Mar 31, 2013

Beyond the Bear

This week marks the book birthday of Beyond the Bear, co-authored by Debra McKinney who is a former Anchorage Daily News colleague of mine. I can say she was a colleague but really - as a news writer, she was way out of my league. I used to read her articles before we moved to Alaska and dream of writing like she does. Seriously. She won the Pulitzer. 'Nuff said.
Beyond the Bear: How I Learned to Live and Love Again after Being Blinded by a Bear
So this book - about Dan Bigley's encounter with a brown bear that ripped half his face off and blinded him - promises a great read at many levels. Here's the blurb:

 A 25-year-old backcountry wanderer, a man happiest exploring wild places with his dog, Dan Bigley woke up one midsummer morning to a day full of promise. Before it was over, after a stellar day of salmon fishing along Alaska’s Kenai and Russian rivers, a grizzly came tearing around a corner in the trail. Dan barely had time for “bear charging” to register before it had him on the ground, altering his life forever.

“Upper nose, eyes, forehead anatomy unrecognizable,” as the medevac report put it.

Until then, one thing after another had fallen into place in Dan’s life. He had a job he loved taking troubled kids on outdoor excursions. He had just bought a cabin high in the Chugach Mountains with a view that went on forever. He was newly in love. After a year of being intrigued by a woman named Amber, they had just spent their first night together. All of this was shattered by the mauling that nearly killed him, that left him blind and disfigured.

Facing paralyzing pain and inconceivable loss, Dan was in no shape to be in a relationship. He and Amber let each other go. Five surgeries later, partway into his long healing journey, they found their way back to each other. The couple’s unforgettable story is one of courage, tenacious will, and the power of love to lead the way out of darkness. Dan Bigley’s triumph over tragedy is a testament to the ability of the human spirit to overcome physical and emotional devastation, to choose not just to live, but to live fully.

Doesn't that sound amazing?? Go here to find out more about Dan. And here to read about Deb.  

1 comment:

Nicole said...

That does sound like quite the powerful story!