DREAM BIG: A Roadmap for Facing Life's Challenges and Creating the Life You Deserve

Born to a Puerto Rican family in the South Bronx, the author's childhood wasn't easy; her mother's health was poor, one of her brothers had a serious kidney disease, and the family's means were limited. In high school, challenged and inspired by an ambitious Harvard-bound boyfriend from her world but with "one foot planted firmly outside of it," Shaw (then Rosado) got a scholarship to Wellesley. After graduating, she ended up in business, first working for her father-in-law, then starting her own business, an umbrella-manufacturing company. At some point, despite her material success, Shaw realized that she was still gripped by fears stemming from her childhood: she worried about losing her business, the next step in her career and whether she was a good mother. After years of struggle, she and her husband divorced. She returned from San Francisco to the East Coast so her children could spend time with other family members, and she could be closer to the rest of her industry. There, in the midst of a nearly-crippling depression, she won an Avon Women of Enterprise Award, and began touring the country speaking to groups of women to inspire them to make something of their lives. Her message—you can persevere and succeed, is vividly and compassionately conveyed in this book. What makes Shaw so inspiring is her honesty (she's forthcoming about her shortcomings and her insecurities) and her experience—her struggles are similar to those of so many women. (Apr.)

Forecast:With a national tour, this book should sell briskly if Shaw is as powerful and engaging a speaker as she is a writer.