5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful book to empower women

By bookworm (Durham, NC) This review is for: Born To Return The Gift (Paperback) "Born To Return The Gift" is a book by first time author Catherine E. Johnson. She has written a gritty, at times outright harsh and brutal, story about a theme common to many social workers dealing with helping women getting out of abusive relationships. The story of Nyima shows many of the themes commonly seen in such situations. After a bad childhood, early addiction and getting into wrong relationships, these women commonly find themselves helpless on their own. Realizing that the relationships are bad, these women also often suffer from depression, but seem to be unable to catch a break and find a decent relationship that is build on respect and mutual understanding. But unlike many of the women caught in this spiral of depression and bad relationships, Nyima finds a way out of the situation through her belief in God. The message of the book is one of a strong belief in God and that every life has a meaning and a value. Nyima realizes these things and is able to overcome her problems. I truly was amazed by the level of maturity seen in a book by a first time author. The language is accurately reflecting the mood of the main character and the reader can not help but feel for Nyima in her struggles and sense the relief when Nyima's fate turns to the better. A wonderful book that I highly recommend for people working in jobs such as social workers because just as it is life-affirming for Nyima, this book will also show social workers that one life helped can make up for a lot of disappointments.