Taking My Life Back, by Rebekah Gregory
Publisher’s summary
On April 15, 2013, Rebekah Gregory and her five-year-old son waited at the finish line of the Boston Marathon to support a friend who was running. When the blast of a homemade bomb packed with nails and screws went off three feet away, Rebekah’s legs took the brunt of the explosion, protecting her son from certain death. Seventeen surgeries and sixty-five procedures later, she finally made the decision to have her left leg amputated.
This stirring memoir tells the story of her remarkable recovery–including her triumphant return to Boston two years later to run part of the race and her participation in the trial of one of the terrorists–and explores the peace we experience when we learn to trust God with every part of our lives: the good, the bad, and even the terrifying.
My Thoughts
I remember very clearly hearing about the Boston Marathon bombing, seeing the pictures and video clips, following the capture of the terrorists on the news, and wondering how in the world one would even begin to heal, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, from such an ordeal.
I was curious to read Taking My Life Back because there was so much information going around on the internet about the bombing that I wasn’t quite sure what was actually fact anymore; I wanted to read the events from the perspective of someone who was there.
Rebekah writes about her experiences as a victim, or rather, a survivor, with passion and raw emotion. She also writes about how she was there with her son, and I can only imagine how terrifying it would have been to be so badly hurt and laying there helpless to be able to care for your child.
Rebekah writes about how her experiences in her life from the time she was young helped shape her into who she was, and how they helped her deal with the aftermath of the bombing. She writes very openly and honestly about the highs and lows, and how her faith in God helped her persevere even when it seemed like everything was working against her.
“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”
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