I read Nicole’s autobiography through Kindle Unlimited and found it both moving and inspiring. Her conversational writing style drew me in right away and made the book very easy to stay engaged with. The chapters were the perfect length—well-paced and meaningful without ever feeling overwhelming.

Nicole’s story is heartbreaking at times. She endured a great deal of pain and hardship as a child, and I truly felt for her as she shared those difficult memories. At the same time, she highlighted moments of joy and passion—especially her love for performing and her vivid reflections on life in her Italian community and her most precious family members.

What stood out most was her resilience. Her determination and courage were deeply inspiring, and the love she held in her heart shone through, even in the darkest moments. When she opened her life to God, it became clear that His presence had been with her all along, even when she felt most alone. God gave her beauty for ashes in the form of a wonderful husband and 5 beautiful children.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates honest, heartfelt stories of struggle, strength, and faith. It’s a powerful reminder of the healing that can come through courage and grace.

The Big Light is not just a memoir. it’s a soul-piercing anthem for anyone who has ever felt swallowed by darkness and clawed their way back. This book is a raw, breathtaking testament to the resilience of the human spirit. At its core is a woman whose life has been carved by trauma and steeped in pain — yet what emerges from these pages isn't despair, but defiant hope. With each chapter, she lays bare her wounds, showing us not just what she survived, but how she reclaimed herself. Through brutal honesty and breathtaking vulnerability, and her faith, the author invites us into the depths of her trauma — loss, pain, and the moments when even surviving felt uncertain — and then shows us what resilience truly looks like. Her journey is not linear, nor is it neatly resolved. That’s what makes it so powerful. With grit and grace, she bears witness to her own healing and, in doing so, offers readers a kind of quiet permission to begin theirs. This book doesn’t preach. It walks beside you. What struck me most was the way she doesn’t dress up the darkness. She meets it head-on and, through sheer grit transforms it into light. Her story is as harrowing as it is healing. It’s not just a memoir, it’s a mirror, a map, and a lifeline.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who has wrestled with mental health, trauma, or the messy, unspoken spaces in between. It’s a reminder that scars don’t make you weak, they make you real. The Big Light may crack something open in you, and just as gently, start to mend it. I’d recommend it to anyone who needs a reminder that broken does not mean beyond repair. And in her vulnerability, Nicole gives readers the permission to be their fullest, fiercest selves and you matter, fully.