N4L 068: "Rise" by Cara Brookins

Cara Brookins, author of Rise: How a House Built a Family, breaks the shame of silence common among domestic violence victims. Ten years after she and her four children build a 3500 square-foot house with the help of YouTube videos, Brookins tells what went into the house besides nails, doors, and windows. She also shares the triumphs and lasting love and friendship the family forged through the gritty, hard work of constructing a house while they rise above their past and rebuild their home and family. 00:20   Intro to author Cara Brookins, author and single mother who builds a house using YouTube tutorials 00:40   Story goes viral; viewed more than 2 billion times! 01:20   Building the house feels like a natural, obvious decision 01:35   Once married to one man with paranoid schizophrenia and another one that's abusive 02:40   Motivations to build the house go beyond getting a roof overhead 03:00   Kids had seen nothing but terror for a decade 04:00   Crafty family makes a small model of dream house using sticks and bits 06:40   Wants all the children to have the satisfaction and success of building 07:25   Toughest challenge: “absolutely the foundation” 08:00   Physical challenges include building muscles and facing bad weather 08:30   Emotional challenges include trying to develop healthy communication skills 09:30   Unintended consequence: heavy sacrifice of time 10:30   “Mommy guilt” wiped away by kids’ future courageous choices 12:15   Writing story releases shame; empowers Brookins to heal and build a better life 13:30   Her divorced parents are her most unexpected helpers 14:45   Having another adult on site incredibly reassuring 15:30   Family learns to stop hiding things (feelings, experiences) 16:15   Trauma causes a family to pull bad inward and hide the good things 17:20   Constructing the house releases laughter, humor, and, eventually "the tough stuff" 19:30   Physical threats from ex-husband continue while the family builds the house 21:10   Now, Brookins most proud of all the juggling she managed 22:00   To earn very needed money, she writes newspaper articles with her eyes closed 23:00   The house ("Inkwell Manor") more than a place to live 23:10    Wants to have peace of mind about what she gives her children to take out into the world 23:45   Today, family strength still comes through constant communication 25:00   Brookins now keynote speaker about leadership, procrastination, big goals 25:30   Main message: You can build a better life--exactly the life you want! 26:15   Recommendations: three articles about resilience and strengthening families BUY Rise: How a House Built a Family Three Articles About FAMILY RESILIENCE: Family Stories That Bind Us What Makes Families Resilient The Secrets of Resilience Connect with Nonfiction4Life on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Special thanks… Music Credit Sound Editing Credit