Make Your Own Sunshine

Inspiring Stories of People Who Find Light in Dark Times

By: Janice Dean

Narrated by: Janice Dean

These are the kinds of stories we need right now.

While the news is filled with villains and villainy, we do see a few famous heroes now and again. But what about the everyday heroes? The people going out of their way bring a little love into someone else's life? They deserve a time in the spotlight to inspire us all.

Life can be tough—but it helps to know other people have come through hard times with a smile on their face. In Make Your Own Sunshine, Janice Dean shares inspiring stories that will lift your spirit and touch your heart. Good people are all around us doing selfless deeds, from a firefighter who bravely battled for his colleague’s health after 9/11 to a good Samaritan who secretly pays for the coffees of everyone in line behind him. You can’t help but smile hearing about the teacher who cut her hair to make her student feel better. And you may shed a tear when you hear the story of the dad who never missed writing a napkin note for his daughter, including stashing extra notes in case he lost his batter with cancer. From a young man who makes bow ties for dogs waiting to be adopted to an Uber driver who brightened a new mom’s day by helping her buy baby clothes, the heroes in this story will warm your heart and stick in your mind.

Janice has made it her mission to uncover and document these good stories to inspire us and gives us a much-needed boost of optimism. All we have to do is open our minds and our hearts, to look for the light on a cloudy day. Because as she reminds us, if we don’t make our own sunshine—who will?

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Janice Dean (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

A Positive Message

This has been a difficult year. We have been locked down, mask-mandated, told to stay at home, etc. Many have had the virus, lost friends, relatives, businesses and jobs. Janice Dean's husband lost both of his parents to COVID-19. In this negative atmosphere, Ms. Dean has compiled a number of stories that highlight the positive actions of Americans who have responded to challenges, helped others or brought a ray of sunshine into others' lives. Janice Dean professionally narrates her book and shows that she is one of the most up-beat people in broadcasting and writing.

It's a Sunshine read

I've always looked for smiles and even rainbows after a storm...so it blesses me to hear these sunshine stories!

Reader is worst I've heard

Even though the book content might be worthwhile, I could not get past the horrible reading. It ruined the entire experience and I stopped listening.

not as good as I hoped

didn’t like: an epigraph, then a prologue?? and telling us abt your wonderful birthday in the front of the book in the prologue?? not sure why we need to know that or why we'd care?? then an epilogue at the end??
also the repetitions of "I ask Emma" instead of "I asked" became irritating.
author injects a lot of her personal story within the chapters abt others. not sure that's a good thing. if you're going to interview someone else, the interview should be about them. not you. if you want to write about you, then either put that all in one chapter or make the entire book about you.
liked: some great stories.