Recommended. At the moment I’m reading, or rather racing through the book having read the two previous books earlier. You can feel it was written from the heart…
Joanna Marta Polakowska
Dear Ms Grażynka,
Thank you for every word of “The Crystal Gift”. Your book is helping me get through the hardest times of my life. My son Artur is suffering with testicular cancer which has spread to the brain and lungs. In a month, on the 26th of October, Artur will be 26.
Mr Edward Anioł carved a lovely little cup for Artur with an image of St Sister Faustina.
Thank you again.
Your book, the cup, prayers and meeting Mr Anioł are helping us in this difficult time.
Again, thank you.
I wish you health, faith and love, nothing in the world is more valuable.
God bless you
Małgosia
I read „The Crystal Gift” in one go. It’s a wonderful book It releases such emotions it’s hard to stop tears from flowing. It’s hard to believe that miracles like these can happen, but I believe they do. The Author put in the book all feelings and emotions hidden in her heart. I’m waiting for the third part of this series. Now I carry on my phone an image of the wonderful, magical vase with Faustina’s image. Ms Grażynka, you are wonderful. Thank you very much
Bożenna Gołębiewska
The book is wonderful and I believe that not only ill, but also healthy people will find it inspiring. Translating „The Bitter Gift” I sometimes cried, sometimes laughed (like reminiscing on my own struggles to pull out the bucket from the well at my Grandma’s house), I felt a burst of energy to live better and more fully. Translating this book became a sort of psychotherapy – and so your plan to raise people’s spirits has worked even before the book had been published!”
Karolina Farrell
A book that makes you wonder about the purpose, meaning and philosophy of life regardless whether one has the MS or not. I was particularly moved by the words I decided to live the rest of my life to the fullest. I think it can become everyone’s motto, as no one can be sure they’ll wake up the next day. Anything can happen, regardless if you’re young or old. Many people put away they dreams for later, such as travelling the world, and so many die before they retire. The Author’s words live to the fullest I understand as enjoying what’s around us, instead of worrying about the future It’s important to set up a goal for ourselves, and once it’s fulfilled – set up another, like Ms Grażyna, so we can continue growing.
The Author’s optimism is incredible – that we can overcome the illness and treat it as a lesson which can bring another quality to our lives.
May God continue leading you on His path
All the best
Regards
Monika and Robert Godlewscy
An interesting read, not only for MS sufferers. The books shows honestly and simply the real and unadorned life of the Author, I like the fact that “The Bitter Gift” is not written as a handbook (like American books of the same genre), which makes it more natural. It does not advise the reader a specific attitude to take towards the illness that should be accepted as the only correct one. Instead it suggests an attitude towards the illness which has worked for the Author. She also notes that everyone can find their own path. It provides a good deal of hope that leaving the victim zone is possible and that it can enrich our creative process. The Author also shows in her attitude to like that the experience of illness can also enrich our lives in areas which we would most likely not have found otherwise. Reading „the Bitter Gift” leaves us thinking about how little we appreciate the ability to live in the comfort zone of health, but also shows that having MS is not the end of the world or an insurmountable obstacle.
PS I must add that I’m among people who have on many occasions received gelp from th Author of „The Bitter Gift”, so I tried to be very careful in my reviw to remain objective.
Aleksandra Lubańska
Incredible book. It’s been long since I’ve read anything so real. The story is told in beautiful simple language, to be read in one go, to see what happens next. It’s convincing in showing that we can design our own lives. The only question after reading it is – where to find the strength? But the answer lies hidden on each page. The book shows the value of life, of being with one’s close ones, the importance of human interactions. It’s a lesson for us all. There are so many important things we don’t appreciate. Thank you. I’ve been brought back to earth. Today I appreciate what I have and I only ask God for wisdom for the rest of my life.
Hania Łuszczek
The feelings after reading this book are very positive. I read it in one go. “The Bitter Gift” can definitely an inspiration for many, it shows that there’s no such thing as a dead end, and that problems are a passing thing that should be faced with our head held high. The book encourages a reflection on our lives and on God’s existence.
The book relates to many areas of life.
Regards
Agnieszka and Adam Kaszuba
Reading „the Bitter Gift” was for me a difficult task to face living with Multiple Sclerosis, the bitter gift from the book.
I expected the Author to describe her illness in detail, to present a story of the enormous strength it required to deal with the symptoms, how many sacrifices and losses it has cost her to go through her life with the MS. In other words – I was expecting a martyr’s story I could follow focussing on fighting my own illness. I got something different.Something much more precious. A month earlier, when I discovered I had MS, I allowed myself a brief moment of weakness and then i took the new situation full on. My mental state was surprisingly good. I was receiving many words of compassion that I didn’t understand. Was I unaware of the illness? I doubt it. Rather, I set myself a goal to be brave and strong. I found t harder to think about the pain I’ve been causing my family than to imagine living with a disability. Then suddenly, on the night when I read the first half of “The Bitter Gift”, I started crying and couldn’t stop. Not from despair. The book did not break me. It released my emotions. It purified my thoughts. I wanted to hug the Author who had gone through so much, but also (new for me) I wanted to hug myself, because thinking about what lies ahead I felts simply sorry for myself. Paradoxically, even though I was very sad, I felt better. I felt understood.
I read it chapter by chapter, reading about the interesting life of this remarkably strong woman. I read about her childhood and youth, love, career, how she took one challenge after another on her stride, never letting problems take control over her life. The book is very authentic and honest. I was deeply moved by the Author’s consent to accept everything that happens. Accepting the „gift” and faith that there’s a plan that makes us receive only what’s best for us were the best way, the way the Author instinctively chose.
What, then, did I receive from Ms Grażyna? How does it relate to the expectations I’d had? I understood that I don’t want myself to be focused on the illness, constantly fighting and trying to adjust my life to the new model. I want to believe in a girl full of peace, achieving goals, following her passions, who just sometimes will have to slow down to face another fight – just as many other people, for many different reasons.
Multiple Sclerosis in Ms Grażyna’s book is a part of the way, one of the characteristics of her life, Maybe one of the darkest, but still one of the life’s colours,
By telling her story, Ms Grażyna definitely supports people facing teh MSm but also draws to reflection many people whose life is easier. Im looking forward to her second book.
Izabela Wiatrak
I read „the Bitter Gift” almost like a diary, of course I shed some tears, in fact – I bowled. You’re almost my age, you love children, not only your own (I have also considered adoption, family and animals (same here). Like yourself, I haven’t given up, I used to raise children, now I help with my grandchildren as much as I can, I love the moments when they visit us It is what stops me from giving up. We should remember it. To me, „The Bitter Gift” is a beautiful and courageous story about living with such a „gift”, and a gentle suggestion of ho to behave when facing these “gifts”, How to face the new situation we’ve found ourselves in, how to manage, survive and still to help others. You have no idea, or maybe you do, how much good you have done for us people with teh MS, and for our families and friends. It’s to those wh’ve read it. Thank you for letting me read such a personal book (a memoir). I can’t wait for „the Crystal Gift” to be published (I even called the publisher).
With great appreciation for the gift of courage, the gift of wisdom
Alexandra B