From the Ashes of My Dreams

A car accident turns the world of a man and his family upside down; a husband and father is left quadraplegic. One day he's walking, the next he's not ... ever again. How does he cope? How does his family cope? Obviously, it ain't easy ... but perseverance is but one of the multitude of strengths of the Smith family. None of us can imagine the emotional rollercoaster each of them experienced. From the Ashes of My Dreams is a daunting tale of how fragile we (and all our lives) are and what it takes to keep a dream alive. There are morals to Ed Smith's story that apply to all of us (when we might feel depressed). One proper tagline might be: "You think you got it tough, friend ... try this chair on for size?" Having every right in the world to be angry at everyone and everything forever (including his God), somehow Ed Smith isn't. He has his moments (probably more than depicted in the book), but with the help of his family and friends and an inner strength (perhaps his God), this man manages to turn every corner and find some light in all that dark. That in itself takes a very good man. If the depression in suddenly finding oneself quadraplegic wouldn't be overwhelming, there's also frustration enough to want to pull your hair out for this man and his family {especially his wife--a future saint, no doubt). Airlines, some hospital officials and personnel, etc., don't make their struggle any easier, yet there are as many uplifting people and stories as there are frustrating ones (and probably what kept the Smith family from going crazy) ... and there is humor (God bless the guy) behind every twist and turn. My tagline would be: They grow them tough in Newfoundland, but be prepared (I'm talking tissues) for this inspiring story of a horrible car accident and its consequences and how the individuals involved (all of them) beat the odds, win at life, and more importantly, keep winning. Hard to imagine winning after becoming paralyzed (quadriplegia) through sheer bad luck? Read this wonderful book and see.