Peeking Between the Pages

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Book Review: Zig-Zagging by Tom Wilson

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Ziggy! Who doesn’t love Ziggy? Well I sure do so it was with pleasure that I read Zig-Zagging Loving Madly, Losing Badly…How Ziggy Saved My Life by Tom Wilson for TLC BookTours. This book is so much more though than the wonderful cartoons throughout. It is a heartfelt and emotional memoir of Tom Wilson’s journey through loving, losing, grieving and finally starting over.

As a boy, Tom Wilson looked up to his father as a superhero. This would continue throughout his life to the present. Tom’s father is the original creator of Ziggy but when he got sick and unable to continue, Tom took over. Ziggy is like his brother; so who better to keep Ziggy alive, but Tom. Turns out that years down the road, Ziggy would help keep Tom alive too.

Tom meets his wife Susan in college and knew immediately that he was going to marry her. Besides loving her, Susan had a very different childhood from Tom, being a minister’s daughter. Tom craved this kind of family life~one of stability and tradition. They went on to marry and have children. They began to build a life without ever knowing how easily the best laid plans can tumble.

Susan gets breast cancer. Life turns upside down in the most horrific way. Suddenly nothing is more important than fighting the cancer and winning. Susan fought the cancer for seven years before losing the battle. Reading about how strong she was and how hard she fought touched my heart, having lost several close to me from breast cancer. I also admired the way Tom handled her cancer. The way he supported her and loved her was beautiful. Susan taught Tom something important that I’d like to share because it is in fact a good lesson for us all…

  • ‘She taught me that it’s not what’s on the outside that makes us who we are; it is who we are inside that truly defines us and grants us powers far beyond the physical. Our spirit is where our true strength resides, and it is our ark in times of crisis’. (pg 73, Zig-Zagging by Tom Wilson)

When the death of a loved one strikes us, sometimes it’s hard to keep our faith strong. Why did this happen? Why did God take this person I loved so much? This happened with Tom and he struggled to understand how this could happen and why. He had believed so strongly that God would grant him a miracle and make Susan well again. However, God never truly leaves us, sooner or later we discover our faith is still there as strong as ever, just as Tom did.

Tom tries to move on by being the best housekeeper, the best dad, even dating, but finds this isn’t the easiest thing to do. He becomes overwhelmed, and instead falls into a deep depression. Once again, Tom’s world is tumbling into pieces. He writes of his struggle with depression and his thoughts on how to deal with it again, in such a way, that really hit home for me. I could really relate to many things he was feeling and saying. He finally attends a grief counselling group which helps him to realize he’s not crazy, just going through the normal stages of grief. Finally Tom realizes that he can move forward in life and he also finds God again.

This book is one that will stay with me for a long while. I will likely reread it at some point. I had picked it up one night expecting to read a few pages and ended up devouring most of the book which I went on to finish the next morning. Tom’s writing and his sharing with us of some of the most intimate moments and feelings of his life was an emotional journey for me. It took me back to losing my loved ones but not in a bad way, really a way of remembrance.

I must mention that I found Tom’s writing amazing. I’d like to end by sharing a few of my favorite quotes…

  • ‘We may lose friends, hopes, dreams, and loved ones along the way, but they’re always a part of us. And the memories, strengths, and lessons they’ve given to us are gifts we can still learn from even when they are parted. But they’re only gifts if we stop looking for what we expect to see and start to appreciate what is actually there, the miraculous process of life unfolding’. (pg 193, Zig-Zagging by Tom Wilson)

  • ‘Life is full of living. And when you get down to it, the journey we make is only as important as those wonderful spirits we meet along the way, whether they come from relationships, true loves, or simple angels unaware that pass through our lives’. (pg 194, Zig-Zagging by Tom Wilson)

This is a lovely book and one well worth reading especially for those who have suffered a loss or felt the hardships of depression. It’s an inspirational read that will leave you with feelings of renewed hope. Thanks so much to Tom Wilson for this wonderful book and to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for inviting me to participate in the tour.

You can purchase Zig-Zagging here through Amazon and here through HCI Books. I also invite you to visit other tour stops at the following…

You can also win a copy of Zig-Zagging from HCI by clicking here.

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  3. Definitely sounds like one I should read. I will add it to my list. Thanks Dar for the review.

  4. I just finished this last night and found it to be a very emotional book. Great review.

  9. What an interesting review Dar. It sounds like a powerful book. Thanks for sharing it with us.

  10. I had a couple of different Ziggy things when I was a kid but I don’t believe I’ve ever read one of the comics before. At least not that I remember. This sounds like a beautiful and sad story and you did a fantastic job reviewing this memoir.

  11. I have always loved Ziggy and saw this book on Amazon, thought it looked good. Great review and I’m sure that this is a book I will read.

  12. You did a wonderful job reviewing this book. You certainly captured the essence of it. It is a a powerful book.

  14. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this one so much. Isn’t it great when you can’t put that dang book down (even if your sleep suffers for it). Sounds like a really inspiring book.

  15. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa:(
    I was supposed to receive this book for a review which is sceduled on Wednesday and I contacted the publicist twice to tell her I did not receive the book, so now I am going to look like I can’t keep a promise. It upsets me!

    So I am letting you know if you look for it on my blog on Wednesday, this is why there will be no review/interview. I am new to this and I like it a lot. Dorothy of “Pump up your book promotion” lives up the road from me and we have a date this spring/summer to meet in person 😀 She sounds very nice, looking forward to it, will take pics.

    Hope you have a lovely Sunday

  17. First, I’m sorry being so late responding to blog comments. I seem to be late with a lot of things lately but I really do appreciate the comments on what I do here so please don’t give up on me. lol. I get to answering eventually.

    Jenn, Beth, Viv, carolsnotebook, JoAnn, Naida, thanks 🙂

    Kathy, I really did find it emotional too. I had tears many times.

    Lenore, I always like when I can match a book with someone I know for whatever reason.

    Sandy Nawrot, I’ve always loved Ziggy too.

    Sadako, it is interesting how he put this book together. I wish I had the talent to put things into a book in such a way.

    Bonnie, it really is a powerful book. I think you’d like it.

    Tink, thanks so much. We had Ziggy in our comics here for a while and my mom and I used to get a magazine that always had a Ziggy comic in it.

    Staci, I think this a book you’d like.

    Margot, thank you. I was hoping I’d be able to capture all I felt about the book. Sometimes it’s hard to get it into words.

    Trish, I really do like when a book grabs me like that. That night I had no intention of reading as much of this one as I did.

    Madeleine, how lucky that you will get to meet Dorothy. I’d love to meet her someday.