What do you think?
Rate this book
StumpStrong: Strength In Roots
An Epistolary Novel of First Loves, Second Chances, and Finding Strength in Roots From a “fresh and fun new voice in women’s fiction”: a divorcee finds her voice and courage thanks to an account of war and survival out of her family history. Patricia Moore is coming of age. The age is menopause. And she might not survive it. Her growing pains include not only hot flashes but sharp pangs of loneliness. Her daughter is away at college. Her dear Sheltie, Zoomie, still loves her ex-husband, who’s got new muscles and a new girlfriend. And then there’s the sudden, teenage-hormone levels of lust she feels for her psychotherapist. She’s wound up in therapy because of her abusive work her boss is evil, and one of her alternative education students has attacked Patti in the classroom, leaving her almost voiceless. As she faces these savage threats to her health, dignity, career, heart, and sanity, Patti discovers help from an unexpected the cassette tapes left behind by her grandfather, a one-armed veteran of WWII. Pappap’s account of survival after being shot down behind enemy lines provides an example that may be just what she needs to dig herself from the depths of depression, revive her dormant inner power, and stand up for her principles while staying true to herself—and maybe she’ll even find her inner sexy. Both funny and inspiring, perfect for fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary and Gilmore Girls , StumpStrong weaves modern and historical struggle and romance, its story unfolding through Patti’s diary, her Pappap’s tapes, text messages with her daughter, quotes from Rudyard Kipling, and much more. RAVES FROM “StumpStrong, Strength In Roots, is the PERFECT beach read…funny, witty, and indulgent. A five-star book we are obsessed with!” – Obsessed podcast “ Pascarella's writing style takes you to a town that we all want to live in with its modern yet neighborly feel.” – Jennifer Peer, author of The Last Bloom “Nicki Pascarella is a fresh and fun new voice in women's fiction. Her debut novel will have you commiserating with Patti as she faces some serious struggles and laughing out loud as she looks at life through a humorous lens.” – Paula K. Niziolek, author of Dear Leoma Dallas Simmons “A wholesome book to read, it's feel good and motivating at the same time” -Rashreads, GoodReads Reviewer “[A] story within a story. I liked how it was communicated through character correspondence, journal entries, and Professor Stump’s voice recordings. It made the book a fun read despite its heavy content.” - Marilyn Barr, author of the Strawberry Shifters series
299 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2021
About the author
Nicki Pascarella
22 books272 followersNicki Pascarella writes Contemporary and Historical romances. She enjoys mixing genres—adding mysteries to steamy small-town romances, or a pinch of paranormal fantasy to her romantic comedies. It’s all about making her readers laugh and fall in love.
Using her twenty-nine years of experience as a high school teacher and her background in creative writing and journalism, she coaches authors for The MediaCasters. Helping artists break through creative blocks is one of her passions.
When she isn't writing and editing, she reads, runs, and hangs with her husband, daughter, and Shetland sheepdogs. Nicki is also an award-winning belly dancer.
Using her twenty-nine years of experience as a high school teacher and her background in creative writing and journalism, she coaches authors for The MediaCasters. Helping artists break through creative blocks is one of her passions.
When she isn't writing and editing, she reads, runs, and hangs with her husband, daughter, and Shetland sheepdogs. Nicki is also an award-winning belly dancer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 6, 2022
A teacher has been transferred from her regular job to special needs classes - down in a cramped basement room, with students of a variety of ages and diagnoses, and a boss who keeps whittling away at their budget until there are no real resources left. Things come to a head one day when a student, known for harming others yet never facing consequences, demands something his teacher can't give him because she simply doesn't have it. He tries to strangle her, and it takes 2 grown men to pull him off her. She has a vocal cord injury and can barely talk. Her doctor prescribes 6 weeks medical leave and therapy for what has happened to her...but nothing happens to the kid who did it. No suspension, no recommendations for a psych eval, and this puts the remaining stidents at risk, esp the only girl in the class, and esp since they are locked in the room all day. Once she goes on leave, the kids have a different person in every day, no one is trying to teach them anything, the kid remains violent, and kids who are close to being able to be mainstreamed are denied the information they'd need to succeed. The only recourse their teacher has is to press charges against the boy, in hopes this will somehow get him the help he needs.
The teacher, Patti, has been divorced for 3 years, but her ex still comes by and does handyman tasks for her. Since their divorce, he has gotten fit, taken care of grey hairs trying to appear, and has a girlfriend half his age and with some serious cleavage. Meanwhile, overwhelmed by the increasing workload from the decreasing resources at her job, Patti has given up running and doing 5 and 10 Ks. While she is on leave, she and her therapy dog (who used to help the kids but was forbidden from doing so when the boss started cutting Patti's resources) go out and run together on a more or less regular basis. This ends up being the start of her finding her moxie again, at least as I see it from my reading, doing something for herself that she enjoys.
Her grandfather was a bombardier in WWII, shot down over Nazi Germany, and badly injured. He has left behind cassette tapes that he used to journal, since he lost his right arm below the elbow and has always struggled to write left handed. When Patti discovers them, she wants to listen, and she transcribes them. In addition, the shrink tells her to journal.
As Patti struggles with the strangling incident, the terrible boss, the feelings the divorce and subsequent events have had on her, the changes a woman of 50 endures in her body, the shrink, the school's demands, and the attempted intimidation from the bad boss, plus the things her grandfather endured as a POW, the journal, emails, texts, and the transcription show us her feelings and her grandfather's trials and how they affect her. You will find yourself laughing your butt off, feeling embarrassed, feeling sad, feeling indignant and angry, feeling lonely and loving and even hirnny and drunk and hungover vicariously, but you won't ever find yourself being bored! Add to that, while there is sex and serious heavy petting (as we called it when I was coming up), and some descriotion, there is, thank you author, no endless pages of descriptions of physiologically impossible sex. It's nice to find an author who can put in the beginnings of what may or may not follow, and not insult your intelligence by filling in what follows if both parties keep on that track. We know. She knows we know. She puts her energies into making a great story instead of pages and pages of sex no 2 humans could possibly perform...the body isn't built like that.
I got this ebook as a bargain from one of those book sites that sends deals on ebooks. I wasn't real sure about it, but I can honestly say I'm glad I gave it a shot. It's a great book. It draws you into the protagonist's feelings, her lows, her highs, and her healing processes.
For me, as both a teacher and a nurse, I find myself relating to her struggles as she is reassigned from her regular classes to the dungeon of a classroom for special needs kids. For a few years, I subbed for both the school teachers and the school nurse. My most frequent sub teacher assignment was the special needs classrooom, a small trailer type building in the middle of the campus, far from "normal" classrooms. Kids from 8 to 14 were crammed into an area so small that you had to go outside to take in a deep breath - except you weren't allowed out except at certain times. Resources were slim. Like Patti's older kids, we were locked in, and lunch was the last available slot when there were fewer to no kids in the cafeteria. There were always 2 male teachers there for that lunch period. This didn't do anything for the kids who were in a bad home situation and placed there because those situations were making them fall behind, who were there for help catching up, to be lumped in with kids struggling with mental health issues, some serious and potentially dangerous to others, even to themselves, or both. The regular teacher and I did our best for those kids. The oldest one, at 14, we petitioned to send to the high school class; he'd fallen behind because of a learning disability, and the high school class was better equipped to help him finish catching up. The 13 year old had the mental age of a 5 year old, but frightened the elementary kids. The 8 year old was actually very intelligent, easily capable.of work beyond his grade by at least one grade, but had mental health issues, including being very aggressive. I taught his teacher what I had learned when I was in martial arts training, as a way to dodge him and subdue him, and since I had succeeded in stopping him several.times, when he realized his regular teacher had been taught my tricks, he stopped messing with her. He was a neo-Nazi, idolized Hitler, and felt all Jews should be killed plus pretty much anyone not white. Since there were a lot of latinx and black kids in the school itself, reflected in the special needs class, he had a lot of people to hate...plus, his intelligence made him despise anyone not as smart as he. One day, when they were going back to class from lunch, the 8 yr old attacked the latinx 13 yr old, and it took 3 big men to pull this scrawny 8 year old off the 13 yr old before the latter was killed. As it was, the 8 yr old had used a sharp edged large rock and laid open the older boy's forehead to the bone. I was the school nurse that day, and because he knew me, I was able to get his cooperation and cleanse the wound and approximate the edges using Steri-Strips. I called his parents and, like Patti did herself, since she was the victim, I encouraged them to press charges in hopes of getting him the help he needed. The offender's dad was high powered and well off, and our vice principal - who had once watched a 16 yr old 8th grader drop acid in front of him, then said, "We do not have a drug problem in this school," (something the boy himself told me when he later asked for help getting clean) - wasn't about to upset Daddy by insisting on proper procedures for a violent child. It was the only way to expose that likely, the father had taught hate to the son - whose name for me, btw, seeing as we both had Aryan looks, was "race traitor," - and get the boy help before this went any further. It took a while, and since we moved soon after, my side of the story had to be written down, it took me a while to find out he had gotten help, but had become so violent he had nearly killed someone else and ended up in a maximum security facility for the criminally insane...at, probably, 9 or 10 years old. So yes, this stuff happens to teachers and nurses both. Learning blocking and evasion techniques, plus the judicious use of pressure points, is a good idea for any teacher or nurse. I know it has saved my bacon many times before.
The author has a great grip on school politics, special needs kids, the role of therapy, and even knows what epigenetics is. I had my exoerinece many years prior to the events in the book, and it seems like nothing has changed in special needs education, if this is based on current knowledge. I agree with the author's sentiment: we need to get our faces out of our phones and our heads out of TV, movies, and SM, and learn to care about vulnerable kids.
The teacher, Patti, has been divorced for 3 years, but her ex still comes by and does handyman tasks for her. Since their divorce, he has gotten fit, taken care of grey hairs trying to appear, and has a girlfriend half his age and with some serious cleavage. Meanwhile, overwhelmed by the increasing workload from the decreasing resources at her job, Patti has given up running and doing 5 and 10 Ks. While she is on leave, she and her therapy dog (who used to help the kids but was forbidden from doing so when the boss started cutting Patti's resources) go out and run together on a more or less regular basis. This ends up being the start of her finding her moxie again, at least as I see it from my reading, doing something for herself that she enjoys.
Her grandfather was a bombardier in WWII, shot down over Nazi Germany, and badly injured. He has left behind cassette tapes that he used to journal, since he lost his right arm below the elbow and has always struggled to write left handed. When Patti discovers them, she wants to listen, and she transcribes them. In addition, the shrink tells her to journal.
As Patti struggles with the strangling incident, the terrible boss, the feelings the divorce and subsequent events have had on her, the changes a woman of 50 endures in her body, the shrink, the school's demands, and the attempted intimidation from the bad boss, plus the things her grandfather endured as a POW, the journal, emails, texts, and the transcription show us her feelings and her grandfather's trials and how they affect her. You will find yourself laughing your butt off, feeling embarrassed, feeling sad, feeling indignant and angry, feeling lonely and loving and even hirnny and drunk and hungover vicariously, but you won't ever find yourself being bored! Add to that, while there is sex and serious heavy petting (as we called it when I was coming up), and some descriotion, there is, thank you author, no endless pages of descriptions of physiologically impossible sex. It's nice to find an author who can put in the beginnings of what may or may not follow, and not insult your intelligence by filling in what follows if both parties keep on that track. We know. She knows we know. She puts her energies into making a great story instead of pages and pages of sex no 2 humans could possibly perform...the body isn't built like that.
I got this ebook as a bargain from one of those book sites that sends deals on ebooks. I wasn't real sure about it, but I can honestly say I'm glad I gave it a shot. It's a great book. It draws you into the protagonist's feelings, her lows, her highs, and her healing processes.
For me, as both a teacher and a nurse, I find myself relating to her struggles as she is reassigned from her regular classes to the dungeon of a classroom for special needs kids. For a few years, I subbed for both the school teachers and the school nurse. My most frequent sub teacher assignment was the special needs classrooom, a small trailer type building in the middle of the campus, far from "normal" classrooms. Kids from 8 to 14 were crammed into an area so small that you had to go outside to take in a deep breath - except you weren't allowed out except at certain times. Resources were slim. Like Patti's older kids, we were locked in, and lunch was the last available slot when there were fewer to no kids in the cafeteria. There were always 2 male teachers there for that lunch period. This didn't do anything for the kids who were in a bad home situation and placed there because those situations were making them fall behind, who were there for help catching up, to be lumped in with kids struggling with mental health issues, some serious and potentially dangerous to others, even to themselves, or both. The regular teacher and I did our best for those kids. The oldest one, at 14, we petitioned to send to the high school class; he'd fallen behind because of a learning disability, and the high school class was better equipped to help him finish catching up. The 13 year old had the mental age of a 5 year old, but frightened the elementary kids. The 8 year old was actually very intelligent, easily capable.of work beyond his grade by at least one grade, but had mental health issues, including being very aggressive. I taught his teacher what I had learned when I was in martial arts training, as a way to dodge him and subdue him, and since I had succeeded in stopping him several.times, when he realized his regular teacher had been taught my tricks, he stopped messing with her. He was a neo-Nazi, idolized Hitler, and felt all Jews should be killed plus pretty much anyone not white. Since there were a lot of latinx and black kids in the school itself, reflected in the special needs class, he had a lot of people to hate...plus, his intelligence made him despise anyone not as smart as he. One day, when they were going back to class from lunch, the 8 yr old attacked the latinx 13 yr old, and it took 3 big men to pull this scrawny 8 year old off the 13 yr old before the latter was killed. As it was, the 8 yr old had used a sharp edged large rock and laid open the older boy's forehead to the bone. I was the school nurse that day, and because he knew me, I was able to get his cooperation and cleanse the wound and approximate the edges using Steri-Strips. I called his parents and, like Patti did herself, since she was the victim, I encouraged them to press charges in hopes of getting him the help he needed. The offender's dad was high powered and well off, and our vice principal - who had once watched a 16 yr old 8th grader drop acid in front of him, then said, "We do not have a drug problem in this school," (something the boy himself told me when he later asked for help getting clean) - wasn't about to upset Daddy by insisting on proper procedures for a violent child. It was the only way to expose that likely, the father had taught hate to the son - whose name for me, btw, seeing as we both had Aryan looks, was "race traitor," - and get the boy help before this went any further. It took a while, and since we moved soon after, my side of the story had to be written down, it took me a while to find out he had gotten help, but had become so violent he had nearly killed someone else and ended up in a maximum security facility for the criminally insane...at, probably, 9 or 10 years old. So yes, this stuff happens to teachers and nurses both. Learning blocking and evasion techniques, plus the judicious use of pressure points, is a good idea for any teacher or nurse. I know it has saved my bacon many times before.
The author has a great grip on school politics, special needs kids, the role of therapy, and even knows what epigenetics is. I had my exoerinece many years prior to the events in the book, and it seems like nothing has changed in special needs education, if this is based on current knowledge. I agree with the author's sentiment: we need to get our faces out of our phones and our heads out of TV, movies, and SM, and learn to care about vulnerable kids.
April 15, 2024
This thoroughly enjoyable novel is, in a sense, a coming-of-age story in which a fifty-year-old woman finds her true strengths. Pat is a high school special-education teacher stuck, by her evil boss, in a basement classroom with no teacher’s aide and too many students. When a deeply disturbed teenage boy almost strangles her to death in class, Pat takes medical leave. As she heals at home, she gains mental strength from transcribing old tapes narrated by her deceased grandfather, an admirable man who lost an arm in World War II and went on to become a renowned teacher. His story, and Pat’s, remind me to tell teachers the same thing people say to soldiers: “Thank you for your service!”
The novel is composed of Pat’s transcriptions, interspersed with her text messages and her diary about the ups and downs of her messy, often hilarious, professional and personal lives. When Pat goes to mandated counseling sessions, she lusts after her thirty-something male psychotherapist, who clearly appreciates older women. Pat harbors conflicting feelings for her ex-husband, who drops by often even though he has acquired a young girlfriend. Meanwhile, Pat has acquired a classic case of empty-nest syndrome since their daughter left for college. Fortunately, her charming Sheltie pooch, Zoomie, comforts and amuses her. But Zoomie, the traitor, still loves the ex-husband—which may not be such a bad thing after all.
The novel is composed of Pat’s transcriptions, interspersed with her text messages and her diary about the ups and downs of her messy, often hilarious, professional and personal lives. When Pat goes to mandated counseling sessions, she lusts after her thirty-something male psychotherapist, who clearly appreciates older women. Pat harbors conflicting feelings for her ex-husband, who drops by often even though he has acquired a young girlfriend. Meanwhile, Pat has acquired a classic case of empty-nest syndrome since their daughter left for college. Fortunately, her charming Sheltie pooch, Zoomie, comforts and amuses her. But Zoomie, the traitor, still loves the ex-husband—which may not be such a bad thing after all.
June 3, 2021
Amazing Book 💯
StumpStrong by Nicki Pascarella is a wholesome book to read, it's feel good and motivating at the same time. Stump Strong is Patricia Anne Moore's story, but it's not just a story of her assault and subsequent recovery, it's so much more than that.
Patricia, a divorced fifty year old beautiful woman teaches alternative education students. Her job comes with some risks. On one unfortunate day, she gets attacked by a student named Tanner, the assault results in severe injuries to her vocal cords. What follows is a healing journey for Patricia, which addresses not only her health issues but also sets her life back on track and reveals to her and the readers that Patricia is indeed Stump Strong.
Patricia also finds casettes of her grandfather who fought in the Second World War. His recordings give Patricia inspiration and motivates her. Some parallels can also be drawn between his story and that of Patricia.
I loved the writing style in this book. The diary entries of Patricia brings an unadulterated version of her character before the readers. The narration alternates between Patricia's story (her diary entries) and her grandfather's records, giving the best of both worlds, feel good content on one side and war drama and inspiration on the other.
I loved the humorous undertone of narration, it made Patricia's character very likeable. The characters have been nicely created, everything about them from physical appearances to personality traits is clear which makes them easy to visualise and it makes them more real. I liked Dr. Jacob Greene's character and the chemistry he shared with the protagonist.
StumpStrong is a really nice book to read with a lot to offer in terms of nicely written characters, a good storyline, and overall it will make you feel good.
StumpStrong by Nicki Pascarella is a wholesome book to read, it's feel good and motivating at the same time. Stump Strong is Patricia Anne Moore's story, but it's not just a story of her assault and subsequent recovery, it's so much more than that.
Patricia, a divorced fifty year old beautiful woman teaches alternative education students. Her job comes with some risks. On one unfortunate day, she gets attacked by a student named Tanner, the assault results in severe injuries to her vocal cords. What follows is a healing journey for Patricia, which addresses not only her health issues but also sets her life back on track and reveals to her and the readers that Patricia is indeed Stump Strong.
Patricia also finds casettes of her grandfather who fought in the Second World War. His recordings give Patricia inspiration and motivates her. Some parallels can also be drawn between his story and that of Patricia.
I loved the writing style in this book. The diary entries of Patricia brings an unadulterated version of her character before the readers. The narration alternates between Patricia's story (her diary entries) and her grandfather's records, giving the best of both worlds, feel good content on one side and war drama and inspiration on the other.
I loved the humorous undertone of narration, it made Patricia's character very likeable. The characters have been nicely created, everything about them from physical appearances to personality traits is clear which makes them easy to visualise and it makes them more real. I liked Dr. Jacob Greene's character and the chemistry he shared with the protagonist.
StumpStrong is a really nice book to read with a lot to offer in terms of nicely written characters, a good storyline, and overall it will make you feel good.
February 24, 2022
All I Have To Say About This Book Is Wow!
Family ties and success in love and hope. These are the things this nook reminded me of. I really didn’t see it at first. It took me a while to figure it out. It made me very happy to be refocused on family and the love I have for my own. Thank you Nicki Pascarella for helping me find that love all over again.
Family ties and success in love and hope. These are the things this nook reminded me of. I really didn’t see it at first. It took me a while to figure it out. It made me very happy to be refocused on family and the love I have for my own. Thank you Nicki Pascarella for helping me find that love all over again.
February 23, 2022
Excellent!!!
Loved this book!!!!! I'm sure Patti and I would have been friends at some point!!! Looking forward to reading more by this author!!!
Loved this book!!!!! I'm sure Patti and I would have been friends at some point!!! Looking forward to reading more by this author!!!
February 6, 2022
Surprise Treasure
I actually picked up this book by mistake but I'm glad I did! This book was witty and charming and the heroine will resonate with everyone who is struggling just trying to survive life's everyday traumas. The format was unusual but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I actually picked up this book by mistake but I'm glad I did! This book was witty and charming and the heroine will resonate with everyone who is struggling just trying to survive life's everyday traumas. The format was unusual but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
June 25, 2021
Nicki Pascarella is a fresh and fun new voice in women's fiction. Her debut novel, Stump Strong, will have you commiserating with the protagonist, Patti, as she faces some serious and tough struggles and laughing out loud as she looks at life through a humorous lens. I loved how the novel is written in a series of text messages and diary entries.
When the book opens, Patti, a divorced fifty-year-old woman with a daughter away at college, has been assaulted by a troubled teenage boy in her classroom. Not only is she scared and upset, her vocal cords have been damaged and she can barely talk. To add insult to injury, her evil supervisor refuses to believe the boy is a danger and remove him from the classroom. The doctor puts Patti on medical leave and an advocate suggests she see a therapist. Dr. Greene turns out to be a hot hunk of a younger man. Even though Patti has agreed to go on a date with the officer on her case, and even though she seems to still be in love with her ex-husband, she can't get the hunky doctor off her mind. In the meantime, in the basement of her family home, she discovers old cassette tapes her grandfather recorded about his time as a POW during WWII. Patti begins transcribing them and learning so much more about her grandfather, and herself in the long run.
I'm not going to say much more because I don't want to give any of the story away, but I loved how the deep roots and family connections played such a big part in this book and in Patti discovering that she is stronger than she ever imagined. I loved the piece about epigenetics and how trauma can be passed down in our DNA and change how we react to certain situations. It's fascinating. Even though the book dealt with some tough issues, the story was told with humor and relatability. I truly liked the characters and felt they were well developed, which is hard to do through email and diary entries.
Anyone who likes stories about women overcoming obstacles and realizing their own power will like this book. I will definitely read more by this author!
When the book opens, Patti, a divorced fifty-year-old woman with a daughter away at college, has been assaulted by a troubled teenage boy in her classroom. Not only is she scared and upset, her vocal cords have been damaged and she can barely talk. To add insult to injury, her evil supervisor refuses to believe the boy is a danger and remove him from the classroom. The doctor puts Patti on medical leave and an advocate suggests she see a therapist. Dr. Greene turns out to be a hot hunk of a younger man. Even though Patti has agreed to go on a date with the officer on her case, and even though she seems to still be in love with her ex-husband, she can't get the hunky doctor off her mind. In the meantime, in the basement of her family home, she discovers old cassette tapes her grandfather recorded about his time as a POW during WWII. Patti begins transcribing them and learning so much more about her grandfather, and herself in the long run.
I'm not going to say much more because I don't want to give any of the story away, but I loved how the deep roots and family connections played such a big part in this book and in Patti discovering that she is stronger than she ever imagined. I loved the piece about epigenetics and how trauma can be passed down in our DNA and change how we react to certain situations. It's fascinating. Even though the book dealt with some tough issues, the story was told with humor and relatability. I truly liked the characters and felt they were well developed, which is hard to do through email and diary entries.
Anyone who likes stories about women overcoming obstacles and realizing their own power will like this book. I will definitely read more by this author!
May 29, 2021
Nicki Pascarella has written one of the best novels I have read in a long time. Pascarella's writing style takes you to a town that we all want to live in with its modern yet neighborly feel. Her dialogue is fresh and sassy. I loved the style of the book, flashing back to her great-grandfather's past and blending it into what Patti's is learning in the now.
We meet Patti, a woman who has experienced a traumatic event that eventually becomes a catalyst back to the self she lost years before. Feeling firmly middle aged, we see her struggle to put the pieces of who she is back together after she realizes she has lost them. She's divorced and still obviously in love with her ex-husband Mike. Her job is at a stall because she is fighting an administrator reminiscent of Miranda Priestly. Her daughter Cassie has gone away to school and she is alone in her family home after suffering a near death experience. What woman already insecure with straddling that "I'm now a 50-year-old" line between what she was and what she will become wouldn't have issues? Isn't it hard enough to grow old gracefully without things out of our control getting in the way?
I was crying within the first ten pages and laughing not long thereafter. While Patti may not feel like she has a voice anymore, we hear her voice loud and clear on the pages. The fact that we watch as Patti grows into her new "StumpStrong" persona, taking the best of her past and making it push her through into what has morphed into for the next fifty years had me cheering. I loved watching her metamorphosis into the strong, quirky, feisty red head we knew was waiting there to be unleashed back onto the world.
I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants a feel-good read that makes you want to tell your next birthday to kiss your tail. This novel is empowering and inspiring and I can't wait to read more from Nicki Pascarella.
Jennifer Peer, Author of ~True Beginnings~ and ~The Last Bloom~
We meet Patti, a woman who has experienced a traumatic event that eventually becomes a catalyst back to the self she lost years before. Feeling firmly middle aged, we see her struggle to put the pieces of who she is back together after she realizes she has lost them. She's divorced and still obviously in love with her ex-husband Mike. Her job is at a stall because she is fighting an administrator reminiscent of Miranda Priestly. Her daughter Cassie has gone away to school and she is alone in her family home after suffering a near death experience. What woman already insecure with straddling that "I'm now a 50-year-old" line between what she was and what she will become wouldn't have issues? Isn't it hard enough to grow old gracefully without things out of our control getting in the way?
I was crying within the first ten pages and laughing not long thereafter. While Patti may not feel like she has a voice anymore, we hear her voice loud and clear on the pages. The fact that we watch as Patti grows into her new "StumpStrong" persona, taking the best of her past and making it push her through into what has morphed into for the next fifty years had me cheering. I loved watching her metamorphosis into the strong, quirky, feisty red head we knew was waiting there to be unleashed back onto the world.
I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants a feel-good read that makes you want to tell your next birthday to kiss your tail. This novel is empowering and inspiring and I can't wait to read more from Nicki Pascarella.
Jennifer Peer, Author of ~True Beginnings~ and ~The Last Bloom~
June 13, 2021
Nicki Pascarella’s Stump Strong is a story within a story. I liked how it was communicated through character correspondence, journal entries, and Professor Stump’s voice recordings. It made the book a fun read despite its heavy content. With a quote opening each chapter and this format, it reminded me of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. There wasn’t a true narrator but there was enough information provided at the top of each section to seamlessly transition across time and space.
The outer story is teacher Patricia Moore’s mid-life crisis. She’s assaulted at school and put on recuperative leave for the duration of the story. This gives her the time to reevaluate her life choices and how she developed functional depression. I loved the positive messages of getting professional help when you temporarily need it. We learn through her messages with her daughter and ex-husband about her co-dependency problems.
Where this book shines is the inner story Patricia finds in her great-grandfather’s voice recordings. Professor Stump (as he was lovingly called) was a WWII veteran who had a larger-than-life personality. He was a true Renaissance man who was prescribed journaling for his WWII PTSD after being a POW. I found it fascinating how his coping skills mirrored Patricia’s and despite the gap in psychological research, their treatment plans were the same – only Professor Stump had lost his dominant hand, so he dictated his journal onto cassettes instead of writing. His magnetic personality shone through his entries, and I found myself skipping ahead to find the next one.
Overall, I recommend this book to those who want a feel-good story about family and rediscovering your inner power.
The outer story is teacher Patricia Moore’s mid-life crisis. She’s assaulted at school and put on recuperative leave for the duration of the story. This gives her the time to reevaluate her life choices and how she developed functional depression. I loved the positive messages of getting professional help when you temporarily need it. We learn through her messages with her daughter and ex-husband about her co-dependency problems.
Where this book shines is the inner story Patricia finds in her great-grandfather’s voice recordings. Professor Stump (as he was lovingly called) was a WWII veteran who had a larger-than-life personality. He was a true Renaissance man who was prescribed journaling for his WWII PTSD after being a POW. I found it fascinating how his coping skills mirrored Patricia’s and despite the gap in psychological research, their treatment plans were the same – only Professor Stump had lost his dominant hand, so he dictated his journal onto cassettes instead of writing. His magnetic personality shone through his entries, and I found myself skipping ahead to find the next one.
Overall, I recommend this book to those who want a feel-good story about family and rediscovering your inner power.
April 4, 2024
Menopause is the great equalizer, but for Patti, all her struggles are hardcore bootcamp for her rebirth. Can she find her strength to be victorious through the tapes of her grandfather’s war experience? StumpStrong is a fresh take on mid-life, complete with raw emotion, lush narration, and a heroine to root for. Every woman who is going through (or has gone through) menopause can relate to this heartfelt women’s fiction. I laughed, I cried, I commiserated, I broke down.
Let’s start with the characters. Patti is a heroine among heroes. She’s dealing with big life changes and doesn’t know what to do. Her emotions are what drew me to her, and I connected with her from the start. Her transformation is uplifting to read.
The narration is immersive while also maintaining the emotional mood swings of the main character, Patti. Every scene details what Patti is feeling and going through. It’s addictive to read.
My favorite parts are the reading of Patti’s grandfather’s tapes. The stark retelling of his war stories tore my heart in two. The poignant triumph of the human spirit is evident while reading.
StumpStrong is a beautiful story that all women need to read. It’s Nicki Pascarella’s finest book.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Nancy
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
Let’s start with the characters. Patti is a heroine among heroes. She’s dealing with big life changes and doesn’t know what to do. Her emotions are what drew me to her, and I connected with her from the start. Her transformation is uplifting to read.
The narration is immersive while also maintaining the emotional mood swings of the main character, Patti. Every scene details what Patti is feeling and going through. It’s addictive to read.
My favorite parts are the reading of Patti’s grandfather’s tapes. The stark retelling of his war stories tore my heart in two. The poignant triumph of the human spirit is evident while reading.
StumpStrong is a beautiful story that all women need to read. It’s Nicki Pascarella’s finest book.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Nancy
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
May 29, 2021
💥𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀💥 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜
𝕽𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞- 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫- 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞- 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐠𝐞
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞- 𝟎𝟏-𝟎𝟔-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏
An inspiring story about a 50 year old women about combating her PTSD.
A perfect story concept.
Witnessing the emotions and struggles a woman goes through during her premenopausal stress.
A touch of POW recording made the plot different from others.
Simultaneously, signifying the will power of the POW soldiers and their bravery.
It feels as though you are living it, witnessing her life.
The author has put up the emotions in such a beautiful way.
A book that will leave you with an admiration for the Patti.
Overcoming the tauma, facing the fears and giving a second chance.
Good paced.
A touch of Diary Entries is definitely the unique concept which I appreciate because it defines the loneliness of Patti and the struggles she is going through.
Thank you Nicki Pascarella for the chance to read such a wonderful book.
𝕽𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞- 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫- 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞- 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐠𝐞
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞- 𝟎𝟏-𝟎𝟔-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏
An inspiring story about a 50 year old women about combating her PTSD.
A perfect story concept.
Witnessing the emotions and struggles a woman goes through during her premenopausal stress.
A touch of POW recording made the plot different from others.
Simultaneously, signifying the will power of the POW soldiers and their bravery.
It feels as though you are living it, witnessing her life.
The author has put up the emotions in such a beautiful way.
A book that will leave you with an admiration for the Patti.
Overcoming the tauma, facing the fears and giving a second chance.
Good paced.
A touch of Diary Entries is definitely the unique concept which I appreciate because it defines the loneliness of Patti and the struggles she is going through.
Thank you Nicki Pascarella for the chance to read such a wonderful book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2022
For me, the deciding factor that determines how much I love a book is how much I care about the characters and what happens to them. I LOVE this book! I found myself laughing out loud at some of their escapades, worrying when they were in danger, and almost flipping to the end to see where love would land. This author clearly understands life in a small town, which had me reminiscing about my childhood and life as a young woman in the towns where I lived. It's like the author had been right there with me! The mystery and intrigue added complexity to the story but left plenty of room for the character development to engage the reader in a deeper connection. Only one question - when's the next book coming out?!
June 8, 2023
I guess I am in the minority here but I just didn't connect with the main character. Maybe it's because I don't know anyone who would drop the "c" bomb in writing in a work-related memo. It's one thing if you are in the habit of using that word and it slips out in anger. But to write it down? No, just no. If I heard about that at work, I'd just shake my head and say, "What an idiot."
I did press on (that happens on page 5!) But I found myself skimming alot, I'm not a fan of lengthy, detailed, descriptive paragraphs that use way too many words to get to the point. But I am a fan of the epistolary style so I did enjoy that aspect of it.
I did press on (that happens on page 5!) But I found myself skimming alot, I'm not a fan of lengthy, detailed, descriptive paragraphs that use way too many words to get to the point. But I am a fan of the epistolary style so I did enjoy that aspect of it.
July 5, 2022
Realistic Assesment
This book made me laugh while nodding my head about the stupidity that some schools have used as special education classes. Money cannot create good teachers, but good teachers deserve the good tools that help them teachI--especially when they need another pair of hands in the classroom! The marriage scenario was easily appreciated. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
This book made me laugh while nodding my head about the stupidity that some schools have used as special education classes. Money cannot create good teachers, but good teachers deserve the good tools that help them teachI--especially when they need another pair of hands in the classroom! The marriage scenario was easily appreciated. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
July 16, 2021
Wow! This book is differ t from any I have every read. It talks about the war from her grandfathers perspective and it relates her family to how she became herself. Anyone can relate in some fashion to the struggles she experiences and how she pulls from her family wisdom to find herself again. Highly recommend.
June 4, 2021
This book has become my must-have summer read. This is a story that tackles the misfortunes of mod-life with sass and strength. Nicki Pascarella brings to the table a vulnerable voice that I connect with on a visceral level. I cannot recommend this book enough.
June 27, 2021
Absolutely engaging & inspiring! I could not put it down. Really loved the stories of Patricia's grandfather's heroism & love of family & roots. For those readers that love to laugh hysterically one moment & cry the next, this novel is a must. I can't wait to read more by Ms. Pascarella.
July 26, 2021
Wow, Stump Strong is captivating from the beginning to the end! You just fall in love with Patti, I could feel myself rooting for her since the opening email. I love the structure of the book, it keeps it interesting. Very well written and thought out, bravo Nikki!!
February 28, 2022
I laughed. I cried. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Pat, her family and friends. A story about leaning on our loved ones while learning to stand on our own. All wrapped up in a witty package.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews