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Sarah Jane Butfield
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Glass Half Full Paperback – November 21, 2013

by Sarah Jane Butfield (Author)
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 355 ratings
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Find out what it takes to keep the Glass Half Full, as challenging life events including grief, loss, PTSD and devastating floods, test this expat step-family to their limits. After enduring divorce and numerous child custody battles, Sarah Jane knew that a fresh start in Australia was their only chance of future happiness and that as a family they were making the right decisions. Living the Australian dream in Alice Springs was everything they hoped for until life-changing events started to test the foundations of this resilient family. Using every ounce of positivity they could muster they struggled on and just as they thought the worst was over Mother Nature intervened and washed away the roots to their new life during the Brisbane floods of 2011. This story lets you experience Australian life with an inspirational woman and her courageous family, as they struggle to survive challenging life events and keep their dreams alive. Life is never without its challenges, but how many life-changing events can one family endure before they reach breaking point? Find out in this heart wrenching and touching true story.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    194 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    November 21, 2013
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.42 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1493773534
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1493773534
  7. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sometimes the author made me feel so close to her situations by her brilliant descriptions that I almost felt I had witnessed it first hand. Very clever writing. I do look forward to the next chapter in her life." John F Smith
"As life gets in the way of happiness this couple keeps picking themselves up and moving forward. A must read for those intending to take up life in Australia or Tasmania" S, Jackson
"An incredibly well written book, full of emotion, and very descriptive. I feel I have travelled this journey with Sarah and her family." Ian Woodley

"Ive just finished reading this book and felt compelled to review it because I found the whole story quite moving. I feel inspired by the author as with every situation she has faced in life seemingly has been turned into a positive situation. I cant wait for her next novel." Mme Julia James

I enjoyed this amazing journey of Sarah's family's experiences while searching for a better life in Australia. A heart filled account of courage and faith. Beautifully written from this authors heart.... and I am now looking forward to the next book and what happens in France. Penny Lover

About the Author

Author Sarah Jane Butfield was born in Suffolk, England.
Sarah Jane, a wife, mother, nurse and now a published author. Married three times with four children and three step children she is the modern day mother to her 'Brady bunch' but she loves every minute of their convoluted lives.
Fulfilling her childhood dream and becoming a nurse, was just the start of her amazing journey. Her nursing and teaching qualifications would take her around the world, enabling her to work in all fields of nursing, education and management. However, after 27 years as a nurse,  Sarah Jane has now achieved another long held ambition,that of becoming a published author of two travel memoirs.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2nd edition (November 21, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 194 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1493773534
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1493773534
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.42 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 355 ratings

About the author

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Sarah Jane Butfield

Sarah Jane Butfield

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Sarah Jane Butfield, was born in Ipswich and raised in rural Suffolk, UK, and is a busy mother, grandmother, and international award-winning independent author. After combining a successful clinical nursing and nurse management career and navigating her way through three divorces and parenthood, she is an experienced modern-day mum to her 'Brady Bunch' and she loves every minute of their convoluted lives.

Known as the 'roving Florence Nightingale,' Sarah Jane has travelled across the world in the pursuit of her dreams and continues to do so now that her children are grown up, working as a travel writer/blogger.

She is the author of an award-winning travel memoir series set in Australia and France.

Glass Half Full: Our Australian Adventure,

Two dogs and a suitcase: Clueless in Charente

Our Frugal Summer in Charente

These books, and the boxset, are regularly found high in the Amazon rankings, categories include ex-pat life, parenting, grief, PTSD, step-parenting, cooking, gardening, Australia and France travel.

In addition, Sarah Jane has also written the first three books in a series of self-help literature for aspiring and new self-published authors:

The Accidental Author,

The Amateur Authorpreneur

The Intermediate Authorpreneur,

Book one is permanently FREE to help any aspiring author get started on their writing and book promotion journey.

Sarah Jane's most successful series is the aptly titled, The Nomadic Nurse Series, consisting of:

Ooh Matron!

Bedpans to Boardrooms

Having it All

These nursing memoirs have won three book industry awards and have attracted 5-star reviews from the publishing industry and readers around the world.

Book 4 is due for release in 2023!

Sarah Jane loves to interact with her readers and fellow writers so feel free to connect on social media:

Twitter:

@SarahJanewrites

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/SarahJaneswriting

www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahJaneButfield

www.facebook.com/Twodogsandasuitcase

www.facebook.com/OurFrugalSummerinCharente

www.facebook.com/Ooh-Matron-1646665865549530/timeline/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sarah_jane_rukia.publishing/

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7 out of 5
355 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars ups and Downs of an Ex-pat Lifestyle.
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2015
Verified Purchase
If I had to sum up this amazing story in one word it would be optimism. Sarah Jane has had more than her fair share of knocks in her life and her move to Australia was supposed to be the beginning of a new, healthy life. Having spent a short time in Alice Springs myself, I admired their fortitude in making it their first home in Australia with its difficult climate and quirky way of life. Their move to Queensland was supposed to be a new, idyllic lifestyle and so it was - for a while - until tragedy struck again. Sarah Jane manages to put a positive spin on all the difficulties and tragedies they faced, but more than anything else her deep love for her big, wide-spread family shines through the pages of this book. I highly recommend this memoir.
2 people found this helpful
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Eugene L. Inman
4.0 out of 5 stars Pursuit of a Dream in the Context of Life's Complexities
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2015
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Butfield provides a great picture of the pursuit of a dream for freedom and independence in the context of today's complexities of mixed families and logistical challenges. Her description of the bureaucratic processes and family adjustments associated with an international move combined with the unique geography and cultures of Australia provide a vivid picture of the obstacles that one must be prepared to face. Her tales of the personal impact of natural disasters are sobering. In fact, it is difficult to imagine a family facing so much in such a short period of time.
With a personal interest in microeconomics and individual/family decision-making, "Glass Half Full" is a great illustration of how one's priorities associated with career, health, income, possessions, and family drive specific decisions that have significant implications on one's quality of life. Throughout the book, I wanted to reach out and provide my own guidance for the family's next decision. It is clear that Butfield is a survivor and her writing career is off to a great start.
One person found this helpful
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Jay Desind, Author of Lost in Language
3.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile view of taking chances and starting fresh in a foreign country.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2015
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Sarah's memoir is an earnest account of a trying and life changing time in her and her family's life. I could feel her courage and her resolve to make changes in the hand she was dealt with. It's not an easy thing to leave loved ones and travel half a world away for a better life, and once there, realize that life likes to continue to throw zingers at you.

That said, I wish she would have spent more time describing some of the interactions she had with the inhabitants of Australia, both the aborigines and others. I could tell there were some interesting stories there, and she kept alluding to them, but I just never felt we met any front and center. She goes into it a little with the customs of the aborigines in the hospital—for moments I felt some riveting moments to come—but they just never materialized.

I think there is a great and original story here and I am sure she has enough material to revisit these times and try a different approach. I am interested enough to be there if she is so inclined., and I will be checking out her other books. 3 1/2 stars
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Colin P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Try and try again!
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2017
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I really enjoyed this fascinating story about a family giving it all up to emigrate. The book has its lighter and sadder moments and is a real insight into how things don't always turn out how you would wish! Sarah has been very candid with the family and pet dogs' emotions. The bottom line of this story is a lesson to all of us. No matter how willing you are to succeed, sometimes you just have to admit defeat and get on! A good read!
One person found this helpful
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Serena
4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2015
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This is a very interesting book and not because the writing is great. It was interesting to me because I think there are a lot of missing pieces concerning the author's earlier life that might have gone a long way in helping me understand choices made before leaving for and during their time in Australia. And never did I believe the author's insistence that she feels her glass was half full. If anything, I think she was trying to convince herself that it wasn't completely empty.

What seems to be left out is what makes the book fascinating from a psychological perspective.

I am deliberately being mysterious only because I don't want to upset anyone too much. All I can say is it should be read it with a critical eye.
One person found this helpful
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artbeatofamerica
1.0 out of 5 stars Not the adventure I expected.
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
Unfortunately, I understand why there are only 8 reviews. Being brutally honest, this book was not well written. When I read Andi's review saying, "I was hooked from the first few pages", I was sold. Couldn't wait to dive right in. I was totally disappointed, but kept my hopes up. The first chapters will have to take a turn for the better. Disappointed again and again. Skimmed the next several chapters, still hoping for better. At this point I'm being hit hard with "Albeit" and "Whilst". I'm having to rewrite sentences just to make some sense of it. Where are the proof readers? Whilst, three times in one sentence.
Sorry Sarah. I'm still shaking my head in disbelief. Hopefully your move to France has been a much better experience.
7 people found this helpful
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So many books, so little time
2.0 out of 5 stars Half Full Story!
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2015
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I thought I would enjoy this book, sharing as I do the author's nursing background. However I was quite disappointed in both the writing and the account of her adventures in Australia. I found the writing repetitious and a bit boring. She wrote so many detailed accounts of the more mundane aspects of her new life, but left out whole chunks of what would have interested me.( and other readers too) I would have liked more stories of her patients in the hospital where she worked. She seemed to regard the Aboriginal people more as a threat and wrote very unsympathetically about them. She appeared to have little interest in history of the fascinating continent. Overall, I found it a tedious read. I did finish it but skimmed most of the last chapters. I understand this was s self published book. It could have used better editing.
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Lannah
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2013
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The title of the book peaked my curiosity and as soon as I began reading the synopsis - it all sounds so familiar. Being from the outback myself - while I have visited the UK, I do not originate from there but have just spent the month of September travelling deep into the outback of Qld - and Sarah Jane's descriptions took me straight back. All I want to do is return again and again and.....I am actually only half way through the book but find it increasingly difficult to put down. Well done Sarah.
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Top reviews from other countries

carole hayes
5.0 out of 5 stars Glass Half Full: Our Australian Adventure
Reviewed in France on December 7, 2016
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I absolutely loved this book. From the first page it captured my interest and I felt by the end of the book that I had been admitted into the lives of Sarah Jane, Nigel and their families like a friend. I have already bought the sequel : 2 Dogs and a Suitcase, and I can't wait to find out how their move to France continued.
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Phyllis Rooney
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read.
Reviewed in Canada on March 10, 2015
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This book takes you on a journey of the trials and tribulations of moving to another country, in fact another continent. You feel the heartache and joys that this family goes through. Underneath it all is the undying love for family. I am looking forward to reading the next book because I really need to know the next chapters in their lives.
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To be Frank...
5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive memoir!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2014
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I've read quite a few books now about Brit families uprooting at middle age and relocating to different countries, but this is far and away the most impressive - author Sarah Jane and `where ever I lay my hat that's my home' hubby Nigel leave cosy Cornwall and land in Alice Springs, Australia. Not the romantic Alice Springs I remember from the Flying Doctor radio show of my childhood, but 40 degrees of numbing heat, with lots of dust and flies thrown in. Plunged straight into an emergency resuscitation of a local boy in her new job as a nurse, Sarah Jane is quickly wondering what the heck she is doing there. But on she ploughs - through drastic weight loss as a result of TB exposure, the tragic death of mother-in-law Sheila on the heels of her romantic wedding in Scotland (so sorry for Nigel, my mum died on my wedding day, I became a bit of a "grieving bushman" too!), the terrible trauma daughter Jaime experienced at the hands of an incompetent surgeon, the struggle to build a log cabin in the middle of the desert, the road rage incident which left the author even more traumatised than Jaime, the awful bankruptcy which followed the family's wonderful home being submerged in the Brisbane floods, and finally the gruelling drive-through-four-states-of-Australia-with-no-sleep slog to relocate in Tasmania. There is an iron will at work here, and the family's mantra - "Work the plan, to achieve the dream" - sums up the nothing-will-stop-me pioneer spirit which runs through this great book. Every time something goes wrong, and it goes wrong quite a lot of the time, Sarah and Nigel just pick themselves up and try again. Glass half full? It never looked like being empty!
13 people found this helpful
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Kate 'griz' Pill
5.0 out of 5 stars Read and Enjoy!
Reviewed in Australia on December 26, 2014
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This is a terrifically honest account of Sarah's (and family) move to Australia in order to achieve a better lifestyle. Sarah's honesty and "never say die" attitude to life has made this memoir one of my favorites. Despite the many challenges thrown her way, and oh my goodness, there were a LOT (!), Sarah's optimism and willingness to "give it a go" saw the family move from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, two moves in Queensland and, a final move to Tasmania. Through all of this, Sarah's love for her family shone through. As an Aussie, I enjoyed viewing this country through the honest, but not unfair, eyes of a newcomer. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to be taken on a journey across Oz complete with laughter, tears and warm fuzzy moments. Read and Enjoy!
4 people found this helpful
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martin h.
3.0 out of 5 stars Glass half full describes this read
Reviewed in Canada on May 12, 2018
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I struggled with reading this book as much as I struggled with whether to leave a review, and a three star review at that, because I know how important good reviews are. I almost gave up reading it several times as it struggled to hold me. After all, the story of a family emigrating to another continent is hardly an original theme – I’ve done it myself. But I persevered to the end. On the plus side, I admired the author’s willingness to bare her heart and soul for all to see and her unflinching description of their many challenges which would make anyone despair. On the negative side, the writing is quite pedestrian in the school project style of ‘how I spent my summer holidays’. But the truly unforgivable issue is the number of typographical and grammatical errors that were littered throughout this book, which is the ultimate sin for any author and really annoyed me more and more as I progressed through the book. They indicate a sloppy and lazy approach to the finished book and are disrespectful to the reader. After all, a good copy editor is easy to find. If those had been fixed this mediocre review would never have emerged.
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