Saturday, September 06, 2014

SOUL SURFER by Bethany Hamilton


A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board

Narrative Nonfiction; Survival; Courage

"Bethany Hamilton shares the story of her lifelong love of surfing, and tells how she was able to recover and return to competition with the help of her family, friends, and faith after losing her arm in a shark attack at the age of thirteen." (titlewave.com)
This was published in 2004, but is still a popular book with my middle school students. I finally read it. Now I know why it's a keeper. Bethany's wisdom, faith, and love are remarkable. Her persistence and perspective on life are an example for all ages. Highly inspiring.

"What about sharks?" That question is asked countless times to surfers, especially by those whose sports rarely take them near the ocean....I'd usually just shrug and try not to think about it.....Life is full of what-ifs. You can't let it hold you back. If you do, you're not really living at all...just kind of going through the motions with no meaning." (page 122-123)