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Skin Deep
‘As I look into my compact mirror hoping to see a familiar reflection, I am stunned when a stranger stares back at me. This is not the face I know so well. I am looking at the handiwork of a mountain lion; he ambushed me while I was biking in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park on January 8th, 2004. My neck sustained more than ten deep bite wounds and my mangled face was pieced together using more than 200 stitches and staples.' - Anne Hjelle.
'Skin Deep' tells the incredible true story of one woman's battle for survival following a vicious mountain lion attack and the daunting emotional and physical challenges she faced during her recovery.
In moving detail, Anne Hjelle's describes her transformation from a wounded victim to a survivor, a woman who managed to come to terms with her new identity, and learned to live by the words ‘feed your faith, not your fear’.
From her first surgery, to the day she went back to Cactus Hill Trail- the scene of her near death experience, Anne tells all in this captivating and evocative personal account which will both move and terrify you from the first page to the last.
'Skin Deep' is an inspiring personal story of tragedy and renewal, a book about what is important in life and about the nature of beauty.
There are more details at www.annehjelle.com.
Anne Hjelle is originally from Apple Valley, Minn., but came to live in California while serving in the United States Marine Corps as a helicopter mechanic. Anne has worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer for the past 16 years. She is a regular public speaker telling the story of surviving the mountain lion attack, and of her life journey thereafter.
Damien Lewis is an award winning and internationally best-selling British author, published in some thirty-six languages worldwide. He has co-authored several powerful and compelling memoirs with women, including the acclaimed international number one best-seller 'Slave' co-written with Mende Nazer
Greg Hardesty is a well-known journalist, trail runner and outdoor enthusiast in Orange County, California. He has been an award-winning reporter for nearly 25 years, covering general news, crime and business for the Orange County Register for the last 13 years.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher.
'Skin Deep' tells the incredible true story of one woman's battle for survival following a vicious mountain lion attack and the daunting emotional and physical challenges she faced during her recovery.
In moving detail, Anne Hjelle's describes her transformation from a wounded victim to a survivor, a woman who managed to come to terms with her new identity, and learned to live by the words ‘feed your faith, not your fear’.
From her first surgery, to the day she went back to Cactus Hill Trail- the scene of her near death experience, Anne tells all in this captivating and evocative personal account which will both move and terrify you from the first page to the last.
'Skin Deep' is an inspiring personal story of tragedy and renewal, a book about what is important in life and about the nature of beauty.
There are more details at www.annehjelle.com.
Anne Hjelle is originally from Apple Valley, Minn., but came to live in California while serving in the United States Marine Corps as a helicopter mechanic. Anne has worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer for the past 16 years. She is a regular public speaker telling the story of surviving the mountain lion attack, and of her life journey thereafter.
Damien Lewis is an award winning and internationally best-selling British author, published in some thirty-six languages worldwide. He has co-authored several powerful and compelling memoirs with women, including the acclaimed international number one best-seller 'Slave' co-written with Mende Nazer
Greg Hardesty is a well-known journalist, trail runner and outdoor enthusiast in Orange County, California. He has been an award-winning reporter for nearly 25 years, covering general news, crime and business for the Orange County Register for the last 13 years.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
Kindle Edition
First published December 17, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 17, 2021
Inspiring!
I've had this on my TBR list for several years, but knowing there would be some traumatic and even disturbing details, I kept putting it off. Once I actually began to read the book, I was quickly drawn into the author's story and finished it in half a day! This book is very well written. It is real and raw, and yet inspiring.
Several things impressed me as I read Anne Hjelle's story - her frightening near-death experience, the miracles surrounding the incident that changed her life, her determination to fight, and how she learned to be thankful for the ways in which her life was changed. But the thing that really stood out to me was her personal struggle to realize that it's not about one's outward appearance that truly matters, but rather who you are as a person, the real you, that counts. As stated in the book, true beauty comes from within a person.
I've had this on my TBR list for several years, but knowing there would be some traumatic and even disturbing details, I kept putting it off. Once I actually began to read the book, I was quickly drawn into the author's story and finished it in half a day! This book is very well written. It is real and raw, and yet inspiring.
Several things impressed me as I read Anne Hjelle's story - her frightening near-death experience, the miracles surrounding the incident that changed her life, her determination to fight, and how she learned to be thankful for the ways in which her life was changed. But the thing that really stood out to me was her personal struggle to realize that it's not about one's outward appearance that truly matters, but rather who you are as a person, the real you, that counts. As stated in the book, true beauty comes from within a person.
June 2, 2013
I'm just going to say it: worst memoir I've ever read! The story itself would have been very interesting if the writing hadn't had been so bad. It was very clear at different points throughout the book that the author, Anne, is a good woman who had a terrible thing happen to her, but she's no writer and certainly not a coherent story-teller.
Truly though, the story would be worth reading if a good writer/story-teller was the one sharing it. My biggest issue was the writing was very teen-ish, like it reminded me of something I might write in High School, but less descriptive. That was another issue: by the end of the book I couldn't really describe to you what the author really looked like or much detail about her life because she didn't share many details at all! It didn't help that the book's timeline was all over the place. Truly it got confusing when in one paragraph we're in 2004 and in the very next one we're in 2006, and then two pages later we're in 2005, and then we're back in 2004 again. I'm not exaggerating, that really happened! That style made it confusing for me to follow her physical and emotional recovery process very well at all. Her experiences were disjointed, so one minute she was accepting of her new face and then she jumped back to still coping. Her character development got all choppy, too. At the beginning of the book she said she was into fashion, then after her accident she pushed it away, then in the end of the book she says "But it doesn't mean that I don't still want to look good; to dress to kill..." When did that change happen? I don't know!
It wasn't until the last two chapters that I was able to pin exactly what it was about her narrating voice that bugged me: she was telling me (the reader) what she has told other people about her experience and what they should learn from it. For example, this was something she said towards the end of the book (I'm not going to even talk about the poor construction of this paragraph):
This style very much kept me at a distance from her. I felt like there was a middle man in between the two of us filtering her thoughts and words so I could understand -- and the middle man was a 7th grader. I just didn't care for it at all!
Her message (that she seemed to repeat over and over to mask the lack of details and quality writing) was a good one though: Feed your faith, not your fear. Other than that and it's a really quick read to add one more book under my belt, I can't say there are too many more redeeming qualities to this book. Extremely disappointing!
Truly though, the story would be worth reading if a good writer/story-teller was the one sharing it. My biggest issue was the writing was very teen-ish, like it reminded me of something I might write in High School, but less descriptive. That was another issue: by the end of the book I couldn't really describe to you what the author really looked like or much detail about her life because she didn't share many details at all! It didn't help that the book's timeline was all over the place. Truly it got confusing when in one paragraph we're in 2004 and in the very next one we're in 2006, and then two pages later we're in 2005, and then we're back in 2004 again. I'm not exaggerating, that really happened! That style made it confusing for me to follow her physical and emotional recovery process very well at all. Her experiences were disjointed, so one minute she was accepting of her new face and then she jumped back to still coping. Her character development got all choppy, too. At the beginning of the book she said she was into fashion, then after her accident she pushed it away, then in the end of the book she says "But it doesn't mean that I don't still want to look good; to dress to kill..." When did that change happen? I don't know!
It wasn't until the last two chapters that I was able to pin exactly what it was about her narrating voice that bugged me: she was telling me (the reader) what she has told other people about her experience and what they should learn from it. For example, this was something she said towards the end of the book (I'm not going to even talk about the poor construction of this paragraph):
"I share about one way that I practice overcoming fear, by confronting obstacles on the mountain biking trail -- the rocks, steep drop-offs, spiny-cactus-lined trails. By dealing with them -- one at a time -- I realize that I can conquer those fears. I learn that I am capable of much more than I realize."
This style very much kept me at a distance from her. I felt like there was a middle man in between the two of us filtering her thoughts and words so I could understand -- and the middle man was a 7th grader. I just didn't care for it at all!
Her message (that she seemed to repeat over and over to mask the lack of details and quality writing) was a good one though: Feed your faith, not your fear. Other than that and it's a really quick read to add one more book under my belt, I can't say there are too many more redeeming qualities to this book. Extremely disappointing!
March 21, 2013
This is a true story of a very active woman who was attacked by a mountain lion in California and lived to tell about it. She was saved by her best friend and some fellow bikers throwing rocks at the cougar. The cougar had killed Mark Reynolds earlier in the day just yards from where Anne was attacked.
This story isn't so much about the attack itself as it is about surviving the emotional trauma that goes with a disfigured face and numerous surgeries in an attempt to find out who the real inner "Anne" is. A very uplifting read.
This story isn't so much about the attack itself as it is about surviving the emotional trauma that goes with a disfigured face and numerous surgeries in an attempt to find out who the real inner "Anne" is. A very uplifting read.
November 19, 2015
Not sure what I expected
I really feel for Anne and what she went through. I'm not sure what I expected of this memoir. I'm amazed at the strength she has in the face of adversity but, at the end of the book, she still seems to discount the enormity of her struggle compared with other people's struggles (i.e. cancer). In the end though, this book isn't as inspiring as I thought it would be. Like I said, I'm not really sure what I expected but this book isn't on my recommended reading list.
I really feel for Anne and what she went through. I'm not sure what I expected of this memoir. I'm amazed at the strength she has in the face of adversity but, at the end of the book, she still seems to discount the enormity of her struggle compared with other people's struggles (i.e. cancer). In the end though, this book isn't as inspiring as I thought it would be. Like I said, I'm not really sure what I expected but this book isn't on my recommended reading list.
November 23, 2015
Reads like disjointed excerpts from a diary. The story is both horrifying (because it's true) and uplifting (because she survived, recovered, and has learned to cope). The story would have been better served to have been written by someone with more experience.
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March 1, 2015powerful and uplifting
Anne Hjelle had something devastating happen to her and was able to rise above it to live and use the experience to lead a more meaningful life and encourage and champion others.
Anne Hjelle had something devastating happen to her and was able to rise above it to live and use the experience to lead a more meaningful life and encourage and champion others.
May 1, 2013
Quick read, but don't miss the message of how we perceive others & tend to judge what's on the outside vs. inside.
November 16, 2013
Skin Deep - True story of Anne's mountain lion attack. A quick read with an inspiring message. I'm proud to know Anne personally. She is beautiful inside and out!
February 14, 2016
Very readable. Believable. Interesting.
November 21, 2016
Courageous woman...horrific experience....triumphant life.....amateurish book. 3 stars out of respect for she unconquerable spirit.
April 19, 2017
What a story! I didn’t expect such a thought-provoking biography when I started reading Mrs. Hjelle’s book, but I’m so glad I took time for it.
For Anne, the day had gone much like any other day, and she was enjoying the mountain bike ride with one of her best friends Debi. Suddenly, out of a thicket beside the path, a mountain lion attacked her and for the next few minutes it was a life-and-death fight between her and the cat as it tried to drag her into a nearby ravine. Somehow, with the help of the Lord, the mountain lion was driven off just in time—but Anne would never look the same again. With her face permanently scarred by the attack, is there any way she can build her life again and feel comfortable looking different? And more importantly, will she be able to get over her fear of being attacked again?
Although some parts of this story are fairly graphic, overall I found it quite encouraging. Not only is it shown possible to face and conquer our fears, but the fact that God is well able to help His children through difficult situations shone from these pages. This is a biography I see myself re-reading from time to time. Highly recommended!
For Anne, the day had gone much like any other day, and she was enjoying the mountain bike ride with one of her best friends Debi. Suddenly, out of a thicket beside the path, a mountain lion attacked her and for the next few minutes it was a life-and-death fight between her and the cat as it tried to drag her into a nearby ravine. Somehow, with the help of the Lord, the mountain lion was driven off just in time—but Anne would never look the same again. With her face permanently scarred by the attack, is there any way she can build her life again and feel comfortable looking different? And more importantly, will she be able to get over her fear of being attacked again?
Although some parts of this story are fairly graphic, overall I found it quite encouraging. Not only is it shown possible to face and conquer our fears, but the fact that God is well able to help His children through difficult situations shone from these pages. This is a biography I see myself re-reading from time to time. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews