Rising Above Adversity: Healing and Nurturing your Inner Child

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By Christian Smith

Some books about healing stay at the surface, offering advice that feels safe but distant, but Rising Above Adversity: Healing and Nurturing Your Inner Child doesn’t really keep that distance. It leans into discomfort in a way that feels personal, almost like you’re sitting with someone who’s decided to stop avoiding their past and actually face it. That’s where it stands out. It doesn’t try to make healing look clean.

Reading it can feel a bit intense at times. There are moments where the honesty pulls you in, and others where it might hit closer than expected. It’s not just something you read and move on from. It makes you pause, think about your own experiences, maybe even question reactions or patterns you hadn’t fully noticed before. It engages you more on a personal level than an intellectual one, which can feel both helpful and uncomfortable at the same time.

The book keeps returning to the idea that the past doesn’t stay in the past, it shapes how people show up in the present. That theme is familiar, but here it feels grounded in real experience rather than theory. It also explores how healing isn’t about erasing what happened, but understanding it and finding a way to move forward without carrying the same weight. That idea reaches beyond the author’s story. It connects to anyone who has tried to make sense of where certain emotions or behaviors come from.

Arelis Calkins writes in a way that feels direct and unfiltered. The structure moves between personal moments and reflection, which gives it a steady rhythm without making it feel overly structured. Some parts feel like storytelling, others like quiet guidance. It doesn’t rely on complicated language, and that actually works in its favor because it keeps the focus on the emotion behind it.

By the end, it doesn’t feel like everything is solved. It feels more like a door has been opened. It’s worth reading if you’re willing to look inward a bit and sit with things that don’t always have easy answers.

About the Author

Arelis Calkins

Arelis Calkins is a spiritual life coach, Reiki master, home chef, and author of Rising Above Adversity: Healing and Nurturing Your Inner Child. Her work blends soulful storytelling with practical wisdom to help readers rediscover peace, purpose, and joy after hardship.

Born in the Dominican Republic and now living in Florida, Arelis brings her love of family, food, and nature into everything she creates. Whether she’s writing, cooking, or leading healing sessions, her goal is to remind others that even after life’s darkest storms, healing is possible—and love is always within reach.

Through her book, coaching, and online community, she guides women to reconnect with their inner light, embrace self-forgiveness, and create homes filled with laughter, beauty, and belonging. When she’s not writing or hosting her “Cooking with Arelis” sessions, you’ll find her dancing in the kitchen, walking by the ocean, or sharing her latest recipe and reflection on social media.