Testimonials
PRAISE FOR PUSHING UPWARD
“This is one of the most heart-touching, inspirational and interesting books I have ever read. It is so unique, so original. Laced with the author’s own experiences of being and actress, journalist and spiritual women, the reader is welcomed into a world of theater and an emotional roller coaster of the drama of Sandra’s inner and outer life.”
— An Angels Kiss BLOG – Angel St. John
“Adler gives readers a wonderful coming-of-age story set in the retro-70’s, when payphones were necessary, a call was 10 cents, and Batik clothing was all the rage. This is a story all generations can appreciate.”
— RETAILING INSIGHT
“Pushing Upward is brave writing, a young woman’s journey toward her dreams, avoiding traps and falling into them, slipping back and finding the grace and will to go on — and so it reflects on our own journey and makes us braver, too.”
— Gerald DiPego, screenwriter for Phenomenon, Message in a Bottle, Instinct, The Forgotten, Angel Eyes, Sharkey’s Machine
“We may all be searching for an oracle, a teacher, the way to free ourselves from our addictions or our past traumas. We do so through self-inquiry . . . In Pushing Upward, we fall in love with Sandra Billings and watch her painstakingly consult the I Ching with a variety of decisions and questions . . . We cringe along with her in moments of despair, humiliation, and we rejoice with her every triumph.”
— LA YOGA MAGAZINE
“This love story captures the essence of a modern use of the I Ching in the most elegant and accurate way.”
— Paul O’Brien, Divination Foundation
“Andrea Adler deftly interweaves themes of love and betrayal, friendship and higher guidance, ego and surrender to create a compelling and thought-provoking read.”
— Miriam Knight, New Consciousness Review
“Not what I expected . . . it was great!”
— NOOK
“Pushing Upward brought up shocked and poignant recognition, as it rocked both my forty-three-year-old self and my five-year-old self. I found that when I took breaks from reading it, I treated my children differently. The best words of advice I ever read about parenting were: ‘Children may not always remember what you told them, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’ This book makes this point more eloquently than any work of fiction or nonfiction I’ve read. And the power of the book lies in Sandra’s triumph over her internalized demons. The lesson of the book is not in her brilliant debut with its glowing accolades, but in her life-affirming disciplined choices that allow her to grow, as a person and as an artist. I think this book should be read by any actress, and by any woman, and by any person.”
— Julie Novak, mother
“Bravo! Andrea has magnificently depicted the struggle and confusion young women go through when faced with life decisions. The best part is, she has accomplished this with great humor, sensitivity and integrity. I can’t wait for this book to become a film.”
— Sofia van Surskum, Executive Director, Durango Film Festival
“Pushing Upward is a power-packed page-turner –– an example of visionary fiction at its best. Adler uses her characters to show us, not tell us, how we can create conscious transformation in action . . . the way it works when used properly, the way it blows up when we ignore the signs — especially when the answers are not what we want to hear.”
— Kay Snow-Davis, consultant
“Pushing Upward made me think about my life in a way I never did before. It gave me permission to dig down into my past where it was too painful to go by myself. The humor helped me to bring memories to the surface, and move through my own shadows in a less threatening way.”
— Evan McCulloch, musician
“Those of us seasoned in life, those of us who are mentors or potential mentors, have in Emma a role model. In Sandra, we remember our own journey and, as such, we can embrace the grave responsibility we have for a younger generation, often lost and confused. Pushing Upward is a wonderful book, clever, funny, and most of all heartfelt.”
— Ron Bennett, writer
“Pushing Upward is woven together with thick texture and color; the characters are raw, real and honest. I love how Adler takes the reader on that rollercoaster ride we’ve all been on . . . the one where we believe in ourselves one minute, and then the next, search for an escape when that belief is hard to find. Pushing Upward has ‘bestseller’ written all over it. But most importantly, the lives and the minds and the hearts it will touch will be tremendous. This is a work of art — beautifully crafted and molded by every step Sandra Billings took.”
— Holly Zubot, marketing consultant
“I relived the confusion and excitement of my twenties, the many choices, the romance, the degradation, the danger, the ecstasy, the search to find a place in the world and the answer to unarticulated spiritual questions. Pushing Upward describes with relentless honesty the exercise of courage inherent in the human condition.”
— Ana Benscoter, teacher
“This book mirrored my entire life. Reading about Sandra’s tenaciousness to get to her own truth helped me to leave a relationship that wasn’t good for me, and leave a career I was unhappy with. I kept this book under my arm wherever I went. It became my best friend and gave me the courage to face my own fears and push upward.”
— Pat Lavin, hypnotherapist
“Andrea is a most engaging writer. . . . Pushing Upward is a delight. I honestly had a hard time putting it down and then didn’t want to see it end. For days afterwards I found myself missing Sandra Billings and wondering what would happen to her next.”
— Jessica Stuart Yudelson, acting and speaking voice coach
