Title: When Hope is the Only Option
Subtitle: One Man’s Brave Journey Through Life’s Adversity
Author: Jim Stavis
Publisher: Author’s Insight
ISBN: 978-1-970608-22-9
Pages: 185
Genre: Memoir / Nonfiction
Reviewer: Arthur Thares

Read Book Review

Often, people who write books about their experiences find the need to add a lot of fluff around a single event. Luckily, or many would argue, unluckily, Jim Stavis never had that problem. This memoir chronicles the incredible life of one man who literally defeated all the odds against him. You could argue it was luck; you can argue that he was born at the perfect time, but you can’t argue that When Hope Is the Only Option is not an inspirational story.

At its core, this story isn’t anything so extraordinary that it sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. What is truly shocking about Mr. Stavis’s case is just how much happened to him and how he managed to battle against all of it. From chronic diseases to sudden illnesses to unheard-of organ transplants, Jim Stavis had nothing but hope and his own determination, and he managed to fight through it all and have, what seems on paper, a relatively normal life despite his setbacks. Without giving away too much of the story, Jim has led an incredible life where he was often a patient but never a victim, and one of the most interesting parts of the story is toward the end when the tides turn, and Jim has to be the caregiver after decades of being the one in the hospital bed.

What is especially refreshing about this memoir is that it is not meant to be a preachy message. So often, writers with a portion of the writing skill as Jim Stavis will have an experience and then act like they’ve become the expert on positivity. While there are mentions of Mr. Stavis’s faith and his own opinions on why he survived everything he went through, it never feels like he’s trying to sell you on the Jim Stavis self-help program. Instead, a man with years of curated writing experience chose to write a book about his own life to show anyone reading that things can get better even if hope is the only option.

When Hope Is the Only Option is a refreshingly great memoir that doesn’t try to build a whole book around a single event, because it doesn’t have to. Jim Stavis’s entire life has been one of those single events after another, and he still managed to write a positive message about his trials and tribulations. This book proves that just showing up is a huge percentage of the battle, and if you don’t give up, there may just be a light at the end of that dark tunnel.  An inspiring read for anyone facing adversity or searching for renewed faith in tomorrow.