topics
tools
Expatica countries
editor's choice

NS fears empty trains

40.000 signatures to prevent early release of Fortuyns killer

Dutch unemployment up sharply

Listing of international schools in the Netherlands

Guide to public transport in the Netherlands

Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2117.66 -0.08
DAX 6323.19 -0.26
IBEX 30 6401.2 -2.17
CAC 40 3042.97 -0.16
FTSE 100 5356.34 0.09
AEX 292.76 0.00
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13057.26 -0.74
TSX Composite 11566.15 -0.09
ASX 4133.2 0.32
Hang seng 18772.15 -0.15
Straits Times 2789.13 0.07
ISEQ 20 501.76 0.16
You are here: Home Leisure Arts & Culture Book review: The singing warrior

Arts & Culture

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


08/04/2011Book review: The singing warrior

Book review: The singing warrior Expat Ni Bhroin's story is at turns agonizing and uplifting, but the underlying message is clear: she not only makes peace, she prevails. Review by Linda A. Janssen.

Finding Happiness After a Past Filled With Pain
Niamh Ni Bhroin
Summertime Publishing
271pp, paperback, €15.00

Every now and then, along comes a book that shakes you to your core, and then slowly builds you back up again. The Singing Warrior is just such a book. The gripping life story from newly published author Niamh Ni Bhroin, it is an amazing testament to the power of love and forgiveness over abuse and loss.

Born and raised in Ireland, Ni Bhroin lived in Greece before moving to The Netherlands for love almost twenty five years ago. Seemingly settled into a simple life with her Dutch husband and beloved daughter, Ni Bhroin couldn't seem to shake the persistent sense of sadness and unease. It is only within the last few years that she has faced down the demons of her past, resulting in this compelling book of triumph over childhood abuse and loss.

Ni Bhroin is unflinching in her description of the horrifying ordeals she endured, from physical and psychological abuse suffered at the hands of nuns, to rape at a young age by the father of a childhood friend and yet again by thugs as a young woman, to the searing loss of a stillborn child. The void left by her adored father's long stints away from home as a merchant mariner and his untimely death at sea has repercussions that echo throughout Ni Bhroin's entire family. Yet she is able to share all of this in such a riveting manner that you have no choice but to follow, swept along by the honesty and intensity of her words. Hers is clearly a will to survive.

Ni Bhroin

At its heart, The Singing Warrior is the story of Ni Bhroin's journey to overcome the horrendous events and their psychic imprint on her life. She writes movingly of her inner thoughts and the coping mechanisms she developed along the way. Central to these are the songs she wrote and sang, in her head and aloud, to help rise above the suffering and adversity. Having endured seemingly overwhelming tragedy, Ni Bhroin comes out on the other side, stronger and having found her voice again. As she explains poignantly:

    'I took a small candle out of my pocket and lit it for my dead son Fionn, as promised. The small flame flickered in the afternoon sun. Now it was safe to acknowledge his existence. I sang my healing song. It ricocheted through the trees. It bellowed through my soul...The people stopped and stared. I didn't care. I was home. I was me.'

Ni Bhroin's story is at turns agonizing and uplifting, but the underlying message is clear: she not only makes peace, she prevails.


Ni Bhroin is developing a one-woman show 'The Singing Warrior Live' which will be in selected theatres in The Netherlands beginning in June. She has also recorded an audio book version of The Singing Warrior and a similarly titled CD of her own songs inspired by her journey.

 

Both are available at her site www.thesingingwarrior.com. She teaches the workshops 'Release Your Past' and 'Spear Your Fear', and joins fellow expat authors Jo Parfitt and Carolyn Vines in teaching a ten-part course 'The ABCs of Writing and Publishing a Book.']

Expat Linda A. Janssen writes on expat issues, and at her blog at   www.adventuresinexpatland.com She currently lives in The Hague, Netherlands.


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Leisure essentials
Leisure expert Q&A
ask your question
Leisure A-Z listings
find the business you need
Discussion Forums

Americans in the Netherlands

reporting birth abroad

Relocating to the Netherlands

Taxation on Rental Apartments!

Housing in the Netherlands

Taxation on Rental Appartments?

Discuss Dutch Culture

High-quality fake passports, driver's licenses, ID

English in the Netherlands

Moved to Hengelo

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Setting up home in the Netherlands

Setting up home in the Netherlands

A guide to telephone, internet and television along with utility services water, electricity and gas in the Netherlands.

Dutch immigration and residency regulations

Dutch immigration and residency regulations

Lost in the Dutch immigration system? Look no further than this guide compiled for our Survival Guide 2012.

A brief introduction to the Netherlands

A brief introduction to the Netherlands

Expatica offers a whistle-stop tour of life in the modern Netherlands.

Giving birth in the Netherlands

Giving birth in the Netherlands

The challenges and benefits of the maternity system in the Netherlands and how it differs to other countries.