Dare to Live - by Lori Mansell (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

If you have ever been discouraged, stuck in the past, afraid to try something new, sidelined by health challenges (or technology), lonely, isolated, or grief-stricken over the loss of a loved one, this story is for you. It's time to live! That's exactly what author Lori Mansell learned to do at age 70 after the loss of her beloved son. This book follows her journey from grief's isolation and depression to a new season of life, where she finds a welcoming tap-dancing group that takes her under their wing. The group not only teaches Lori to dance but also fills her lonely days with friends and fun. It was then that "Dancing Grammie" was born (and at 92, she still has the legs to prove it!)

Through her wit and unique life experiences, the author welcomes her readers into unexpected situations that likely wouldn't happen to a person of any age. When was the last time you auditioned for America's Got Talent at age 90 or were lifted off the ground by a gusty wind during a raging thunderstorm? In fact, the last chapters of this book were written from a hospital bed as the author survived a double fracture in her pelvis that landed her in the ICU on a ventilator. You never know what's going to happen next when you turn the page.

Dare to Live also introduces the reader to late-life adjustments including becoming a caregiver and also starting an unexpected new career. And did someone say technology? She never gives up after reluctantly saying "Goodbye" to her beloved Royal typewriter at age 87 and diving head-on into computer land creating documents, attempting to find (and send) them, and connecting with friends on what she calls "The Facebook." The learning and hilarious stories never end, nor does the encouragement for others.

Author Lori Mansell hopes you join her in this courageous journey to Dare to Live.

Review Quotes

Lori is a lifelong learner who is a shining example of "you don't have to be twenty-one to have your whole life ahead of you!" Curiosity, talent, and an instinct to heal herself lead her to learn to tap dance in her 70s - which led to an audition for America's Got Talent! With tap dancing under her belt she decided to pursue a writing career in her late 80s. Two of her essays were included in Chicken Soup for the Soul, and her new memoir Dare to Live is funny, poignant and adventurous - just like the woman herself. Lori's story will inspire you to live your best life and remind us all, "there's always something more" no matter your age.

Cindy Ratzlaff and Kathy Kinney, authors of Queen of Your Own Life

In her memoir, Dare to Live: Finding Joy at any Age, Lori Mansell inspires us to embrace each life chapter for its lessons, wonders, and opportunities. Now in her ninth decade, she looks back and shares heart-warming stories of courage and perseverance as well as laugh-out-loud accounts of late-life dating, marriage, and the unexpected thrill of joining a dance troupe in her 70s. (Don't think for a minute that she has given up those dancing shoes just yet!)

This self-proclaimed "Dancing Grammie" danced right into my heart when I met her a few years ago at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. Her dream to write a book was the next item on her bucket list, and she was there to make it happen. Dare to Live is testimony to all writers that it is never too late to reach for the stars.

Susan Pohlman, author of Halfway to Each Other and A Time to Seek.

When is it too late to begin again? Read Lori Mansell's book DARE TO LIVE and you will learn the answer through her compellingly told tales of triumphs, losses, lessons, and laughs. The answer is: It is never too late. Need the courage to try to begin again?

Read this book by the woman we chose out of 350 attendees at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop to be our queen. Why was Lori chosen? We know a majestic approach to life when we see one.

Patricia Wynn Brown, Performer, Writer, Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Team Member