G1041 Held Together; a true story of love's victory
Author: Jenny Q
Publisher: Self published
Publishing Date: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-54392-841-9
Summary:
In January of 2014, Joshua Tree's beloved village herbalist, Jenny Q. suddenly became seriously ill and rapidly descended into a coma with slender chance of survival. The shock of this news initiated an overwhelming outpouring of love, wit, service, practical magic and sharing of spiritual wisdom between those in her intimate desert community. Indeed it seemed that the entire group became one in their desperate effort and race against the clock to save her life.
While the words of others in the community tell the story in this book, it is Jenny's own insightful writings that provide a fascinating window into a range of rare experiences. She gives us a unique glimpse into the mysterious worlds encountered while in a coma, the absolute alteration of losing one's legs, the subtle venom of PTSD, the nightmare of withdrawal from prescription opiates, and the maddening frustration of having to re-learn basic skills previously taken for granted such as the ability to walk.
This is a story of love and tenacity which speaks to the power of a mother's connection to her child and of the fierce determination and dedication of a lover who, faced with unthinkable tragedy during the tender stages of a new and beautiful relationship, managed to create a sacred moment amidst the ravages of sepsis and the wounds of surgery to propose to her best friend.
Though Held Together ruthlessly explores dark and often fear-filled places, it is ultimately a celebration of human will, the value of community and the power of love. This book will inspire and light a path for every person caught in a struggle against all odds.
(From iRead Book Tours)
Meet the Author:
Jenny Q was born in Southern California to Palestinian immigrants. Her love of herbs began in her teens while on the road following the Grateful Dead. After exploring many heart homes, she set her roots in Joshua Tree, California, where she opened Grateful Desert, the local apothecary. Joyously sharing her life with her tight-knit desert community, Jenny lives with her beloveds~ Yazzy, her daughter and Myshkin, her wife.
Connect with Jenny: Website
Personal Opinion:
Very often in many books, one finds a story in acknowledgements that it takes a village to write a book, and very often those villagers are more at the background than at the front. In this book, however, it really did take a village to tell the story of Jenny Q, an amazing and resilient woman who survived so many odds. In a number of ways, this is my first time in reading a memoir about an amputee, and a lot of things about her thoughts and experiences surprised me and educated me. Her friends and family heavily advocated and fought with her through spiritual or physical means. There are many voices in HELD TOGETHER, many points of view, and all of them are focused on Jenny Q. What I find remarkable is perhaps the structure of the book, how in beginning of the tale, Jenny Q's friends and family tell what happened and their reactions, but as the reader reaches the end, more and more is told by Jenny Q and her life partner Myshkin. More than anything, its memoirs like HELD TOGETHER that will restore hope in these fractured and turbulent times.
This is for iRead Book Tours
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4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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