Member Reviews
A compelling testimony of God's grace and truth amidst tragedy and pain. Artfully interwoven with scripture passages, as well as quotations from children's books and literary classics.
A book that shows the personal struggles and how the author managed them when she suffered physical trauma and injuries with an accident.
Its a very powerful book in the way that the author tries to make it clear that we should maybe all stop asking ourselves "why me? Poor me, helpless me, that didn't deserve this!" and maybe start asking "why me? What can I do with it, what does I think teach me, why am I in this position and what can I do with it."
Its hard to do that, and actually start to understand that out of every situation something good can come out of even if the situation seems completely hopeless and endless. Evedpecially if its painful to just be, up or awake or just generally be becuse you are in constant pain.
Trying to figure out wha toys can do with it or despite it might just help you enough to find a way around it or at least might help you deal wiht it easier.
Which is not easy at all, and as a chronic pain sufferer I struggled with that basically daily, but it's defiantly a better view then only being negative. Negativity doesn't make it better either, so why not at least try to be positive days?
<b>We have known fear that binds, sorrow so full it chokes and circumstances that struck us like an anxe-one fell swoop leveling us to the ground. Nevertheless, we were not in the habit of asking, "Why did this happen to us? Why Me? Why did I get hurt? Rarely, if ever, does anyone receive an answer to the "why" question. And a close reading of Scripture reveals that "Why" isn't even the question we should be asking. </b>
The question and the one that Clark came to see in her circumstances was the question of Who. Who allows suffering and to what end. This is her story. It might be different for you and it is different for me but it is the same question for all of us. It is a journey of knowing who God is. A quadriplegic Clark shares her life before, during and after. How it affected her family, her self-worth and her hope. How despair can end us or cause a beginning of enlightment. To rest in our father and creator.
Clark's story gives you reason to pause. It is not a comparison of suffering and she thankfully points that out but who we share our suffering with. That I appreciate greatly!
<i>A special thank you to Moody Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
I was allowed to read this book by Netgalley and it took me a while to sum up the courage to delve into it. However, I was so glad that I did because it certainly opened my eyes and gave me an insight I was unaware of.
I couldn't finish this. It wasn't for me or I wasn't in the mood for it. It is also cringe-worthy. In fact that Katherine has the worst thing happening to her. When she plays with some kids, she fractures her back and doesn't feel anything from neck to toes anymore. And I cried... and had shivers through my skin.
It was painful to read and I am sorry for the author. Maybe she got through this safely in the end, but I couldn't know. I don't think I'll ever try to read this book. There are a lot of books out there.
1.5 stars for this one.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
I really liked it, though I wish it were a little less about religion and more about the story itself. But that could just be me reading it as a Jew-- I do get that Christian novels is a genre and it's okay! Just not my cup of tea.
Where I End by Katherine Elizabeth Clark tells the redemptive story of an unbelievable
accident that happens on a school playground that causes the paralysis of the author. I have never read a book quite like this before. The author shares not only her journey, but she has so much faith and biblical knowledge, that she also shares with her readers. The author is inspirational in telling her life story from the point of the accident forward. The author shares details of her rehabilitation along with her families' support throughout her journey.
In addition to telling a story about her life the author also shares her religious faith and how the bible has helped her to cope. She shares many bible verses that are interspersed throughout the novel. I enjoyed this part of the novel immensely. Ms. Clark has a talent for picking the best verses to show her faith as her life continues post accident. Anyone who is struggling with their faith and/or their health would absolutely benefit from reading this novel.
If there were anything that I might change I believe that, at times, there were too many bible verses in certain sections of the novel. The number of verses interfered with the reading of the major plot. This, however, is a small criticism and I would, absolutely read this novel again.
I will pray for Ms. Clark as she continues on her life journey
Katherine Clark's story moved me to deeper faith and trust in our Heavenly Father. What started out as a lovely afternoon at a playground became a horrific tragedy for her and her family. On the ground after a child jumped from a jungle gym falling on top of her, she really thought she would just get up. How wrong she was as she spent months in the hospital and in recovery with a diagnosis of quadriplegia. Her determination and strength in God created a miraculous advance in her dire prognosis. Scripture, prayers, and her resolution to walk again shored her up while unbelievable odds stacked up against her. Her experience proves the premise of knowing the Bible and its truths as it will prepare a person for whatever may come. Her foundation of faith, family, and dreams of the future lifted her beyond the impossible.
Where I End is inspiring and uplifting as this young mother rises above circumstances. I highly recommend it.
I received a copy from Net Galley. I was not compensated for this review. All thoughts are my own.
Inspiring and uplifting. I have experience of life "before and after" a catastrophic event so a lot of the text resonated with me. Highly recommended.
In one moment your life can change forever. And in one moment, Katherine's did. While she was helping out at her son's school one day, a surprising and unexpected accident happened on the playground and Katherine became paralyzed. Throughout this book, Katherine shares her heartbreaking story. If I could speak to Katherine, I would tell her that she is a hero. She is a hero for sharing her struggles and being an inspiration to all who know her. She is also a miracle as she was able to learn to walk again, although life as she knew it is not the same. I applaud Katherine for keeping strong in her faith and leaning on God and her family and support system for strength. One thing that resonated with me is when Katherine said that she goes back and forth between gratefulness and grief. She is so grateful for the steps she has made to recovery, but she also grieves her old way of life, which is absolutely understandable in this situation. She looks forward to the day she can be whole again in heaven. Katherine, thank you for sharing your story in such an uplifting way. Your story was truly an inspiration to me.
Quadriplegic. You hear the word and it pricks your heart. You struggle to wrap your head around the concept of someone no longer being able to use either of their arms or legs, especially when you hear that this particular quadriplegic is a healthy, young 32-year-old woman with a husband and two small children, and her entire life ahead of her.
Questions swirl in your head as you contemplate what this poor woman must've went through. What would you do if you were told you would never be able to walk again? That life as you had once known would cease to exist and that this nightmare that you're now living would be your new normal? That you may not ever get to wrap your arms around your children or even open a bag of potato chips unassisted. Would you hold onto your faith or would you lose it? It seems unreal but this is exactly what happened to Katherine Elizabeth Clarke on May 29, 2009.
Where I End is Kate's journey through the ordeal that brought her to this new normal: a freak accident on an elementary school playground in Grand Rapids, Michigan, all the way through her rehabilitation and miraculous recovery, walking after being told she would never walk again. Beautiful written and heartbreaking, Kate takes you through the accident, where a little boy jumped off a jungle gym and landed on her neck, severing her spinal cord, through her 40 day stay in a rehabilitation faculty, and the challenges that she continues to face to this day now that she is home. Interwoven throughout her story, Kate ties in Biblical doctrine that either mirrors what she endured or the thoughts that she thought during that time in her life.
Each chapter begins with a quote from another literary work which I found quite charming. Though I love all of the Biblical references, and how everything she went through ties back to Jesus, I must admit that I did get a little lost in it all. It was a lot of back and forth from her story to the stories from the Bible. I have had a lot going on in my personal life lately so maybe it just wasn't the right season for me to be reading this particular book.
All in all, I am glad I did get the chance to read Where I End. Kate's story gives hope to those who feel hopeless and is a great reminder that God is here for us no matter what and does hear our prayers.
"In an instant, all of life can change. Sometimes it's because of a decision that we've made. At times it's thrust upon us by the choice of another. And other times it's just the result of living in this broken world."
I received this book courtesy of Netgalley and its publisher, Moody Publishers. I actually give this book 3.5. It didn't consistently captivate my attention for me to give it 4.
This a true story about a mother who is injured and becomes a quadriplegic. It is a spiritual read interlaced with her recovery. Scripture is quoted throughout the book and relates to her miraculous cure. At times, it was more about Scripture than about Clark’s injury and recovery.
It’s a great book for anyone inspired by Scripture.
Where I End
A Story of Tragedy, Truth, and Rebellious Hope
by Katherine Elizabeth Clark
Moody Publishers
Biographies & Memoirs , Christian
Pub Date 02 Jan 2018
I am reviewing a copy of Where I End through Moody Publishers and Netgalley:
Life can change in an Instant Katherine Elizabeth Clark knows this from experience. She was once an average wife until an accident in late May of 2009, a young boy on a Jungle Gym jumped and landed on Katherine's head knocking her over and snapping her neck, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down.
Suddenly Kate was facing a very different life than she had planned. After enduring surgery she finds herself lying trapped in her own body, unable to move.
A week after her surgery Kate Mary Free Bed a rehabilitation hospital that specializes in Spinal Cord Injuries.
The prognosis that was terrifying could have been the end of the story. But God chose to work a profound miracle in Kate's life and that of her families.
Kate learned she was an incomplete Quadriplegic so she was able to learn to walk
After 45 days in the Rehab Hospital Kate left with a Cane she could not hold very well.
Kate talks about celebrating her Son's eighth birthday in a great deal of pain, feeling dizzy and with a horrible headache she would later learn she had a UTI which can be fatal to a Quadriplegic.
Kate's story could have ended there, but it did not, God had other plans for her, Kate is a healed Quadriplegic!
She still has her struggles, but God has worked a miracle in Kate's life and that of her family.
I give Where I End five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
In Where I End Katherine Elizabeth Clark recounts her journey after a freak accident left her paralysed from the neck down. The subtitle which makes reference to 'tragedy, truth and rebellious hope' aptly summaries the core of this book - it's hard to even comprehend what Clark has been through, but her story dares the reader to hold onto hope in difficult and tragic situations.
Within the story, Clark is quite forthright with her Christian faith. Possibly my favourite section of the book talked about how she has noticed that there seem to be two ways that people confront grief and pain. One is as "an unwelcome, uninvited trespasser to be shunned or dismissed" the other is as a "co-dependent love [to be] indulged at every opportunity." It's welcome to read the perspective of people who have actually walked through horrific hardship rather than take the neatly package theological perspectives we are often given. Clark is realistic but her faith in Jesus Christ is at the core of her story.
The book is easy to read and instantly engaging. The insight into what it's like to be told you are a quadriplegic who won't be able to walk again and then to experience the miracle of walking again is fascinating.
Yet Clark doesn't leave us with a glossy picture where everything is fine. She does not hide away from the pain of her current day-to-day reality. It's this that is perhaps the most valuable dimension to the book. This is the kind of book that must have been unimaginably hard to write but I am thankful to have read it. I would recommend to anyone who is walking with someone dealing with disability, tragedy or difficult situations.
Wow! This was such an incredible story of faith in the midst of life shattering circumstances. As someone who has seen God work miracles in my life and others I understood so much on an emotional level. Maybe it is because I am a person who loves books and the written word. I loved the many references from books that she has read as well as numerous examples from the bible. I will say at times these other references overshadowed her own personal story but it also enriched it somehow. This is a book that I picked up and could not put down.
We are broken people in a broken world so I feel this book is something that everyone will be able to relate to on some level. We all encounter hardships and things that will forever change the course of our life and in turn change who we are into who we are becoming. Change is never easy and the impact it has on the ones we love can often times feel harder than the pain we endure while living it out. I just loved this testimony because it was raw, real and true. Thank you Mrs. Clark for sharing your amazing story with us!
I am so thankful to Net galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The true and inspirational story of one woman whose life took a very unexpected turn when a playground accident left her paralyzed. It was amazing to hear how she didn't blame the person who caused this harm to her, but kept a positive attitude in spite of the drastic changes it caused for her and her family.
Where I End
by Katherine Elizabeth Clark
In Where I End, Katherine Elizabeth Clark shares a chance accident, a moment in time, that altered her life and the lives of her family members forever. She describes and analyzes the event and her journey to healing from the viewpoint of a Christian. Although she did not have a “leap to her feet dancing” experience, she did eventually regain the ability to walk, which her surgeon regarded as a miracle: “I can take no credit. God did this.”
Although Kate is left with residual, fairly dramatic difficulties and constant pain, her progress has been remarkable. As she shares her story, she relates how God worked in her life through family, friends and strangers who ministered to her. She tells of the humiliation and frustration of being unable to do even the simplest things for herself. Before the accident Kate was employed as a writer by a Christian organization so her prose is excellent and well thought out and her ideas are clearly expressed. She backs up her theological positions with Scripture references and quotes from Biblical scholars. She shares her story not to put a focus on herself, but on Jesus, who was and is with her through the trials and pain of the accident, surgery, rehabilitation and daily renewal of her hope and trust.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Moody Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Memoir, Christian
Publication: January 2, 2018—Moody Publishing
Memorable Lines:
In that moment, my steady world, where bodies work in harmony with brains, was bartered for an unrecognizable universe, something resembling a Salvador Dalí painting; I felt as if I had slipped into a surreal, disorientated dream.
Yet though our Father promises to hear the cries of His children, He has not promised to exhaustively reveal His mind or plans. We must trust Him, and sometimes in the dark.
When Scripture speaks of not being afraid, it is always cloaked in the presence of the Lord. Be not afraid, not because the situation isn’t terrifying, but because you’re not alone. You have a Good Shepherd who hides you beneath His wing.
It is a great mercy of God that we cannot see the future.
When you’re on the playground with your kids, you expect to have fun and be silly. You don’t expect your entire life to change in an instant, when a small boy jumps off the jungle gym and lands on your head, breaking your neck, but that is what happened to Katherine Clark in May 2009.
Katherine was paralyzed from the neck down, and doctors diagnosed her with quadriplegia and said she’d never walk again. She had emergency spinal surgery that night, but the doctors told her husband she was no longer the same person. They expected her to be a burden for the rest of her life. They expected her to feel sorry for herself and accept her new, horrifying reality. They were wrong.
Instead, God worked a tremendous miracle in Katherine’s life. Her time in a rehab hospital was marked with frustration and tears, but her trust in God was accompanied by progress every day. By the middle of July, Katherine had learned to walk again and returned home. She experienced the deep, abiding love of God, even in the midst of overwhelming pain and trouble, and she clung to Him and His truths to see her through.
I wanted to read Where I End because of the similarities to my own medical history (a stroke 4 ½ years ago because of an unsuspected birth defect, given a 98% fatality rate, told by a doctor “You’ll never be normal again.”) It is terrifying when your life changes in a single instant, but the experience can be a profound blessing. Katherine Clark tells her story with openness and honesty, and the reader feels her pain and her fear, as well as her hope and her joy. If you need something uplifting in your life, this is the book for you!
(Galley provided by Moody Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
This was a beautifully encouraging story for any Christian; Clark shares her specific suffering (tetraplegia) but what she has learned and the Truth she clings to is applicable to any Christian who lives in our fallen world. If you need a quick but amazingly uplifting read, get a copy of this.
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Moody and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
While reading this book, I have a close family member suffering through cancer treatment and I read an article about Joni Eareckson Tada and her winning the Daniel of the Year Award from World magazine.
This book was a great source of wisdom and encouragement for this time in my life and I believe others will feel the same. At the very least we are reminded of how lightning quick a life can change. Katherine Elizabeth Clark was playing tag on the playground with young children one minute and the next she is flat on the ground and unable move after a 7-yr-old accidentally lands on her head from above her. She is ultimately able to walk again, but her life is never the same.
Part memoir, inspirational and theological in nature. This book is recommended especially for women, but will be edifying for men and teen readers as well.