. In her pre-teen years, writing came into her life by way of therapy and the exploration of healing. Many years later, Alex's voice and words are being shared poetically in the form of self-love and self-care. Her passion for storytelling, poetry, and narrative writing are infused with life lessons, self-celebration, and building community through reading, writing, and language.

Reviews

[jenny✨]

I stumbled across Alexandra Elle on Instagram (@alex_elle) a few weeks ago and found myself touched by her words. Her posts were perfect and precise, cutting straight through my bullshit to softest, most vulnerable parts of me. It’s like she knew exactly what I needed to hear. I immediately sent her posts to my friends, who loved them as well.

I especially adore her posts about duality, such as the one below:



When I saw that her new book After the Rain was available on NetGalley, I was excited beyond words. I came eager for experiences similar to what I had found on her Instagram: revelatory insights, radical reframings. But I realized fairly quickly that this book isn’t exactly that—and for good reason. These are gentle reminders, as the title so aptly states. As such, I found that its content was not particularly new or revelatory to me. The nature-themed metaphors and Rupi Kaur-like affirmations were less my cup of tea, but I still thought the book so beautiful overall, instilling a sense of much-needed peace in me.

After the Rain is split into 15 lessons, including my favourites, “Identity,” “Soothing the Suffering,” “Family,” “Healing,” “Comparison,” “Dedication,” and—the chapter that hit me the hardest—“Acceptance.” When Elle speaks of her complex and deep love for her family—a family laden with memories, history, traumas, joys, loss, growth—it spoke to me, a bicultural person who has had to navigate similarly complicated and ambivalent relationships.

◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️

I have decided not to provide a star rating because works like Alexandra Elle’s—filled with pieces I found both personally unhelpful and immensely insightful—cannot be captured by me through ratings. In her words, I discovered nuggets of wisdom about love, loss, and acceptance. Through her writing, I feel more at peace in the knowledge that I can hold adversity and still feel joy.

All I hope is that you read After the Rain and find this—peace, wisdom, acceptance—too.



Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Chronicle Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am very grateful.

[bookishciara · Rating 3 out of 5]

initially when i started reading the first couple of chapters in this book. i was not enthusiastic about completing it.

i was expecting more poetry and artists prose within the story telling to really keep me invested. much like i have read in Alexandra Elle’s previous books.

half way through i felt myself blocking off the lessons learned because i could not fully invest in the stories being told. and i realized that maybe my experience reading the book says more about me and what i am feeling.

so then i started to actually do the journals and guided meditations at the end of each chapter and those meditations opened me up to receive the next chapter with a clear head and less harbored emotions.

also as i got closer to the end of this reading i was able to pull more tools and affirmations i could take in my own work to self healing and self love. because self work looks different for everyone.

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the Rain is a semi-autobiography infused with affirmations. I appreciate the authors vulnerability and honesty. Alex went through a lot of trials and came out on the other side a more positive person. Chapters are short and to the point.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

[Janice McQuaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started listening to this audiobook on the ride home after dropping my son at college and it was a great choice. This book is part memoir part self help. The reminders and meditations are a gentle nudge to go deeper in my thinking and encourage self work and exploration. There is a companion journal I am thinking of getting to continue the journey. The author is also the reader and she did a great job.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

REALLY pretty book and it was great to take to bed and read a chapter and do a little reflection before falling asleep. Some of it didn't apply - some of it was dead spot on. Keeping this as I feel like there may be truth here in different periods of my life.

Would and have recommended.

[Lindsey Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5️⃣—> I rate this 5 out of 5 stars.

This book came right on time. I don’t know if the author planned to have this book released during COVID, but props to her marketing team if they did plan it. I say that because COVID has been a time where people are having to sit with theirselves and their thoughts without the distractions of other commitments. We can no longer “run” or “hide” from our troubles, trauma, or self-sabotaging thoughts anymore as it has forced us to sit down and be still. That’s why I think this book was so timely, the author challenges her readers to sit down, think and reflect.

After the Rain tackles many thoughts and ideas such as forgiveness, self-love, validation, healing, acceptance, and dedication (which all also happened to be my favorite chapters). This book I would consider a self-help/memoir as the author shares her own experiences and trauma and insecurities as well in the book which I’m sure was difficult but also freeing for her. It’s like I was talking to one of my closest girlfriends, and she was giving me advice on things in my life that I’ve been struggling with. The author came across as open, genuine, and non-judgmental. I felt that she gave me permission to love myself freely even when I think I don’t deserve it, and she also gave me a safe space to be transparent and vulnerable with myself and others.

I don’t even know this author and yet it feels like we’ve been friends forever after reading this book. If you’re looking for some great positivity and tips on going through this thing called life as a black woman or black man, then this is the book for you. I also feel it would make a great gift!

[KBeautiful1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything that author Alexandra (Alex) Elle pens you better believe she is going to get at the heart of the matter. I also was so glad that she read the audio herself instead of having someone else do it.

I listened to this on audio (purchased from Apple Books) and what a laid out, heart opening, and vulnerable story that I witnessed.

At times I shrank within my self at other times I rejoiced and at other times I cried. We have all been in places of deep hurt, betrayal, hearts broken, rejected, and feeling as if we won't ever recover. Alex Elle gave us a story of triumphing over this (only if you want to be healed and delivered). The author walks us through step by step through different phases of her life that we can all relate to, some more than others but there is a kinship nonetheless. And it is in that kinship that we are shown that we can all come out on the other side, live to tell about it, and help others with their walk in this thing called healing by reminding them that there is life after the rain.

Rain brings new life, the water seeps down in the very soil of our hearts and that's how our healing begins, the rain is our tears, the soil is the very fabric of our being. Yes, there is healing and hope for each and every one of us.

Well Until My Next Review...Ciao!

[Abigail Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that touched my heart, and reminded me always that healing is not linear and fun. This book is one to be read slowly to allow yourself time to really pause and reflect and sit with challenging questions to learn who you are and what shaped you. Alex Elle as we all know writes beautifully, but hearing her vulnerability about how self care and love and patience are not second nature to her and how she continues to rewrite her story and grow into the healing woman we all know and love, it’s so beautiful. She lets us in on her journey and her internal struggles and the honesty and “messiness” she opens up about will make you feel so seen.

[Kaleigh England · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t read a lot of non-fiction/self-help so this book took me a lot longer to finish than usual. I’d read a chapter in the morning about two times a week. There was a lot I could not relate to but also a lot of encourage snippets I could relate to.

[Yle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It felt like warm, honey, melting down through every crack in my heart. The first time I read this, I gleaned mottos and words that I’d write down in notebooks. This second time, I hear a memoir. Thankful for you, Alex Elle.

[Nikkita Mcpherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase this book and gift it to someone you love!!!

[Ankita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve found some of the chapters really really insightful and soothing. However a few of them were fair enough. Overall it provided a good healing journey.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hurt happens, but so does healing.”

This is beautifully written and I def recommend reading this.

[Tally · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has offered me immense comfort when I really needed it. I will be re-reading excerpts from this book again and again when I’m having trouble, especially the chapter on forgiveness. If you feel angry at yourself, feel lost or stuck, or find yourself in a cycle of self-sabotaging, I’d suggest this picking up this book. You can also follow the author on Instagram for a taste of what this book is like.

[Lecy Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like getting a warm hug from your best friend and having a visit with a really good therapist, all wrapped up in one. Elle's writing is poetry, each line filled with her heart and soul. She shares many personal stories and I found myself relating to so many of them in one way or another. This book was beautiful and I could have highlighted every paragraph because there was something profound or thoughtful that I wanted to remember.

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Alex on Instagram and her weekly post-it reminders and affirmations have always spoken to my soul. This book is a collection of life lessons based on her personal journey. At the end of her life lesson, she shares a beautiful poem and meditation on the topic to help you on your healing journey. Loved this book and would recommend and gift to others.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine, but I just don't think I was the target demograph? There was just a lot about love and romantic entanglements that was very hetero and allosexual, which I don't relate to. It may also have been a bit about the timing of it? There is a lot of good content here, but it fell flat to me personally.

[Nicole Finch · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay, I guess? Not really my thing. I didn’t find the writing very compelling, and I mostly skimmed it. I think other people might get something out of it, but it just wasn’t for me.

[Becca Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing this book, I immediately thought: I'm going to need to read this again, and then again after that. Alex Elle is able to capture and name the emotions I didn't even realize I was feeling.

A few of my favorite excerpts:
"My truth was my truth, and sometimes it exposed itself in messy and confusing ways, but that didn't mean I wasn't enough or worthy, she insisted. It meant I was still learning from whatever I thought I had already learned from."

"Time has made it clear that being my own worst enemy was my truest challenge. Holding on to what could've been doesn't change what was, and expecting anything different to manifest from things I cannot change only creates a dent in the power I am attempting to stand in."

"Time has proven that I can be gentle with myself as I mend and become whole. I am being patient and giving myself permission to start over as many times as I need to."

"Transitions, big or small, are rarely straightforward. They require abandoning the parts of ourselves that feel safe and familiar. It is a massive task to intentionally choose change over comfort. But it taught me to trust myself more and embrace the shifts. I've developed a new sense of gratitude for the growing pains and heartache. The quiet seasons in my life taught me to hold on. To trust the flow of my river, even when no one is around to help or guide me. Becoming my true self was brutal, but the process brought out the beauty in my life that I aches for. It made room for more love and less judgment, more self-belief and less fear."

[sagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a hard read. i saw lots of parts of myself in this book and it made me weepy. a lot of it was unrelatable. that's not to say this book isn't helpful in a lot of ways. it was insightful and inspiring.

[Maisy Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read perfect timing xoxo

[Niki Rowland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gotta love some gentle reminders for healing, courage, and self-love.


“There is no arrival point when you’re on a path of growth.”

[✨Arline✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a memoir, it could be right up your alley. If you’re looking for a personal growth book, it may be too lite and fluffy.

[M-J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the first half.

However, the second half really was not what I expected. She forgives her cheating husband after chapters and chapters on self love, self respect and boundaries etc.

I don’t get it!!

[LaGaryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

"After the Rain" gives a memoir experience of the different motherhood lessons the author learned. It is a collection of hope and camaraderie. No matter how different anyone's experience is, there's collective healing that's possible throughout the book. The author talks a lot about how she overcame trauma and how she found the tools she needed to get through life when she felt so unlovable as a child.

I love how the author sprinkled in little quotes. Even if you don't have time to sit down and read every word, you can read the quotes for a quick dose of inspiration. You just never know who needs what story. But this author reminds us that we're never alone in our struggles, which comes out in her work.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/ale...

[Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

“So instead of 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 through life, I stopped, slowed down and expressed gratitude for all that was surrounding me. You deserve this, I said to myself.”

I think this book could be a good mental health resource to come back to again and again.

Elle writes in an honest and striking way like listening to an older sibling give advice.

[Anna Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You don't have to carry your trauma so close to your chest anymore. Unpack it. Leave things behind and start over as many times as you need to."

This book is a good self-help book. Alexandra Elle uncovered stories from childhood to her married life, and shared about what she has learned in the process of breaking and healing.

4⭐️ Added to my list of faves!

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book with nice reminders and affirmations that all healing is possible and you can come out of whatever it is that hurt you. The inner child part is what resonated with me the most. Enjoy ;)

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely juicy read on healing and self-care. Really beautiful.