In Vision of Hope, author Leilani Faber describes her journey in healing from drug and alcohol abuse, serving time in prison, and coming out of it all. It is the perfect blend of a cautionary story and motivation to live with fervent passion.

Faber’s book begins at her rock bottom – her husband being badly burned in a freak meth cooking accident, and she being sent to prison. Her writing describing time in prison nods to the popular “Orange is the New Black” – her voice conveys how desperate and ashamed she was. Faber carries this shame for much of her life even after prison, however her book describes the hope and healing she finds along the way.

Anyone can benefit from reading this book, especially young people tempted with drug and alcohol use among their peers. While many young people are warned, it seems that few heed the warning about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. This book can bring hope to recovering addicts as well as those struggling with substance abuse in their own lives, either personally or through a loved one. The highlight of this book is the height of Faber’s healing journey where she is following her passion – teaching other felons like herself to better their lives. Her role as a counselor grew into a pioneer for programs which actually worked in healing those affected by the trauma of their addictions.

Though Faber’s memoir is fairly short, it is not a breezy read. I found the beginning incredibly sad and gut wrenching. Her situation terrified me and I could not imagine going through the same events. While I have a completely different life experience from Faber, the lessons she shared in her book are relatable. I found myself cheering for her when she mentioned my favorite doctor and nutrition expert, Dr. Mercola, as a resource she used for one of her classes.

The “epilogue” of this edition included a life update – Faber shared how she failed through the pandemic as well as being promoted, finding messy love, and landing in a soft spot when things felt out of control for her suddenly. Her writing is humble and relatable, she is honest and human. There is not one ounce of haughtiness that can be found in so many memoirs – while a difficult read, Vision of Hope proves itself to be an important read and can serve as an inspiration for anyone going through a hard period in their life.

Hollywood Book Review

Author Leilani Faber has created a delightful and comforting children’s book titled Angel Kisses. Here, with a rhyme in the text along with artistic illustrations dominating each page, this book has a theme of love and peace which should always be remembered, because everyone has an angel looking out after them. The story is about a little girl who sometimes is saddened because of things such as: a rainy day; or a bully shouting names; or a lost dog; or sleeping over at a friend’s house and being afraid of ghosts in the night. Yes, each of those are real scary events, I admit, but with the angels’ kisses, and with God’s love, it is shown to protect us, explain away any fright, and bring us back to a place of serenity. In a rather short book, many instances are brought to mind, along with associated beliefs in faith, as the angels always will make sure events do not get out-of-hand, and safety is always maintained. The author shows there are ways to play inside the house when it is raining outside; names bullies call you are only words, and words can’t hurt; a bump on the knee from falling off a bike is not a big deal as an angel hug is all you need; and yes, your dog will come home and never wander away again. There is a tone of maternal love being brought forth in the text, showing confidence and a healthy belief in God. The pictures create a perfect “follow-along” for the youngest of children just beginning to learn how to read. The timing of reading this book is ideal for the bedtime-story-book-period, offering a wonderful way to send children off to dreamland. They all will awake more confident and resilient to the little things in life, because they will know they have an angel looking over them, and kissing them whenever they become sad. Frankly, this book may be thought as non-fiction, although it’s a perfect children’s story, because many of us, myself included, know there are angels watching over us. Yes, Angel Kisses is a big must have book!