PRAISE FOR BRICK BY BRICK
“As a survivor and advocate for those suffering in neglected parts of the world, I was touched on many levels by Karen's journey. Her grit and courage are a gift to the countless women and girls she's dedicated her life to lifting up. Her fierce personal honesty will inspire all who read this wonderful book.”
— Ashley Judd, actor, author, and humanitarian
”Karen Sherman tells her poignant story of being a mother, a successful leader, and an advocate for women worldwide in Brick by Brick. Her empathy for women who have been victims of violence, abuse, and disempowerment is inspirational, and her story truly has the unique power to connect the stories of women everywhere.”
— Joyce Banda, former president of Malawi
”A deeply honest and moving read. Sherman weaves her own search for balance and acceptance with the courageous stories of the women survivors she works with in war-torn countries like Rwanda, South Sudan, and Afghanistan. Finding universal threads of womanhood in their shared experiences, she draws inspiration from their awe-inspiring strength and resilience.”
— Zainab Salbi, founder of Women for Women International and author of Freedom is an Inside Job
“A journey like no other! With unflinching honesty, bad-ass mom and lifelong women’s-rights activist Karen Sherman maps her journey—and the stories of those she’s met along the way—through the highest questions of modern womanhood: beauty, regret, connection, sacrifice, survivorship, and choice. From suburban dinner parties to rapid-fire war zones, long-since-abandoned adolescent memories to the tallest peak in Africa, this page-turner charts emotional landscapes that connect women everywhere. Sure to leave the reader with her own soul-quaking questions and a tidal wave of bravery to face them down.”
— Lisa J. Shannon, Author of A Thousand Sisters and Mama Koko and the Hundred Gunmen
”Karen Sherman’s personal and inspiring account of her family’s experience living in Rwanda for a year and the many life lessons that came from her work with women survivors is an easy and compelling read for anyone who strives to be a global citizen—and raise global citizens.”
— Lauren Bush Lauren, founder and CEO of FEED
”Brick by Brick introduces us to the people whose lives form the pieces of the world’s most complex development puzzles. Karen Sherman draws upon her encounters with entrepreneurs and activists around the world and shows us the power of women to change their communities and their country. In sharing the stories of these indomitable women, Sherman illuminates their resilience under the most dire circumstances and shares the powerful political and personal lessons that resilience shares.”
— Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, author of Dressmaker of Khair Khana and Ashley’s War
“A moving, fascinating story filled with emotional highs and lows, adventures and setbacks—and a large dose of wisdom. Every woman will relate to aspects of Brick by Brick and be inspired.”
— Melanne Verveer, former United States ambassador for global women’s issues
”Karen Sherman tells two powerful stories here, both of them straightforward yet affecting: one about her personal struggles in the first world overlaid on another about women pushed to the brink during the Rwandan genocide. Along the way, it becomes clear that the ability to triumph is rooted in empathy and shared support. In Brick by Brick’s overlapping worlds, life lessons are where you find them, and heartrending and heartwarming are never far apart.”
— Alan Huffman, author of Mississippi in Africa and Here I Am
