About the Book
Author: Jenny Smith
Genre: Memoir
Release date: July, 2021
Jenny Smith was a typical teenager—a gymnast and athlete who loved hair and makeup, played in a band, and was active in her church youth group.
Then one bright summer morning, a spinal cord injury left her paralyzed from the chest down and dependent on others for her most basic needs. Privacy and independence seemed like things of the past.
But Jenny refused to give up or give in to her disability, and over time she discovered that a wheelchair could take her places she’d never dared to imagine. She’s traveled multiple times to Afghanistan and Mexico for wheelchair distributions and sports camps, and even rolled the New York City runway as a model during Fashion Week.
Today, Jenny Smith is a spokesperson for independent and vibrant living with a disability. Her speeches, articles, and social media presence have touched thousands of lives.
In Live the Impossible, Smith shares what it looks like to live with paralysis, from the everyday details most people never think about, to the countless people who have impacted her life along the way. With honesty and humor, faith and fortitude, Jenny shows us how we can all live the impossible, even when life doesn’t go as planned.
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My Review
Jenny's is an amazing story. The book is well written and very encouraging and informative. Jenny is very honest in her account too. She shares about the changes in her friendships because they had been based on mutual activities. There was the agony of prayers for healing. She shares how she navigated school, endured muscle spasms, must be watchful of skin conditions, had tendon transfers and more. She even shares some of those details we often wonder about concerning bodily functions.
This is a great book of inspiration for anyone with a disability and even for those without a disability. Jenny's account shows what can be done with perseverance and trust in God. I am amazed at the ministry Jenny has accomplished and the activities she has experienced. Her life is truly an inspiration to all of us.
Food for thought: “You never know what you might find as you stretch beyond the familiar and into the impossible.” (2468/2894)
My rating: 5/5 stars.
About the Author
You can find out more at www.jennysmithrollson.com.
More from Jenny
“I will never write a book.”
I can’t tell you how many times I said those words. How and why did I publish a book after saying I will never so many times?
For several years, I was writing as a side job for a medical supply company. To learn more about the craft of writing, I signed up for an online class. The instructor invited me to take her next class on writing your life story.
That’s when it happened. I felt a little tap on my shoulder and heard—or felt—the words, “It’s time.”
I groaned.
Since my spinal cord injury at the age of 16, I said never and that’s impossible innumerable times. I had said the words before traveling to Mexico and Afghanistan. As I dreamed of living independently as a quadriplegic. I’d said never to playing wheelchair tennis, rugby, and para-rowing. My words that’s impossible and never were proved wrong time and again.
So I started writing.
It turns out I’ve lived what I believed was impossible.
In July 2021, on the 32nd anniversary of my spinal cord injury, my family, friends, and community celebrated with me at the launch party for my memoir Live the Impossible.
Although the book centers on my story of becoming a quadriplegic at 16 and the trials and adventures that followed, the lessons I learned in the years to come are universal:
- How I found my identity
- The importance of taking a risk
- How I became comfortable in my own body
- Acknowledging I have little to offer and yet seeing God do things I could never imagine
We all have unexpected circumstances in life. But I believe we can all live the impossible, even when life doesn’t go as planned.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 18
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 18
Texas Book-aholic, January 19
An Author's Take, January 20
Inklings and notions, January 21
Stephanie's Life of Determination, January 21
deb's Book Review, January 22
Debbie's Dusty Deliberations, January 23
Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting, January 24
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 25 (Spotlight)
For Him and My Family, January 26
Lots of Helpers, January 27
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 27
Library Lady's Kid Lit, January 28
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, January 29
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 30
Spoken from the Heart, January 30
Locks, Hooks and Books, January 31
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.
(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)
2 comments:
This sounds like a great book to read
I'm looking forward to reading this very soon!
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