A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

A Force to Reckon With! is a unique and spiritual journey of Dire Quotidian. Her memoir
illustrates how her dreams and faith combined to help her life. A Force to Reckon With!
tells the story of Quotidian, a Haitian immigrant who has survived and dodged many
tragedies in her life. She has survived car accidents, illness, identity theft, and avoided
tragedies. She writes about how she survived 9/11 when she lived in New York.
Quotidian also writes about how she was wracked with grief and survivors’ guilt after the
massive Haitian earthquake in 2010.

In addition to surviving the tragedies, Quotidian writes about how she had dreams and
visions that preceded these terrible events. She writes about visions of religious figures
such as the Virgin Mary who spoke to her and warned her about encountering danger.
Quotidian also helpfully draws images of the angels and visions which appeared to her
in her dreams. She believes that the vision helped her avoid going to the World Trade
Center on the fateful day of September 11, 2001. Her visions and her strong faith help
Quotidian avoid a tragedy which would have ended her life.

Quotidian’s writing is unique and insightful. Interspersed with her recollections about her
life are poems as well. The poem “ How Do I Celebrate My Birthday?” asks how she can
be happy when her birthday is so close to 9/11. “How Do I Celebrate My
Birthday?/When it is a constant reminder of 9/11?/I know I should count all my
Blessings,/But it is so hard to do when it is only two days before and after/The
memories lingered on and on with each new passing day.”

Quotidian’s writing offers a unique perspective as a Haitian-American woman. She
offers two perspectives on life in America where she was able to achieve her dreams of
a job in health care. Quotidian also writes about her Catholic faith influenced her when
she was growing up in Haiti and suffering economic hardships.

A Force to Reckon With! would be best for readers who want to read about spirituality,
angels, or religion in general. Even readers who aren’t religious will be intrigued by her
stories about overcoming obstacles. Quotidian’s book would also be best for readers
who want to learn more about interesting occurrences in someone’s life. A Force to
Reckon With! is an intriguing book that will be enjoyed as an uncommon memoir to
readers.

- Pacific Book Review

Identity theft, a debilitating illness, and a narrow brush with tragedy helped to form the author's character in this vibrant memoir. Quotidian was scheduled for a job interview in downtown New York City on September 11, 2001. For some reason, her gut instinct told her to cancel. This is one of many situations in which it seemed she was living in a parallel world, where negative things that might have happened were averted, while things she wished for sometimes went awry. She designed a pair of multi-use jeans for which she sought a patent, but her identity was stolen along with her product line. After a flu shot in 1998 and a medical procedure a year later, she developed disturbing, disrupting, undiagnosed physical symptoms. Through all her trials, however, she often saw heavenly visions or encountered guardian angels, remained strong and stalwart, and, through employment as a nurse's aide, regained her sense of purpose.

Quotidian, whose real name is Sherley L. Blaise, has constructed her recollections in the form of episodes of specific date and time, though not in chronological order. She emerges through her narrative as both defiant (determined not to give in to tough circumstances) and devout. Her Catholic religion provided a mainstay of her idealism. Born in Haiti, she became a US citizen and felt the tragedy of 9/11 as deeply as any American-born person. She has revisited Haiti before and after the earthquake of 2010 and makes observations about the country's suffering, poverty, and need for change. Composing her recollections was a sort of self-therapeutic exercise, reliving both real and supernatural occurrences. She concludes that it is now time for her to "cross the Bridge" to whatever the future holds. Her story can be an inspiration for anyone experiencing unexplained setbacks and needing encouragement.

- The US Review of Books