Thursday, November 18, 2010

TLC Blog Tour: Everything I Never Wanted to Know by Dina Kucera



First off, let me apologize for the late posting: I have been having issues loading blogger all day.

I must confess that this is out of my usual reading sphere and, thus, I was especially pleased to break out of my "comfort zone" per se, when approached about this tour.

Like the most gripping of stories ( true or not), the surprises, the journey, the twists and turns with no concrete foresight are what string the reader through the tragic ( and yet uplifting) rollercoaster of Kucera's life. Thus, I will not bog you down with plot details, other than to express that this is a blatantly true story of a family's battle with alcoholism and drug addiction. This is a world so beyond my own that at times it seemed almost inconceivable. How could so much negative circumstance be amounted on one circle of our universe? Moreover ( and most hauntingly), how could Kucera muster the courage to so honestly relay her story?

To say that this story is uplifting doesn't seem to grant it justice. Not only were trials met with perseverance, Kucera champions those affected by similar circumstance by confiding in all of us.

This story oozes integrity. You become Kucera's confidante as she sits you down and unravels the secrets of her family. Her honesty, at the core of this important book, is what I respect most.

It is not a proud or shaped honesty crafted to entice readers; rather all-out truth. For a religious person, I was especially interested in the parts of her narrative that invoked God. Not always inwardly wrestling with the Great Theological tenets assuaged through personal circumstance in so many memoirs, yet the little thoughts that plague us all.

"Why heap all the beauty and talent on a few people," Kucera asks of God, " If someone is short, make them really funny. If someone is bald, give them lots of money. On the other hand, if someone is beautiful, give them a constant toothache. Or if a person is a gifted artist, maybe they could have herpes. It seems that God is in the people-making factory, and Jennifer Aniston comes down the belt and he takes a bucket of beauty and talent and dumps a ____ on her. Then Danny Devito rolls by and God walks away to check his Facebook." (178).


It is this kind of stark and realistic narrative that drew me in from the get-go. Kucera found the tenacity to expose her life in hopes of providing empathy, sustenance and a life raft to those who have experienced similar circumstances. This book will help, give hope and heal.


Readers of The Glass Castle and A Million Little Pieces will be riveted by Dina Kucera's achingly honest account of her life and relationships.


Looking for a bittersweet and humorous read for the booklover on your Christmas list? Make sure you visit the author's website and get 30% off simply by entering DINA when it comes time to check out



5 comments:

Dina Kucera said...

Thank you so much Rachel:) And thank you for leaving your comfort zone to read my book:) Have a beautiful holiday season:) Dina Kucera

Heather J. @ TLC Books said...

"oozes integrity" - what a great phrase! I'm so glad you enjoyed this one as much as you did. It sounds like a truly great read. Thanks for being a part of the tour!

Suko said...

Terrific review! I have also read and reviewed this book on my blog. :)

Mike O'Mary said...

Hi Rachel. I am Dina's publisher. Your review of her book was excellent. May I tell you about two other new releaes from Dream of Things? If yes, what is the best way to contact you? -Mike O'Mary, dreamofthings.com

Kathleen said...

Dear Rachel,

I'm contacting you on behalf of Mike O'Mary, publisher of Everything I Never Wanted to Be by Dina Kucera. Thank you very much for participating in the "Everything" blog tour last fall!

I am writing to invite you to participate in the blog tour for the Note Project, a project inspired by The Note gift book by Mike O'Mary. In addition, I would like to offer you a Note Project Starter Kit ($22.85 value) that you can give away as a free gift to one of your followers.

About the Note Project
The Note Project (http://NoteProject.com) was inspired by The Note, which is a book about the power of appreciation. There is no cost to participate in the Note Project. All we ask is for people to pledge to send at least one note of appreciation to another person. Each pledge counts toward our goal of 1 million notes, and helps to support literacy projects around the world.

Free Giveaway
We'd like to provide a free Note Project Starter Kit that you can give away to one of your followers. Pick a winner any way you like (random drawing, note writing contest, etc.), and we'll send a free Kit to the winner, courtesy of you.

The kit includes: 1) a hardback edition of The Note, 2) a DVD video based on the book, and 3) a set of three premium-quality thank you cards.

If you would like to download and preview (or review) a PDF ebook edition of The Note gift book, click HERE.

Ways to Participate in the Note Project Blog Tour
You can participate in the blog tour by doing either of the following during April, May or June (pick any date that works for you!):
1. Do a review of The Note gift book and mention the Note Project.
2. Share information about the Note Project with your followers. (Feel free to use information from the attached news release, or from http://NoteProject.com.)
And again, we will provide a free Note Project Starter Kit as a gift to a follower of your choosing!

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks in advance for your consideration.
Kathleen O'Mary
Note Project Publicity Manager

PS: I wasn't sure how else to contact you, so I apologize. If you'd like to e-mail me with your e-mail information, my e-mail is kathleen.omary@gmail.com.