Stephanie Rowe's "Fiercely Me" is a journey that will shake you to your core and leave an indelible mark on your soul. Rarely does a book come along that possesses the power to transform, but this memoir is a beacon of light in a world often shrouded in darkness.

From the first page to the last, Stephanie's narrative grips you with its raw honesty and unyielding courage. Through tears of both sorrow and joy, I was utterly captivated by her extraordinary odyssey through life. Her words are not merely ink on paper; they are a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering determination to carve out one's own path, regardless of the obstacles in the way.

Stephanie's journey was marked by adversity, but her story is not one of pity; it is a rallying cry for empowerment. She paints vivid landscapes of her past, transporting readers to the very heart of her experiences. With each turn of the page, I could taste the bitterness of her struggles and the sweetness of her triumphs.

What sets "Fiercely Me" apart is Stephanie's ability to bare her soul with vulnerability and grace. In a world that often values strength over vulnerability, her openness is a breath of fresh air. Through her words, she invites readers to share in her journey, to feel every ache and every triumph as if they were their own.

But beyond her resilience, Stephanie embodies a radiant warmth that is impossible to ignore. Through Stephanie's written words, her boundless kindness radiates off the page, enveloping readers in its warmth. Her love is fierce and unwavering, evident in every sentence she pens. But perhaps most inspiring is her unapologetic authenticity. In a world that often demands conformity, Stephanie boldly embraces her true self, unafraid to show up exactly as she is. Her courage to be authentic serves as a powerful reminder that our greatest strength lies in embracing our uniqueness.

In "Fiercely Me," Stephanie Rowe has penned more than just a memoir; she has crafted a masterpiece of resilience, courage, and unwavering determination. This book is not just a read; it is an experience—a journey of the heart and soul that will leave you forever changed. If you're searching for a book that will ignite your spirit and leave you breathless with admiration, look no further than "Fiercely Me."

By Caitlin Cook

Click here for full review

“Fiercely Me” by Stephanie Rowe is a moving, life-affirming memoir that has the ability to change lives, maybe even save them. That’s because the author has survived challenging times of family dysfunction and uncertainty and has now decided to share her journey with others. Her message is clear: you, too, can learn to appreciate yourself and follow your dreams. These life lessons are memorable and can be used to encourage others as well.

Rowe has transcended her rocky life to become a guiding light to others in similar circumstances. Her story of finding and nurturing self-esteem is sorely needed today, as so many people struggle from the fallout of neglect and abuse. But she is a shining example of how far a person can come from troubled beginnings. Her personal life and her career are tools to help others, and she is a very generous and brave person for sharing this so that others can benefit from it.

There is no better life coach than one with lived experience, and as you read about her trials and tribulations, and then her strengths and successes, you will come away with the feeling that she was born to coach, to help others find their way to happiness and satisfaction. This dynamic person uses her talents and skills to serve others. You can feel the charisma coming through the pages as you read of her early struggles, and then her process of working through them and overcoming what seems like insurmountable odds that would completely destroy some people.

One of my favorite parts of her story is how hard it was for her to be vulnerable, and that’s the case for many people, who seem to need to wear armor against the world and those who may wish them harm. There are lessons here to learn about how to let your vulnerability show so that you can be a whole, complete person. I also love how she has never forgotten her roots and her struggles and can look back on her formative years as helping to form the person she became later in life. If you need a reminder that you are valuable and have the right and ability to pursue your dreams and goals, “Fiercely Me” by Stephanie Rowe is the perfect guide in that direction.

Reader Review

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Fiercely Me is a book penned by Stephanie Rowe. In her memoir, Rowe bares her soul to us. She bravely explores both her vulnerabilities and strength. Fiercely Me brings to us Stephanie Rowe’s journey of becoming fiercely herself.

Rowe had an unconventional childhood. The oldest of five children, she spent her early years exploring Australia with her parents. Her girlhood was less than perfect. She grew up in an abusive home where the people she trusted the most betrayed her. However, Stephanie did not let her circumstances hold her back. She embraced life and went on a journey to attain success in all respects.

Fiercely Me is a heart-wrenching memoir. Through her story, Rowe shows us that we can do anything we set our minds to do. She teaches us the importance of accepting and letting go of past traumas. Rowe portrays the significance of shunning toxicity. She emphasizes the need to love ourselves in all our glory, even if we do not conform to society’s norms. Her confidence is infectious. It is no wonder that she is a happy and successful woman today.

I love how Rowe portrayed her relationship with her parents. It is beyond complicated, and I salute her for still being there for them. It is undeniable that Rowe loves her family. Her quest to find acceptance taught me a lot of lessons.

Out of everyone in Rowe’s life mentioned in her memoir, I absolutely love her Nanna, Grandma, and cousin. Her Nanna was a resilient lady who lived through war and migration. She was always there for her granddaughter. Stephanie’s grandmother was a vivacious woman. She reminded me of my grandma. Stephanie’s husband, Jason, is very supportive. Her immense love for him is palpable in her writing.

As the title suggests, Fiercely Me is fiercely written. Rowe does not hold back anything. Divided into eight parts, the book tells us everything about her life. From her travels around Australia and mental breakdowns to her workplace success and finding the love of her life, Rowe shares it all. I especially admire Rowe for the way she exposes the truth about her traumas. It takes a lot of courage. Prioritizing one’s mental health, auditory processing, creating a supportive network of loved ones, and establishing boundaries at the workplace are only a few of the many things that I learned from her.

Rowe’s use of the storytelling method of narration made me relate to her all the more. I could actually imagine the years of pain and loneliness that she had to bear. The photographs included helped me visualize things. Also, I have to say that it is pretty evident that Stephanie Rowe is a proud Australian. I have come to love the country after seeing it through her eyes.

Life threw a lot at Stephanie Rowe. Yet, she persevered. I love how she tries to help others and make this world a better place. Her story is worth reading.

I highly recommend Stephanie Rowe’s Fiercely Me to fans of memoirs and success stories. People who need encouragement and are willing to make something of themselves should definitely read Rowe’s incredible memoir.

By Kajori Sheryl Paul

Click here for review: The Chrysalis BREW Project

Click here for interview with: The Chrysalis BREW Project

“Fiercely Me” by Stephanie Rowe is a moving, life-affirming memoir that has the ability to change lives, maybe even save them. That’s because the author has survived challenging times of family dysfunction and uncertainty and has now decided to share her journey with others. Her message is clear: you, too, can learn to appreciate yourself and follow your dreams. These life lessons are memorable and can be used to encourage others as well.

Rowe has transcended her rocky life to become a guiding light to others in similar circumstances. Her story of finding and nurturing self-esteem is sorely needed today, as so many people struggle from the fallout of neglect and abuse. But she is a shining example of how far a person can come from troubled beginnings. Her personal life and her career are tools to help others, and she is a very generous and brave person for sharing this so that others can benefit from it.

There is no better life coach than one with lived experience, and as you read about her trials and tribulations, and then her strengths and successes, you will come away with the feeling that she was born to coach, to help others find their way to happiness and satisfaction. This dynamic person uses her talents and skills to serve others. You can feel the charisma coming through the pages as you read of her early struggles, and then her process of working through them and overcoming what seems like insurmountable odds that would completely destroy some people.

One of my favorite parts of her story is how hard it was for her to be vulnerable, and that’s the case for many people, who seem to need to wear armor against the world and those who may wish them harm. There are lessons here to learn about how to let your vulnerability show so that you can be a whole, complete person. I also love how she has never forgotten her roots and her struggles and can look back on her formative years as helping to form the person she became later in life. If you need a reminder that you are valuable and have the right and ability to pursue your dreams and goals, “Fiercely Me” by Stephanie Rowe is the perfect guide in that direction.

Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles

Reader Views

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Fiercely Authentic

At first glance, Stephanie Rowe's memoir Fiercely Me seems like it will be another run-of-the-mill self-help book, detailing one person's struggle to overcome adversity. But Rowe blows that assumption out of the water with her raw, gritty and brutally honest storytelling. This is no sugarcoated motivational memoir - Rowe holds nothing back in recounting her turbulent journey from a chaotic childhood to finding empowerment and success.

Readers are thrown right into the deep end as Rowe immediately launches into tales from her nomadic upbringing living out of a bus with her family. The amusing anecdotes about narrowly avoiding disaster during breakdowns in the Australian outback give a sense of the freewheeling lifestyle. But it's also easy to detect the instability lurking beneath.

Soon the tone shifts as Rowe begins addressing darker topics like domestic violence and suppressed memories of childhood abuse. She spills intimate, gut-wrenching details with brave vulnerability. It's clear Rowe isn't here to sugarcoat - she wants readers to see the unvarnished reality of her experiences. The raw honesty is jarring yet compelling, giving weight to her mission of destigmatizing trauma.

Rather than providing pat answers, Rowe shows the messy, nonlinear nature of recovery through her own ups and downs. She doesn't pretend to have it all figured out, which makes her perseverance through depression and dysfunctional relationships all the more inspiring. Rowe displays resilience without romanticizing struggle - an authentic portrayal too often missing from triumphant memoirs.

As the story progresses, Rowe emerges as a fiercely independent protagonist determined to forge her own destiny. Readers root for her successes like studying skills on her own terms and achieving career milestones against the odds. Her grit serves as a testament that circumstances need not define one's potential.

What's most striking is how Rowe does all this while maintaining compassion, even for sources of past suffering. She embraces forgiveness and letting go of resentment rather than bitterness. This nuanced perspective reminds that hope and healing are possible through empowerment and community, not isolation.

Throughout, Rowe brings a disarming self-awareness to flaws in her thinking along the way. She recognizes both growth and ongoing work, avoiding pat conclusions. Fiercely Me feels deeply authentic as a result, like sitting down with an old friend for unvarnished truth over many beers.

In the end, Rowe proves you don't need to sugarcoat hardship to inspire. Her raw transparency, perseverance through setbacks and embodiment of self-love as transformative make for an empowering story that stays true to the messiness of reality. Sometimes it takes fierce authenticity over perfection to make the biggest difference. In that sense, Fiercely Me definitely lives up to its namesake.

Reviewed by Krinal Savaliya

Click here for review

“Fiercely Me” is a riveting and very inspiring memoir written by Stephanie Rowe that will show readers how truly courageous this author is. It also shows that a person can face much adversity in their lives and still come out stronger on the other end as long as they are determined and understand that they alone hold the power to control their lives.

In this memoir, author Stephanie Rowe details her survival through her childhood and early adult life dealing with parents who battled with addiction and poverty while their child dealt with the abuse that was piled upon her as she fought to survive. Ms. Rowe fought through so many obstacles as she grew to adulthood and, while they had to have taken a horrendous toll, she had a will to survive and a strength that has allowed her to turn her adulthood into one filled with life and hope. She shares so much in this book about the struggles she went through as a child/young adult. But she shares it with such honesty that no reader can help but be horrified at what happened to her while also being so proud and impressed by the person she is today.

As the author states in her book,

This book is intended to be shared…offering the possibility of growth and flight, even if one’s wings are clipped or feel broken.

Well, after reading the book, we can definitely see that Ms. Rowe’s wings were completely broken and her ability to take that and deal with all that happened is, to me, utterly amazing. While the stories she tells are things that many other people might not survive, they are meant to give insight and help others strive to accept and learn from their past, coming out much stronger.

The writing itself is very honest and has the power of a “slap in the face” as they are given such real and tragic information about a young girl’s life. Ms. Rowe does not cower in the corner and hide from the past but details it, showing the reader that confronting it and learning from it is the only way to go. I honestly cannot express how inspirational her story is. The writing is very organized and authentic. I was impressed with the bravery shown on these pages by a woman who could have just given up but chose to fight for the life she knew she could have instead.

While I think that “Fiercely Me” is targeted toward an audience of people who are attempting to survive their own past horrors, I also think that much can be learned from it for any reader. It is an example to anyone who is looking to make their own destiny what they want it to be and there is no one that can do that for you. You must have the desire and the resolution to do it for yourself.

There are so many barricades in our lives due to societal beliefs, and it can be almost impossible to break those barriers. No one can do it for you and that is what I felt that this story was all about. You must be willing to work hard and never give up on yourself no matter what those around you think. Fighting back against the “norms” is not an easy process. I think this author has proven that nothing worth having is going to be easy, but it is definitely going to be worth it.

“Fiercely Me” is a book that I would recommend to all and I thank Stephanie Rowe for taking the time to write such an insightful and candid book in order to help others. 5 Stars!!

Kathy Stickles

Reader Views

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Rowe's masterful storytelling conjures vivid scenes allowing us to witness both her vulnerabilities and strengths. Her raw honesty fosters important discussions on abuse, mental wellness, and self-love. Readers gain perspective that diverse experiences don't define us - it is how we respond that shapes our destiny.

Stephanie Rowe’s memoir, Fiercely Me, provides an unflinchingly honest account of her journey from a difficult childhood marked by poverty, instability, and trauma to becoming a successful businesswoman and author. Through vivid storytelling and raw emotion, Rowe invites readers into her life experiences in the hope that her story of resilience will inspire and help others.

A Memoir of Unconventional Beginnings

From the very first page, Rowe establishes that her upbringing differed greatly from many. As the eldest of five children born to parents struggling with addiction and poverty, Rowe’s early years were marked by instability and mobility as her family traveled around Australia in a bus. Living in various parts of the country no doubt helped foster Rowe’s independent spirit and sense of adventure, but also exposed her to difficult realities at a young age.

Throughout the first section of the memoir, Rowe recounts many poignant yet amusing tales from her nomadic childhood. From getting lost alone in the Australian wilderness as a little girl to narrowly escaping danger during bus breakdowns in remote desert areas, Rowe’s stories give readers a glimpse into her unconventional upbringing. However, they also subtly convey the challenges of a transient life with parents who lacked stability.

Rowe fondly recalls early memories living with her grandmother and time spent on an island as more positive periods of her childhood. But the dark undertones become harder to ignore as Rowe describes experiencing domestic violence and neglect from trusted family members. By bravely shining light on these painful truths, Rowe acknowledges the less ideal aspects of her upbringing and sets the stage for her later struggles with mental health, repressed memories, and ongoing family conflict. Overall, the first section establishes Rowe’s atypical beginnings and foreshadows how early experiences would shape her outlook on independence, resilience, and self-reliance.

Confronting Trauma and Suppressed Memories

In the next sections of the memoir, Rowe courageously confronts her traumatic past, specifically severe childhood sexual abuse. In doing so, she exemplifies tremendous strength and bravery. Rowe writes about being “forced to return” to blocked childhood memories as more surfaced in adulthood. Her descriptive yet tactful retelling of abuse invokes empathy while avoiding unnecessary graphic details.

Rowe then progresses to discuss suffering from depression, disassociation, and the ongoing effects of her trauma. She seeks counseling but struggles to find proper support. In these intensely intimate moments of vulnerability, Rowe shows readers that even our strongest selves can fracture under severe duress. However, she also displays perseverance through her commitment to healing, despite setbacks.

By openly sharing her repressed memories and darkest moments, Rowe prioritizes assisting others over privacy. Her transparent storytelling encourages survivors and validates their experiences. Rowe underscores how trauma affects everyone differently, but recovery is possible through empowerment and community. She normalizes discussing taboo topics and challenges stigmas by shining light on abuse realities through poignant yet unflinching prose. Overall, Rowe’s courage in confronting repressed childhood memories is both admirable and impactful.

Finding independence and Self-Reliance

A crucial theme throughout the memoir is Rowe’s relentless drive for independence and self-reliance. Having experienced instability, neglect, and a lack of opportunities growing up, Rowe was determined to carve her own path. Beginning in her teenage years, she fiercely educates herself on practical life skills not formally taught.

In later sections, Rowe depicts proudly facing challenges like homelessness alone rather than depending on others. She works diligently to establish herself financially through stable employment and pays bills on time, a benchmark of success for her. Rowe’s grit and tenacity in bettering her situation despite setbacks is inspiring. She models the empowering message that with determination and hard work, we can overcome any circumstances.

Rowe also finds independence through extensive travels around Australia as a young adult, broadening her perspectives. Living in various states, she experiences different cultures and lifestyles while discovering herself. Rowe credits these unconventional yet formative years with cultivating her resilient nature and zest for life adventures. Overall, the memoir serves as a testament to one woman’s strength and relentless quest for autonomy against all odds.

Learning to Love Herself & Others

A beautiful and uplifting aspect of the memoir is Rowe’s evolution in relationships. After experiencing neglect, abuse, and loneliness for much of her life, Rowe depicts a journey of self-love and healing. She goes from not recognizing her own worth in early abusive relationships to empowered self-reflection.

Rowe discusses realizing she “deserved love, respect, and kindness,” learning to appreciate herself fully as is, and establish boundaries. Over time, she allows herself to be vulnerable with a compassionate partner. The transformational section on finding love provides hope that inner peace and healthy relationships are possible after trauma through ongoing recovery work.

Strikingly, Rowe remains devoted to her family despite hardships. She demonstrates unconditional love and forgiveness towards parents. Her ability to let go of anger through understanding people are products of their circumstances is profoundly moving. Rowe embraces empowerment through community and connection rather than isolation. This memoir affirms the resilience of the human spirit when we choose compassion over resentment.

Insights on Wellness, Purpose and Success

In the final section, Rowe portrays thriving both personally and professionally. With improved mental health, she feels “no longer insecure” and her ambitions “stronger than ever.” She aims to inspire and empower others through coaching and public speaking engagements. Rowe devotes her career to helping businesses and individuals achieve their full potential.

However, Rowe provides nuanced reflections that success alone does not equate happiness or fulfillment. While financial freedom alleviates worries, purposeful work assisting humanity brings her the most joy. Rowe questions if optimized profits should be the sole business objective when societal well-being could also factor in decisions. Her perspectives promote prioritizing holistic wellness overall.

Overall Analysis

Fiercely Me delivers a profoundly moving account of both trauma and triumph. With unflinching bravery, Stephanie Rowe bares her soul to help lift stigmas and empower survivors. Her story serves as an inspirational testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Though life presents unimaginable hardships, with courage and community, we can not only survive – but thrive.

Rowe’s masterful storytelling conjures vivid scenes allowing us to witness both her vulnerabilities and strengths. Her raw honesty fosters important discussions on abuse, mental wellness, and self-love. Readers gain perspective that diverse experiences don’t define us – it is how we respond that shapes our destiny. Most of all, this memoir affirms each person’s inherent ability to carve their own path when armed with grit, compassion, and community. Stephanie Rowe’s Fiercely Me will no doubt continue to fiercely impact readers for years to come.

The Bookish Elf

Click here for review: The Bookish Elf

Rowe Pens Raw yet Hopeful Tale of Triumph over Trauma

Australian author Stephanie Rowe delivers a deeply stirring and inspirational memoir with her work “Fiercely Me”. Through candid recounting of her life experiences, Rowe takes readers on a journey of personal growth from a difficult upbringing scarred by poverty, neglect and abuse to living a purposeful life of fulfillment.

With folksy yet affecting storytelling, Rowe immediately draws readers into her world from the first page. Descriptions of traveling around Australia as a young child in a rundown bus with her nomadic family offer a glimpse into her free-spirited nature shaped by unconventional circumstances. While imbued with humor, underlying themes of instability, lack of opportunities and economic hardship emerge between the lines.

It becomes evident Rowe’s upbringing diverged starkly from societal norms. Years living with grandma or time on an island reflect more positive influences. However, allusions to domestic turmoil and betrayal by trusted kin foreshadow deeper scars that would later resurface. This establishes Rowe’s uncommon beginnings and set the stage for internal battles to come.

In gut-wrenching fashion, Rowe pulls no punches facing repressed memories of severe childhood abuse. Reliving trauma through counseling activates dissociation and depression yet she perseveres. Power in transparency sees Rowe prioritizing helping fellow survivors over privacy. Heart-wrenching details educate versus shock, affirming impact of past wrongs while fueling healing.

Rowe displays steely resolve carving self-reliance lacking as a nomadic youth. Teaching herself important life skills and establishing independence through travel and career serve as personal triumphs over difficult lot in life. Moving from homelessness to stability against all odds shows grit can topple any barriers. Ultimately, Rowe’s memoir stands as testament that circumstances need not define one’s destiny.

Fierce self-determination also saw Rowe cultivate self-love after abuse warped views of inherent worth. Journey from mistrusting relationships to healthy partnership uplifts with message light can always touch darkness' depths. Maintaining compassion for family despite heartache inspires embracing forgiveness over resentment.

Concluding chapters find flourishing Rowe empowering others through advocacy, coaching and purpose-driven work assisting humanity’s wellbeing. Nuanced perspective that success alone does not equate lasting fulfillment inspires reimagining priorities beyond profits. Overall, unvarnished peek into Rowe’s reality proves light can and will emerge from any darkness faced with open and loving heart.

With folksy yet affecting prose, Rowe achieves lifting taboos and validates silenced voices. Above all, her story strikes universal chord that through empowerment, community and embracing inner strength, fulfilling lives can be forged regardless past pains. In times crying out for hope, Rowe’s memoir resonates as rallying cry that courage and compassion will triumph over any adversity. Hers is a tale to nurture souls for years to come.

The Bookish Elf

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Stephanie Rowe bares her soul in her self-published memoir, Fiercely Me. Through vivid storytelling, she chronicles her unconventional childhood, turbulent adolescence, and remarkable journey to self-acceptance and empowerment.

Rowe pulls no punches detailing the dysfunction and trauma that plagued her early years. As the eldest of five children born to a couple struggling with poverty and addiction, her childhood was unstable and chaotic. Frequent moves between rental properties and relatives’ homes meant Rowe struggled to put down roots and develop meaningful friendships. Profoundly impacted by her parents’ substance abuse and explosive arguments, Rowe learned from an early age to suppress her feelings and retreat into books and daydreams as coping mechanisms.

It was during adolescence that the bubble of innocence surrounding Rowe’s childhood burst. No longer able to ignore the escalating violence and manipulative behavior Rowe endured at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, long buried memories of sexual abuse by a family member surfaced. This prompted a painful period of confrontation, therapy, and difficult conversations with relatives about consent and appropriate boundaries.

Rather than shy away from these traumatic experiences, Rowe confronts them head-on in her memoir. Her stark descriptions of domestic violence and discussions of recovering suppressed memories of molestation are intensely personal and emotionally raw. While difficult to read at times, Rowe’s courage in exposing old wounds to the light is both brave and inspirational.

As Rowe comes of age, the memoir expands in scope to explore her struggles with severe depression, eating disorders, and cripplingly low self-esteem. We follow along an erratic early career path that careens between dead-end retail jobs and disastrous attempts at higher education. Each setback leaves Rowe questioning her worth and abilities. However, a chance opportunity to work for a procurement firm unlocks Rowe’s formidable potential and sets her on a trajectory toward professional success.

In the workplace, Rowe thrives. Her keen intelligence, grit, and competitive nature enable her to rapidly rise up the corporate ladder. From an entry-level contract administrator to a senior consultant personally responsible for saving multi-million dollar companies tens of millions of dollars, Rowe’s professional transformation is nothing short of remarkable. Out of the ashes of a tumultuous youth marked by pain and self-doubt, Rowe emerges as an undeniably fierce woman brimming with confidence and ambition.

Beyond charting her professional growth, Fiercely Me also encapsulates Rowe’s journey toward healing and self-love. Years of therapy, developing a strong support network, and learning to set firm boundaries enable her to make peace with past trauma. Forgiveness and acceptance replace bitterness and resentment. Rowe poignantly observes that the very hardships meant to destroy her instead forged an unbreakable spirit and taught her resilience.

Fiercely Me concludes on a joyful note with Rowe blissfully embracing both career success and domestic happiness with her loving and supportive husband. However, her memoir makes clear that empowerment is an ongoing process requiring continual self-work. The fiercely confident woman the reader encounters at the memoir’s close bears little resemblance to the frightened, self-doubting girl at the start. Rowe’s refusal to be defined by her past and determination to keep bettering herself serve as an inspiration to women everywhere. Her memoir boldly announces that no matter the obstacles life throws our way, we all have it within ourselves to emerge stronger, wiser, and fiercely ourselves.

By Khushbu Patel

To view review click here.

A Fiercely Authentic Book

At first glance, Stephanie Rowe's memoir Fiercely Me seems like it will be another run-of-the-mill self-help book, detailing one person's struggle to overcome adversity. But Rowe blows that assumption out of the water with her raw, gritty and brutally honest storytelling. This is no sugarcoated motivational memoir - Rowe holds nothing back in recounting her turbulent journey from a chaotic childhood to finding empowerment and success.

Readers are thrown right into the deep end as Rowe immediately launches into tales from her nomadic upbringing living out of a bus with her family. The amusing anecdotes about narrowly avoiding disaster during breakdowns in the Australian outback give a sense of the freewheeling lifestyle. But it's also easy to detect the instability lurking beneath.

Soon the tone shifts as Rowe begins addressing darker topics like domestic violence and suppressed memories of childhood abuse. She spills intimate, gut-wrenching details with brave vulnerability. It's clear Rowe isn't here to sugarcoat - she wants readers to see the unvarnished reality of her experiences. The raw honesty is jarring yet compelling, giving weight to her mission of destigmatizing trauma.

Rather than providing pat answers, Rowe shows the messy, nonlinear nature of recovery through her own ups and downs. She doesn't pretend to have it all figured out, which makes her perseverance through depression and dysfunctional relationships all the more inspiring. Rowe displays resilience without romanticizing struggle - an authentic portrayal too often missing from triumphant memoirs.

As the story progresses, Rowe emerges as a fiercely independent protagonist determined to forge her own destiny. Readers root for her successes like studying skills on her own terms and achieving career milestones against the odds. Her grit serves as a testament that circumstances need not define one's potential.

What's most striking is how Rowe does all this while maintaining compassion, even for sources of past suffering. She embraces forgiveness and letting go of resentment rather than bitterness. This nuanced perspective reminds that hope and healing are possible through empowerment and community, not isolation.

Throughout, Rowe brings a disarming self-awareness to flaws in her thinking along the way. She recognizes both growth and ongoing work, avoiding pat conclusions. Fiercely Me feels deeply authentic as a result, like sitting down with an old friend for unvarnished truth over many beers.

In the end, Rowe proves you don't need to sugarcoat hardship to inspire. Her raw transparency, perseverance through setbacks and embodiment of self-love as transformative make for an empowering story that stays true to the messiness of reality. Sometimes it takes fierce authenticity over perfection to make the biggest difference. In that sense, Fiercely Me definitely lives up to its namesake.

The Bookish Elf

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A Riveting Ride Through Resilience and Recovery

Stephanie Rowe takes readers on one hell of a ride through the ups and downs of her life in her raw yet compelling memoir Fiercely Me. From travelling around Oz as a kid to overcoming abuse and mental health struggles, Rowe does not shy away from the gritty details. She pulls back the curtain on what it takes to not just survive, but thrive after facing unimaginable challenges.

While her unconventional nomadic upbringing brought adventures, it also came with instability. Rowe drops us into intimate moments that show the hardships of moving constantly with parents dealing with their own issues. Even early on, you get a sense of her fierce independence coming through in little anecdotes of getting lost as a kid and narrowly avoiding danger breakdowns in the desert.

Things take a darker turn when Rowe starts opening up about family violence and repressed memories of abuse surfacing later on. She holds nothing back in confronting the trauma head on, offering discreet yet impactful insights. You gotta hand it to Rowe for her bravery - it cannot have been easy reliving that hell, let alone putting it out there. But she does so with grace to help others and spark change.

The emotional toll clearly sticks with her as Rowe battles depression and lack of proper support. Yet somehow she finds the strength to keep fighting, showing true grit. Her resilience shines through even during some seriously low points. Rowe makes it clear trauma impacts everyone differently, but healing is possible with empowerment and community behind you.

A big part of Rowe's recovery journey involves taking control after feeling powerless for so long. She fiercely educate herself and learns the skills needed to stand on her own two feet. Rowe takes pride in proudly facing challenges alone rather than relying on others who don't truly get what she went through. Mad respect for that kind of self-reliance.

Her travels around Aus as a young adult are like a coming of age story packed with discovery. Rowe widens her perspectives and embraces life to the fullest. It's clear these experiences cultivate the strong spirit and zest for adventure we see today. Anyone who's escaped a small town can relate to that need to break free and find oneself on the open road.

Relationships are a journey too for Rowe as she learns to love herself after so much pain. She gives refreshing insights into overcoming past patterns to set healthy boundaries. Rowe makes it admirably clear no one deserves less than kindness, respect and emotional vulnerability. Her compassion even for family shows how far she's come from that dark place.

In the finish, Rowe proves not only did she survive, but truly thrived after facing debilitating obstacles. With improved mental health and impactful career, she now empowers others. Rowe gets real about how success alone doesn't equate fulfillment. But when infused with purpose and community spirit like the work she does, there is real happiness to be found.

Stephanie Rowe puts it all out there in this raw ride showing what real inner strength and courage looks like. While her story is unconventional, anyone can relate to themes of resilience, recovery, self-love and finding purpose. Fiercely Me is proof that light emerges even from deepest darkness when we refuse to give up on ourselves or each other. Hats off for taking us on one hell of a journey!

The Bookish Elf

Click Here

Stephanie Rowe bares her soul in her self-published memoir, Fiercely Me. Through vivid storytelling, she chronicles her unconventional childhood, turbulent adolescence, and remarkable journey to self-acceptance and empowerment.

Rowe pulls no punches detailing the dysfunction and trauma that plagued her early years. As the eldest of five children born to a couple struggling with poverty and addiction, her childhood was unstable and chaotic. Frequent moves between rental properties and relatives’ homes meant Rowe struggled to put down roots and develop meaningful friendships. Profoundly impacted by her parents’ substance abuse and explosive arguments, Rowe learned from an early age to suppress her feelings and retreat into books and daydreams as coping mechanisms.

It was during adolescence that the bubble of innocence surrounding Rowe’s childhood burst. No longer able to ignore the escalating violence and manipulative behavior Rowe endured at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, long buried memories of sexual abuse by a family member surfaced. This prompted a painful period of confrontation, therapy, and difficult conversations with relatives about consent and appropriate boundaries.

Rather than shy away from these traumatic experiences, Rowe confronts them head-on in her memoir. Her stark descriptions of domestic violence and discussions of recovering suppressed memories of molestation are intensely personal and emotionally raw. While difficult to read at times, Rowe’s courage in exposing old wounds to the light is both brave and inspirational.

As Rowe comes of age, the memoir expands in scope to explore her struggles with severe depression, eating disorders, and cripplingly low self-esteem. We follow along an erratic early career path that careens between dead-end retail jobs and disastrous attempts at higher education. Each setback leaves Rowe questioning her worth and abilities. However, a chance opportunity to work for a procurement firm unlocks Rowe’s formidable potential and sets her on a trajectory toward professional success.

In the workplace, Rowe thrives. Her keen intelligence, grit, and competitive nature enable her to rapidly rise up the corporate ladder. From an entry-level contract administrator to a senior consultant personally responsible for saving multi-million dollar companies tens of millions of dollars, Rowe’s professional transformation is nothing short of remarkable. Out of the ashes of a tumultuous youth marked by pain and self-doubt, Rowe emerges as an undeniably fierce woman brimming with confidence and ambition.

Beyond charting her professional growth, Fiercely Me also encapsulates Rowe’s journey toward healing and self-love. Years of therapy, developing a strong support network, and learning to set firm boundaries enable her to make peace with past trauma. Forgiveness and acceptance replace bitterness and resentment. Rowe poignantly observes that the very hardships meant to destroy her instead forged an unbreakable spirit and taught her resilience.

Fiercely Me concludes on a joyful note with Rowe blissfully embracing both career success and domestic happiness with her loving and supportive husband. However, her memoir makes clear that empowerment is an ongoing process requiring continual self-work. The fiercely confident woman the reader encounters at the memoir’s close bears little resemblance to the frightened, self-doubting girl at the start. Rowe’s refusal to be defined by her past and determination to keep bettering herself serve as an inspiration to women everywhere. Her memoir boldly announces that no matter the obstacles life throws our way, we all have it within ourselves to emerge stronger, wiser, and fiercely ourselves.

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In her self-published autobiographical memoir, Steph narrates her journey through childhood, adolescence, and early adult life with parents who struggled with addiction and poverty. She describes her fight to survive, understanding the role that inner strength and determination has played in her personal and professional achievements.

Steph explores how she learned to overcome the return of suppressed childhood memories, as well as severe domestic family violence and sexual abuse. Questioning herself, Steph realised that she was the only person who had control of her life and its outcomes.

Through recounting these raw experiences, she shares stories that can help to shape who we become, and influence others around us. She writes authentically and honestly as she takes her reader on a journey.

Understanding the power in speaking up about her lived experiences. By not shying away from her truth, she hopes to touch and help others in similar situations.

Steph now knows that when we step away from society's conditioning, and embrace empowerment and community, a life of liberation, freedom, joy, and wonder awaits. This memoir has a little, and a lot, of everything as Steph bravely and definitely takes her reader on a journey of strength, hope, and life.

The boldness of, Fiercely ME, as title drew me to this memoir that shares a turbulent ride through rough country (drugs, poverty, human trafficking). Stephanie Rowe takes readers through tales of distress and abuse into triumphal emergence and insight. The book does not drop never-before-read details about how growth can be a nightmare for some. In fact, the Australian author clearly targets those with "broken wings" as a main readership. Page by page, and chapter by chapter, the tightly organized work builds through tales to announce, “We hold the power to determine our existence through our actions.”

Rowe writes with so much authenticity and authority that those who have never experienced mistreatment or tough circumstances will gain insight into what poverty or a self-destructive environment can do to youngsters' minds, hearts and futures. That peek behind an often-ignored curtain makes the read worthwhile. Some will be surprised that Australia's hard lives are so similar to the United States. They will discover pain is as global as healing. Rowe states:

This book is intended to be shared ...offering the possibility of growth and flight, even if one’s wings are clipped or feel broken. The harshness of this world demands self-trust, even in moments of doubt. Love yourself unconditionally, even when it’s difficult....My ability to regrow wings and take flight once more is a testament to your potential to do the same.

The bio says that the full-time business coach and procurement specialist always tries to empower others, yet one of the memoir's most interesting aspects is the revelation that in a desire to take away others’ ills and pains, Rowe discovered, “Taking time to self-reflect is vital for personal growth, allowing you to process and internalise (sic) what you have learned.”

Fiercely ME is Rowe’s invitation to readers to grow through vulnerability. She urges readers to honestly confront their experiences and seek control over their lives. The writer frankly recounts her fears and foibles so that others might view such moments as the place to press forward toward the life they desire. Rowe asserts that readers can write the "stories of their lives," and she did not mean books. Rowe's words reveal how to seize control over existence. With that, she contends, nearly anyone can build the courage to burst through society's roadblocks to where they want their "stories" to end.

By Vincent G

Reedsy

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Four 5 Star ***** Reviews

In the pages of Stephanie's memoir, a tale of unwavering fortitude and dauntless spirit unfolds, chronicling her odyssey through the murky depths of addiction, poverty, and trauma. Beneath the weight of depression, domestic abuse, and suppression, Stephanie's indomitable will shone bright, a beacon of hope amidst the shadows. Her story, a testament to the human spirit, resonates with a clarion call for a world free of strife. Through her advocacy for the power of voice and the creation of communities that cherish liberation and joy, Stephanie paints a portrait of a future where resilience reigns supreme.

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"Fiercely Me" is penned by Stephanie Rowe. Through her memoir, she courageously recounts her life, which was filled with abuse, trauma, and heartbreak. Rowe overcomes all this and ekes out a successful life for herself. She works toward helping herself as well as all those around her. Rowe aims to make the world a better place. "Fiercely Me" is beautifully penned, and I highly recommend it to fans of memoirs and uplifting life stories.

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Rowe Pens Raw yet Hopeful Tale of Triumph over Trauma

Australian author Stephanie Rowe delivers a deeply stirring and inspirational memoir with her work “Fiercely Me”. Through candid recounting of her life experiences, Rowe takes readers on a journey of personal growth from a difficult upbringing scarred by poverty, neglect and abuse to living a purposeful life of fulfillment.

With folksy yet affecting storytelling, Rowe immediately draws readers into her world from the first page. Descriptions of traveling around Australia as a young child in a rundown bus with her nomadic family offer a glimpse into her free-spirited nature shaped by unconventional circumstances. While imbued with humor, underlying themes of instability, lack of opportunities and economic hardship emerge between the lines.

It becomes evident Rowe’s upbringing diverged starkly from societal norms. Years living with grandma or time on an island reflect more positive influences. However, allusions to domestic turmoil and betrayal by trusted kin foreshadow deeper scars that would later resurface. This establishes Rowe’s uncommon beginnings and set the stage for internal battles to come.

In gut-wrenching fashion, Rowe pulls no punches facing repressed memories of severe childhood abuse. Reliving trauma through counseling activates dissociation and depression yet she perseveres. Power in transparency sees Rowe prioritizing helping fellow survivors over privacy. Heart-wrenching details educate versus shock, affirming impact of past wrongs while fueling healing.

Rowe displays steely resolve carving self-reliance lacking as a nomadic youth. Teaching herself important life skills and establishing independence through travel and career serve as personal triumphs over difficult lot in life. Moving from homelessness to stability against all odds shows grit can topple any barriers. Ultimately, Rowe’s memoir stands as testament that circumstances need not define one’s destiny.

Fierce self-determination also saw Rowe cultivate self-love after abuse warped views of inherent worth. Journey from mistrusting relationships to healthy partnership uplifts with message light can always touch darkness' depths. Maintaining compassion for family despite heartache inspires embracing forgiveness over resentment.

Concluding chapters find flourishing Rowe empowering others through advocacy, coaching and purpose-driven work assisting humanity’s wellbeing. Nuanced perspective that success alone does not equate lasting fulfillment inspires reimagining priorities beyond profits. Overall, unvarnished peek into Rowe’s reality proves light can and will emerge from any darkness faced with open and loving heart.

With folksy yet affecting prose, Rowe achieves lifting taboos and validates silenced voices. Above all, her story strikes universal chord that through empowerment, community and embracing inner strength, fulfilling lives can be forged regardless past pains. In times crying out for hope, Rowe’s memoir resonates as rallying cry that courage and compassion will triumph over any adversity. Hers is a tale to nurture souls for years to come.

By Khushi Gadhiya

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