Genre: Memoir/LGBTQ
Description:
“Encapsulated in a body that could not move. Caught in a cast from my
hips to the top of my head, situated in a CircOlectric bed that kept everything
suspended and safe. The only thing that worked was a now-injured brain that was
incessantly active and asking more of my body than it could handle. I lived,
fought, and won my life back with the support of a large cast of helpers. I am
the fortunate recipient of those extraordinary efforts. Visiting hours are now
open; please accept my invitation to stop by.”
Author:
“Anna K. Abbi is a retired business professional who splits her time
between California and southern Vermont. In retirement, she enjoys working on
her books, creating stained glass art, and spending time with her two Rhodesian
Ridgeback dogs and her 50-year-old parrot. She writes memoir and fiction under
a pen name.”
For more, visit her website.
Appraisal:
After a car accident the author finds herself in a hospital bed with
serious injuries and the possibility of being a quadriplegic for the rest of
her short life. The accident is in 1963 and … spoiler alert … the book
description talking about winning her life back and her biography mentioning her
stained glass art would seem to imply that she was eventually able to move to
some degree and has obviously had a long life. However, this tale of what it
took to get there, both on the part of the author and from those around her, is
an incredible, uplifting story.
With the majority of the story taking place in the early 60s, I found
it interesting to remember or realize how things were different then. Anna, the
author, is a member of the LGBTQ community, and had several gay men as
roommates. They kept things interesting when they’d come to visit her in the
hospital. This also complicated her life in ways that it might not today,
certainly not as much. I also noticed myself spotting things like when one of
the hospital workers mentioned a health issue another worker had. This was an
obvious HIPAA violation, but then it hit me that the law establishing HIPAA,
preventing health professionals from telling others with no need to know about
your personal health issues wasn’t going to be law for 30 more years. The world
has changed a ton in the almost 50 years since Anna experienced this and, in
many ways, it makes the story that much more incredible and uplifting. A
fantastic read and incredible story.
Buy now
from: Amazon US Amazon UK
FYI:
Some adult language and mild adult situations.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No significant issues.
Rating: *****
Five Stars
Reviewed
by: BigAl
Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words
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