First, your eyes are not deceiving you. The young lady on the book cover is doing a handstand, and has no legs. Jen Bricker was born without legs. This book is her story, told with the help of Sheryl Burk. As with any biography/autobiography, it is difficult to comment on the book without commenting on the subject matter.
Everything is Possible starts with the story of Bricker sailing into an event in Qatar attached to a hot air balloon. It sets the tone for a high-flying adventure. The first chapter grounds that adventure in the challenges of being born without legs and the true cost that was to Jen Bricker and her family. Her biological parents felt ill-equipped to care for her and so placed her for adoption.
From there, the story picks up. Bricker is an unstoppable force, and her faith in God is the push she needs to do whatever she sets her mind to. We find a girl who is limited only by those around her, and who typically finds a way around those limitations.
This results in a story that you would never believe if it were sold as fiction. There’s just too many times that Jen accomplishes things which many people with all four limbs would struggle with for this to be real. Except that it is.
Now, from a writing perspective, this book exudes the enthusiasm of youth and accomplishment. As yet, Bricker hasn’t encountered something she could not do. Her outlook is molded by this: she can accomplish, she will accomplish. Therefore, dear reader, so should you. Except some of us old cynics will respond that some things you actually cannot do. There are limitations. That reality, though, is noticeably absent for this story.
And given the obstacles that Bricker has overcome, it is no wonder that she firmly believes that all can be overcome. May more people be driven to try in the face of obstacles and not fold up at the first sign of trouble.
It’s written plainly and straightforward. I’d put it in the hands of anyone needing a current biography. And it’s definitely readable at a high school level, if not a touch further down.
I did receive a copy of this from the publisher.
No comments:
Post a Comment
To deal with SPAM comments, all comments are moderated. I'm typically willing to post contrary views...but I also only check the list once a day, so if you posted within the last 24 hours, I may not be to it yet.