Book Review: Beauty in the Broken Places

My favorite thing about reading memoirs is that they give you a chance to walk a mile in someone else's shoes without having to fully experience what they have faced and (most often) triumphed over. It is kind of like living someone else's life for a day or two and fully familiarizing yourself with their reality. And what a reality Allison Pataki endured!

Alison and her husband were headed for a last vacation prior to the birth of their first child. As they boarded the plane, they had no idea their lives were about to change dramatically. Dave, a thirty-year-old, physically-fit, surgical resident, turned to Alison to ask if his eye looked strange because he couldn't see out of it. It was indeed widely dilated and a moment later, he lost consciousness and suffered a rare, life-threatening stroke.

Alison's story, Beauty in the Broken Places, tells not only of how they met and fell in love, but also how that love endured through the aftermath of his traumatic brain injury. She manages to find the blessings in the midst of tragedy. Statistically, the odds were against them in many ways, but love, faith, and resilience brought them through deep waters. In the end, Alison is able to reflect once again on how lucky they were to have found one another and to have weathered the storms of life together.

The book will also appeal to anyone interested in the remarkable plasticity of the brain. It is truly amazing how the body can heal itself. Through the power of prayer and the awe-inspiring resiliency of the body (a mark of God's great craftsmanship), Dave's brain is working towards a full recovery. I appreciated the epilogue providing Dave's perspective. He is expected to return to his career as a surgeon. Moreover, he will certainly live a life of deeper gratitude after walking through his harrowing experience.