Chasing Tigers in the Dark: Life Lessons of a Fierce Survivor

by Ally Shaw

For two decades, Ally Shaw buried the nightmares of her past deep below the surface. The former opera singer had forgotten the sound of her own voice, wearing the painful costume of a "people pleaser" until eventually, in a single moment, every painful memory broke free like a tidal wave on steroids - the rape, the incest, the divorce, the cancer, the deaths. Around every corner were signs that she was living the wrong life, celestial messages from God that often came during a serendipitous visit with a tiger at a North Carolina ranch.

Chasing Tigers in the Dark: Life Lessons of a Fierce Survivor is a raw and revealing self-help memoir, exploring the author's traumatic experiences while shining a light of hope on a beautiful love story, proliferated from the ashes of a painful past. This is the story of an underdog who turned the stinging repetition of loss into a miraculous story of survival - winning as a multi-unit franchise leader in the #1 pizza brand in the world, becoming a motivational speaker, and thriving as a devoted wife and mother to a beautifully blended family of seven amazing children.

In this book, Ally Shaw invites us to redefine our labels, to stop living as a casualty of life, to move past our traumas, past our mistakes and insecurities, and to find the fierce tiger within ourselves. We are invited on a quest to find freedom from our past with a little help from the author's own life lessons. No more hiding in our shame shadow, haunted by our past mistakes-no more faking the brave smile, secretly defeated by our latest trauma. Chasing Tigers in the Dark is here to guide us through a journey of escaping our current victim status and discovering our own fierceness in the process.

Genres: Nonfiction

260 pages, Paperback

Published March 8, 2022

Reviews

[Addy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars 💫
Thank you to the author for this ARC! 🧡

If I'm being honest, this sort of book is not one that I would typically go out and choose to read... HOWEVER, I ended up enjoying the story a lot more than I had assumed I would. The author's story provided a sense of empowerment that was contagious, and her story struck a chord within me.

For personal reasons, I tend to stray away from books that have a more consistent focus on Christianity. Sometimes I struggle with it, but I didn't find it too bad. In the author's words, it wasn't "overly preachy," and it was done in a way that worked well with her story. Within, I even found a few valuable lessons that I could take away from.

One thing that I noticed was that there were a few instances of "but more on that later." I kept sitting there like, "No! Tell me now!" By the time later rolled around, I didn't even remember what it was referring to. In saying that, it was not frequent at all. Just making a note!

Ultimately, I'm not quite sure that memoirs are my thing, but I had fun. I enjoy reading/listening to people's life experiences, and this is one way to do that. I'm glad that Ally Shaw's story allowed me to branch out of what I typically read! 🧡

[Bookreadersclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is said that to reach one's full potential, one must go through the pain and learn life's lessons. Whatever path one takes in life, one must learn and grow. Working hard is required to eventually prosper and recover one's highest self.

The story revolves around Ally, who went through a series of events that shattered her to the core. The story trudges with heartwrenching tales about life, from facing abuse to personal debacles in relationships to painful experiences leading to divorce, and then battling cancer.

However, the story is not only about grief and trauma, but also about the mindset and perseverance required to survive and thrive beyond the victim mentality and overcome the most difficult challenges with strength and wise decisions.

It's amazing how the jolt of life can sometimes transcend to the point where the next phase is a breakthrough. From a state of breakdown to a state of breakthrough. And the same thing happened when Ally was resurrected, not only by rebuilding a great family life but also by unleashing her potential as a great and successful leader.

It is very inspiring to see how the former opera singer, who used to please the crowd while drowning her sorrows, turns her life around with determination, a growth mindset, and an embrace of purposeful and conscious living. Also, how she tells her life story in support of #metoo.

The book has a clear flow and simple language. It has 11 chapters and can be read in 3-4 sittings. I liked the message and how it inspires many people, especially women, to overcome victimhood and meet the true warrior, the fierce tigress within.

“Take your control back and find freedom in forgiveness.”

[Mary Tharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great courage.

[Cyndy Gibbons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Local author who writes of her trauma and lessons learned! Heard her speak at bookstore.

[Florence Bliss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an amazing journey this story was...and to think it's all TRUE. My goodness. The trauma is profound, but the fact that the author has faced everything and gotten to a place of acceptance and peace is really incredible.

This story does a few things. First it portrays some of the most vulnerable, traumatic wounds of the author, which range from loss, to assault, to complicated medical issues. But more so than just confessing to the reader about these life-altering, wildly damaging events, the author tells these stories with wit, acceptance, and most of all, a great deal of love.

Inspiration is woven through, as are the life lessons that Ms. Shaw learned throughout her life. For every traumatic event, we see how she was able to get through and overcome and then pass on her wisdom to help other people who may be dealing with similar situations.

It is brash and bold in its honesty. The writing style is compelling and engaging. Unlike many other memoirs I have read, the voice is never didactic or condescending. Reading this book truly felt like having coffee and a conversation with one of my "fierce" best friends.

[Hannah Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book won’t be for everyone, it was a great read for a memoir and it served as a reminder of why I love the genre so much. This author shares her trauma with the world in a very personal way, but she is honest with what she’s been through so that she can truly help others. You can clearly tell that that is her passion, so while this book is a memoir, it is also somewhat of a self-help book. Shaw does note in the intro that while she does frequently write about her spiritual beliefs throughout her book, she essentially tries not to over-do it, however her faith in God is a constant topic during the journey. I personally share the same beliefs so for me it made her book more enjoyable, but for others who don’t share her religious views, this book likely won’t be for them.
As an extra note, I purchased this book at a local bookstore called Blacksburg Books, and since Blacksburg is frequently mentioned in the book, it made the reading experience more personal and exciting for me.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to be able to read this! I love memoirs. The only thing is they are to judge. With that said, I wasn't fond of this book. It's not the story, but her set up of the book. Why start to say something, then drop it and say, we'll talk about that later? Why even bring it up now? This happened a few times, didn't need to happen at all, imo. I had no problems with her bringing up a character under one lesson, but why bringing him back up in another, with a summary of before, the summary didn't pertain to that lesson. So I found that frustrating. I'm proud of her for stepping up and being brave, took me about 8 years to mention to somebody about my three years of being molested, but in all honesty I only told him so he'd lay off of pushing me for sex. Took me 13 years to tell my own mother being he was a family friend. So I seriously applaud her telling the world, just the book set up was frustrating and it dragged. I really wanted to dnf it!

[Sarah]

This is a beautiful and brave story of Ally, her life, her personal history, and how she has overcome her trials to persevere.

I loved all the “life lessons” she gives as a list of sorts, with coordinating stories from her life. She has lived through so many challenges and awful events, and yet, found the strength to not only move forward with her life, but share her story with the world. Reading the book was harrowing and inspiring.

[Please note there are multiple TWs for this book, including but not limited to; SA, abuse, complex trauma and mental health struggles.]

(On principle I personally don’t rate memoirs with star ratings)

Thank you Ally for the ARC! It was an honor to read your story.

[Leah Cramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a powerful story! Ally has experienced so many hardships in her life. But through reflection, prayer, and time, she's been able to process it and share her advice for others who are going through their own struggles. I really appreciated how authentic she was. For those scared that a memoir of a survivor is going to be too much of a downer, I encourage you to pick up this book. She focuses way more on her healing and how to help others work through their past. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I really enjoyed it! Memoirs usually aren't my thing, but Ally was such a ray of hope and positivity that she had me inspired by page 1.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Tigers in the Dark really stuck with me because it felt honest and real, not sugar-coated or preachy. As a young adult, it was comforting to read about someone facing so much pain and still finding strength and purpose on the other side. Ally Shaw’s story made me reflect on my own struggles and reminded me that healing isn’t linear, and that’s okay. It’s the kind of book that makes you pause, breathe, and feel a little less alone.

[Cindy Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ally reached out to me directly to read an advanced copy and I am both blessed and humbled by that act. The strength of character in Ms. Shaw to write the book and put it out in the world is beyond me. The book speaks to courage needed some times to simply continue on. It's a Her faith in God and how he helped her through her struggles is amazing and awe-inspiring. Bless you Ms. Shaw and your book, may you have nothing but future success.

[gayle radshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life lessons

Ally Shaw does an amazing job of telling her life story of all the horrific trauma she has been through and has learned to overcome with the help of God. Power of prayer and belief can send you on a path to rebuild your life and make you stronger !

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written Memoir that I couldn't put down. Full of trauma, survival, hope, spiritually, and inspiration. Wonderful lessons learned and a path to peace.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great uplifting book, great quotes and advice. This is a memoir but could be read as self help. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Teresa Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chasing Tigers in the Dark by Ally Shaw is a difficult but deeply moving and personal read — one that confronts pain, trauma, and survival with raw honesty. This memoir doesn’t shy away from the darkness, yet its greatest strength is the hope it offers. It reminds us that even in our most broken moments, we are not alone, and healing is possible. Though emotionally heavy, the story ultimately leaves you with a sense of resilience, proving that strength can emerge from even the deepest wounds. It is really hard to give reviews on memoirs (at least for me) because every reader will take away something different. There will be that one point that hits you perfectly that I missed. That being said, here are 5 reasons I am encouraging you to pick this up.

🐅Raw emotional honesty — unfiltered storytelling that doesn’t sugarcoat trauma.

🐅 A powerful reminder you’re not alone — deeply relatable for anyone navigating hardship.

🐅 A message of resilience — shows how pain can transform into strength.

🐅 Hope within darkness — heavy themes balanced by healing and empowerment.

🐅 A meaningful emotional experience — challenging to read, but impactful and necessary.
Edited · 9w