X

Get FREE Email Updates

Sign Up

Dave's Travel Corner

Seeing the World One Step at a Time

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Guides
  • Journals
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Links
  • Interviews
  • About

book reviews

Email Dave if you would like a book reviewed, or mail it to the address here.
Some but not all of the books reviewed have been sent to us as samples.


Learning to Breathe

May 1, 2014 by DaveLeave a Comment

Long time Photojournalist Alison Wright has traveled to the far corners of the planet photographing endangered cultures and people. Her work has been dangerous at times – including covering demonstrations that became violent in Nepal. And she has certainly been involved in a number of mishaps in her career.

But this story is not about those adventures.

It is about a horrific crash involving a bus she was in and a logging truck on a windy dirt road in Laos. And the incredible story of how she survived this crash against all odds and her long road to recovery. A number of times in the months after the accident people would remark to her “you should be dead”. And by all medical logic, she should have been.

She sustained injuries that would have in fact killed most people – her intestines and organs were shoved up into her right shoulder, with major internal injuries, a plethora of broken bones, severe lacerations requiring hundreds of stitches – and all this endured for 14 hours before she was even able to see the inside of a real hospital.

On the fly help from those who had no medical training and her ability to pull physical and emotional strength from years of meditating incredibly helped her stay alive through the worst of this experience.

After years of wandering the globe gaining a broad perspective on cultures, people, religions and way of life this accident reduced her perspective to a hospital bed. And the recovery and surgeries and physical therapy that followed for months and years would be enough to shatter one’s emotions and outlook on life.

But Allison wasn’t one to wallow in self pity – she surrounded her self by upbeat and positive professionals in her immediate world of health care – and slowly persevered – finally walking again. Then she set a rather ambitious goal – to reach the 5,895 meter summit of Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa – only about 2 years after her accident.

While seemingly an impossible task given her injuries and recovery at the time – she ultimately summited Africa’s tallest mountain.

Returning to the career she had before the accident was slow – but ultimately she was able to do so. One of her visits was to the crash site three years later. She met a number of those who were immediately with her following the accident including the gentleman who crudely stitched up her arm and the doctor who was the first to treat her.

This book is a gripping read of real life survival, the strength of the human spirit, recovery and reflection.

Related posts:

Learning Spanish in Xela, Guatemala Learning to Fly at the End of the World: Travels Down the Yucatan Peninsula No More Heroes Car + Vacation, Volvo Factory Tour, Gothenburg Sweden Bangkok, Thailand – Medical

Filed Under: Inspirational Books · Tagged: Africa, Bus Travel, Laos, Mt Kilimanjaro, Nepal, Walking tour

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Want an avatar to show with your comments? Get a free Gravatar

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow @DaveDTC

Get FREE Email Updates ▶

Categories

Latest Posts

  • Setting Sail On Sydney Harbour Dinner Cruise ̵…
  • Thomas Ramdahl, SVP Network Management at airBalti…
  • Pasadena is A Holiday Spectacular
  • Amazing Places to Visit in Florida in 2024
  • The Saviour Fish by Mark Weston

Explore

  • Above the Clouds
  • Guides
  • Highlight of the Month
  • Interviews
  • Journals
  • Press Releases
  • Videos

Prepare

  • Book Reviews
  • Pack List
  • Quiz: Geography
  • Quiz: Travel
  • Tour Booking
  • Travel Insurance
  • Travel Products

Share

  • Contribute
  • Forums
  • Links
  • Photos

About

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Contributors
  • Email Dave
  • Media Coverage
  • Media Kit
Hi I'm Dave. After a life changing trip in 1996, I began this site as a creative outlet to educate, inspire and share travel experiences. Read more...
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Return to top of page
Copyright © 1996–2023 Dave's Travel Corner · All Rights Reserved · Log in

7ads6x98y