My Beautiful Detour – She Just Loves Books

An Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful

What I Loved:

I had this on my to-be-read list for January, but when I received it from the author, I just couldn’t wait to get started, so I put aside some other books on my list and pushed this one to the top. I’m so glad I did! My Beautiful Detour is a beautifully written story filled with heartache, loss, growth, and amazing strength. I was so impressed with the way this story was written. I felt sucked in and devastated for Amy, but it was so uplifting as well.

How I Felt:

My Beautiful Detour is written telling the reader of Amy’s story from the beginning. We are introduced to her family and are given some insight into her years before the sexual abuse. The book then takes us through the abuse and then her unrelated medical tragedy. I really liked how when she is in the hospital, the story is written with comments from Amy, but also journal entries from her family that were written while she was going through procedures and during recovery.

During Amy’s recovery, she found solace and healing through art therapy and writing. She found a way to make a road to recovery that worked for her, piecing together her own ideas along with doctor and therapist recommendations. I liked this depiction of her recuperation as it really gave me a sense for how strong and determined Amy was. Her rehabilitation is beautifully written, giving insight into the personal struggles as well as the triumphs.

Content Warnings: Sexual abuse.

To Read or Not To Read:

My Beautiful Detour is the perfect book for people looking for memoirs about overcoming life’s obstacles. While you may not have experienced Amy’s personal struggles, her overall strength is empowering and absolutely worth reading.

Where To Find This Book:

Amazon * Amazon Kindle * Goodreads

As a teenager, Amy Oestreicher is a bright, talented girl with a very promising musical talent. She is sexually abused during her late high school years by her music teacher and mentor. Her family was not the type of family that shared a lot, and she found herself keeping this story to herself, with no one to discuss the situation with. Then, her stomach explodes. She is rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Her family was right there, coming together to support her and give her strength. They play such an important role in her story, but Amy plays the most important role of all.

Amy’s story is one of spiritual belief, overcoming obstacles, and finding a path to recovery. It shows that everyone can find their way through life’s detours.

My Beautiful Detour: An Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful by Amy Oestreicher
Genre: Autobiography / Memoir
Page Count: 546 pages
Publisher: Singing Tree Publishing
Pub Date: May 29, 2019