Cara Brookins, author of Rise: How a House Built a Family, breaks the shame of silence common among domestic violence victims. Ten years after she and her four children build a 3500 square-foot house with the help of YouTube videos, Brookins tells what went into the house besides nails, doors, and windows. She also shares the triumphs and lasting love and friendship the family forged through the gritty, hard work of constructing a house while they rise above their past and rebuild their home and family.

00:20   Intro to author Cara Brookins, author and single mother who builds a house using YouTube tutorials

00:40   Story goes viral; viewed more than 2 billion times!

01:20   Building the house feels like a natural, obvious decision

01:35   Once married to one man with paranoid schizophrenia and another one that's abusive

02:40   Motivations to build the house go beyond getting a roof overhead

03:00   Kids had seen nothing but terror for a decade

04:00   Crafty family makes a small model of dream house using sticks and bits

06:40   Wants all the children to have the satisfaction and success of building

07:25   Toughest challenge: “absolutely the foundation”

08:00   Physical challenges include building muscles and facing bad weather

08:30   Emotional challenges include trying to develop healthy communication skills

09:30   Unintended consequence: heavy sacrifice of time

10:30   “Mommy guilt” wiped away by kids’ future courageous choices

12:15   Writing story releases shame; empowers Brookins to heal and build a better life

13:30   Her divorced parents are her most unexpected helpers

14:45   Having another adult on site incredibly reassuring

15:30   Family learns to stop hiding things (feelings, experiences)

16:15   Trauma causes a family to pull bad inward and hide the good things

17:20   Constructing the house releases laughter, humor, and, eventually "the tough stuff"

19:30   Physical threats from ex-husband continue while the family builds the house

21:10   Now, Brookins most proud of all the juggling she managed

22:00   To earn very needed money, she writes newspaper articles with her eyes closed

23:00   The house ("Inkwell Manor") more than a place to live

23:10    Wants to have peace of mind about what she gives her children to take out into the world

23:45   Today, family strength still comes through constant communication

25:00   Brookins now keynote speaker about leadership, procrastination, big goals

25:30   Main message: You can build a better life--exactly the life you want!

26:15   Recommendations: three articles about resilience and strengthening families

BUY Rise: How a House Built a Family

Three Articles About FAMILY RESILIENCE:

1. Family Stories That Bind Us
2. What Makes Families Resilient
3. The Secrets of Resilience

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