Suffering A Path of Awakening takes the reader on a 39-year journey of one woman's life from her childhood years as a victim of sexual abuse, through lengthy addictions to alcohol and drugs, into deep depression, and ultimately to the doors of death. In 1997, a surprise turning point brought her into 12-step recovery, sobriety, and emotional healing. After many encounters with several spiritual paths, teachers, and healing methods, she finally awakened in 2008. This brave and heart-wrenching adventure will forever change the way you look at suffering and enlightenment. "At the beginning Shellee Rae tells us plainly that she's sharing her story so that those others of us who are like her, who have indeed been dragging through our whole lives the huge balls and chains of such devastation, can know that it is in fact possible to find light at the end of that tunnel. And I have no doubt that even if you have never known such brokenness yourself, you're in for a revelation that will help you find compassion of a depth you've never been able to access before. Whoever you are, you're in for a journey." Saniel Bonder, Founder of Waking Down in Mutuality, and author, Healing the Spirit/Matter Split "I am fascinated by this book It is very moving, sad, interesting...it brings so many feelings in the way the author tells the story that "has to be told" I couldn't put it down. I finished the book thinking this is an Awakening material that everyone, teenager or adult Must read I have not read any explanation of the unity of the self with the universe with such flow of energy and so graphic; I could float " Esther Gonzalez, Graphic Artist, Orlando, FL "Wow This is one helluva book. I think that may be what happens when one lets the words coming from the creative brain pass through the heart before getting into print. About three pages into the book, the power of Shellee Rae's words and her style, and the pervasiveness of the emotions behind them, the emotions that made the words and the style something alive and something uniquely hers, took over my mind. There are a lot of ways in which books are classified {novels, bios, how-to's, etc.} but if there is a category called, "If I can do it, so can you, don't give up, give it a try, I will help.," that is where this work belongs. It is truly inspirational " Lou Goldberg, Boston, MA