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When the Apple Falls Far from the Tree: Discovering the Gifts Within the Chaos
Whether you’re twenty, forty, or seventy, you may be feeling that something is missing or unfulfilled in your life. You may be unsure what to make of this nudge or whether or not you should act upon it. Author Margo Reilly is here to empower you to “Live Out Loud,” regardless of your age or current situation.
In this self-help memoir, Margo outlines her journey to discovering her truest self and the tools used to thrive along the way. From a chaotic childhood, to cancer recovery, multiple weight loss journeys, and a newly sober life, she is compelled to reveal the hidden gems that led her to the other side of adversity.
No one should have to wait for rock bottom or a crisis to find his or her authentic self or purpose. We can transform our lives at any point in time. Every moment is a choice, and you are in charge. It’s time to stop pushing your desires away or hiding what you truly seek in life. What are you waiting for? Why not you? Why not now?
In this self-help memoir, Margo outlines her journey to discovering her truest self and the tools used to thrive along the way. From a chaotic childhood, to cancer recovery, multiple weight loss journeys, and a newly sober life, she is compelled to reveal the hidden gems that led her to the other side of adversity.
No one should have to wait for rock bottom or a crisis to find his or her authentic self or purpose. We can transform our lives at any point in time. Every moment is a choice, and you are in charge. It’s time to stop pushing your desires away or hiding what you truly seek in life. What are you waiting for? Why not you? Why not now?
165 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 26, 2022
📚 NOVEL THOUGHTS 📚
4.5 ⭐
To borrow the image left by the first episode of This is Us, when Dr K tells Jack and Rebecca upon the loss of their 3rd triplet, "when life gives you the sourest lemon that life has to offer, turn it into something resembling lemonade." This memoir by Margo Reilly is the telling of just that philosophy and then some! The remarkable way she rose from the devastation of her childhood, her substance abuse and then surviving a cancer diagnosis, would have made anyone shrivel and give up. But Margo rises and thrives!
She is robbed of an idyllic childhood when her parents’ chaotic marriage ends dramatically and her mother moves Gary in whose sadistic, abusive, manipulative, addictive behavior plays out literally in front of her and her 2 brothers. It is as if the children are invisible as her mom and Gary go at it physically; broken bones, blood and calls to CPS and police a daily occurrence. The instances that Margo shares of the domestic violence that she witnesses will make the reader's toes curl.
Her scars run deep as Margo has to grow up fast. School is her favorite place to be as she is safe there, feels loved, heard and seen; so different from what happens to her at home. She is also embraced by neighbors who know what happens behind closed doors at her home and in this way, she gets a "glimpse into normal, even if it is a borrowed feeling." In her teen years, she is able to get out and live with her grandmother and this stable and supportive environment, gives her a chance to catch her breath. And while in high school, she meets the young man who after a time would become her husband.
Margo knows she wants to go to college and become a teacher. That seems so impossible given her circumstances but she is able to find resources and goes to a college 5 hours from home. There she redefines herself where no one knows her. She is supported by her new friends and their families which helps her gain her confidence that she can succeed despite her horrific childhood. She also continues to see her boyfriend who is in the military at this point. After receiving her diploma, she returns to her small home town in NY and finds a teaching job in the same school district she once attended and begins her life. Around that time, she discovers she is pregnant and she and her boyfriend marry, move into a little house in her same neighborhood and gives her family the life that she was denied as a child.
Margo also shares her weight issues which stem from turning to food for comfort, her abuse of anti-anxiety medications which she used for several years while trying to get through her master’s program, raising her little baby and full-time teaching. Then, just as life seems to be going her way, she is diagnosed with a rare cancer and undergoes many surgeries over several years. As the stress begins to weigh on her, she turns to alcohol which turns into an addiction. Finding a valuable online resource turns her life around, she gets sober and has remained so while finding the internal strength and a positive outlook to climb passed who she was into who she wishes to become. Today, she is an author, motivational speaker, life coach and an inspiration for everyone who she meets.
This book is a beacon of hope that shares that from a dismal start, one can reach heights with belief in oneself as long as you reach from inside. Margo is so brave to share the gravity of her life story but bravo that she didn't let it define her or that she became a statistic of her upbringing. She had one path with two forks and she prevailed!! A quick read with many positive affirmations for anyone struggling with physical or psychological burdens of their own.
4.5 ⭐
To borrow the image left by the first episode of This is Us, when Dr K tells Jack and Rebecca upon the loss of their 3rd triplet, "when life gives you the sourest lemon that life has to offer, turn it into something resembling lemonade." This memoir by Margo Reilly is the telling of just that philosophy and then some! The remarkable way she rose from the devastation of her childhood, her substance abuse and then surviving a cancer diagnosis, would have made anyone shrivel and give up. But Margo rises and thrives!
She is robbed of an idyllic childhood when her parents’ chaotic marriage ends dramatically and her mother moves Gary in whose sadistic, abusive, manipulative, addictive behavior plays out literally in front of her and her 2 brothers. It is as if the children are invisible as her mom and Gary go at it physically; broken bones, blood and calls to CPS and police a daily occurrence. The instances that Margo shares of the domestic violence that she witnesses will make the reader's toes curl.
Her scars run deep as Margo has to grow up fast. School is her favorite place to be as she is safe there, feels loved, heard and seen; so different from what happens to her at home. She is also embraced by neighbors who know what happens behind closed doors at her home and in this way, she gets a "glimpse into normal, even if it is a borrowed feeling." In her teen years, she is able to get out and live with her grandmother and this stable and supportive environment, gives her a chance to catch her breath. And while in high school, she meets the young man who after a time would become her husband.
Margo knows she wants to go to college and become a teacher. That seems so impossible given her circumstances but she is able to find resources and goes to a college 5 hours from home. There she redefines herself where no one knows her. She is supported by her new friends and their families which helps her gain her confidence that she can succeed despite her horrific childhood. She also continues to see her boyfriend who is in the military at this point. After receiving her diploma, she returns to her small home town in NY and finds a teaching job in the same school district she once attended and begins her life. Around that time, she discovers she is pregnant and she and her boyfriend marry, move into a little house in her same neighborhood and gives her family the life that she was denied as a child.
Margo also shares her weight issues which stem from turning to food for comfort, her abuse of anti-anxiety medications which she used for several years while trying to get through her master’s program, raising her little baby and full-time teaching. Then, just as life seems to be going her way, she is diagnosed with a rare cancer and undergoes many surgeries over several years. As the stress begins to weigh on her, she turns to alcohol which turns into an addiction. Finding a valuable online resource turns her life around, she gets sober and has remained so while finding the internal strength and a positive outlook to climb passed who she was into who she wishes to become. Today, she is an author, motivational speaker, life coach and an inspiration for everyone who she meets.
This book is a beacon of hope that shares that from a dismal start, one can reach heights with belief in oneself as long as you reach from inside. Margo is so brave to share the gravity of her life story but bravo that she didn't let it define her or that she became a statistic of her upbringing. She had one path with two forks and she prevailed!! A quick read with many positive affirmations for anyone struggling with physical or psychological burdens of their own.
February 26, 2022
Bravo to the author of this memoir! Margo takes you through her life as a neglected, abused child let down by her parents, the system and society in general. Her spirit, intuition and determination propel her through chaos to become a vibrant , loving, self confident woman.
Written with an upbeat compelling voice.
Written with an upbeat compelling voice.
February 28, 2022
Wowza!
I just want to give you a big hug! Thank you for sharing your story. Life is never how it appears on the surface, thank you for reminding us all about the ice berg below.
I just want to give you a big hug! Thank you for sharing your story. Life is never how it appears on the surface, thank you for reminding us all about the ice berg below.
March 20, 2022
Wow! What an inspiring story of resilience and perseverance. Thank you to the author for sharing.
January 11, 2025
Amazing heartwarming story of resilience. Beautiful writing that will keep you turning pages. Have some tissues handy. Margo had to endure a horrendous childhood but wouldn’t let any of her wounds define her. It only prepared her to overcome obstacles far into adulthood. Thank you for sharing your beautiful memoir with the world. Five Stars for sure. Bravo
January 26, 2025
Honest and authentic
A horrifying tale of child neglect and abuse told by the "victim" who at an early age, looks beyond the cruel circumstances of her life and envisions a future filled with love and enlightenment.
A horrifying tale of child neglect and abuse told by the "victim" who at an early age, looks beyond the cruel circumstances of her life and envisions a future filled with love and enlightenment.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews