Vaarwel mijn liefste

by Petra Němcová, Karina Zegers de Beijl (Translator)

On a perfect sun-kissed morning in a beachfront resort in Thailand, Petra Nemcova was packing, getting ready to leave her bungalow, when she heard screams. Suddenly, people were running in all directions as thunderous, ear-splitting noises rent the air. In the next instant, she was fighting for her life...

Like thousands of other people caught up in the tsunami of 2004, Petra and the love of her life, photographer Simon Atlee, had no warning, no last chance to say good-bye. For eight terrifying hours, in excruciating pain from a shattered pelvis, Petra found refuge in the branches of a palm tree. The sun beat down mercilessly as she drifted in and out of consciousness. The world around her was in chaos. Now, in this stirring and poignant memoir, a courageous young woman tells her moving, unforgettable story.

Love Always, Petra is more than a first-person account of a terrible tragedy; it is the story of a working-class girl who went from a communist-controlled childhood in Czechoslovakia to the cover of Sports Illustrated; it is the story of a woman and a man falling in love amid the glittering world of high fashion. Most of all, it is a story that forcefully illustrates the power of nature to not only change our lives but teach us to treasure the gifts of love and life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Biography, Grief, Czech Literature

223 pages, Paperback

First published December 5, 2005

About the author

Petra Němcová is a fashion model and; founder and president of Happy Hearts Fund. In December 2004, she was injured in Thailand by a tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake; her then-fiancé, Simon Atlee, was killed in the tsunami.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kind of surprised how good this book was. A great history of communist Czechoslovakia. And I was amazed at how brave Petra was while getting her modeling career started. I'd be scared to move to a new country by myself, not be able to speak the language, and all at such a young age! Kudos to her.

[Caroline Van Laere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het verhaal van Petra en Simon gaat niet alleen over de tsunami, maar is ook het levensverhaal van Petra en de manier hoe ze Simon heeft leren kennen. Vlot leesbaar boek

[Michella (BoekenMiesje) · Rating 2 out of 5]

De helft van het boek gaat over haar eigen carrière en zichzelf. Op een gegeven moment zelfs doorgebladerd naar de hoofdstukken die ik graag wilde lezen.

[Veronika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knihu som citala este na strednej skole, co bolo hadam aj 10 rokov spat, ale vryla sa mi pod kozu tak, ze pri kazdej dovolenke, ked lezim s mojim milovanym vedla seba, si na nu spomeniem. Neskutocne nabita emociami, s laskou napisana a sama si ani neviem predstavit ake bolestive je prist zo sekundy na sekundu o svoju lasku a nikdy viac ho nevidiet. O fyzickej bolesti, ked lezala dolamana na strome a celom zotavovani ani nehovorim. Zivot si nevybera, ci je clovek znamy, ci bezny smrtelnik, preto si treba zivot vychutnat plnymi duskami a nebrat veci ako samozrejmost, lebo jeden den sme tu, druhy nemusime ako to bolo aj so Simonom a Petrou.Na knihe ocenujem aj to, ze je nabita krasnymi, hlbokymi myslienkami a pri jej citani clovek akosi spomali a uvedomi si veci, ktore predtym bral ako samozrejmost.

[Kireja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Petra Nemcova is an amazing person! What strength she and her family must have had to muster up in order to get through this ordeal. To lie in a hospital injured, all the while knowing that the love of your life is missing and you can't do anything about it. It breaks my heart to hear all the stories of the lives that were shattered that day. Makes you truly appreciate all the little things in your life, because things really can change in a moment.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

+++This book was incredible. Petra is an amazing woman. Her story was inspirational and I found that I had a lot of the same views as her- on love, traveling, drinking, and religion.
+I loved reading about her traveling adventures!
+Her stories about her family around Christmas time were nice to read. Her grandparents sound amazing!
+The book was the perfect length. Petra didn't get into her modeling career or family history too much. It was just enough!

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 - Petra seems so gracious and down-to-earth, not snobby at all even though she's a top model. Very sad story about how her boyfriend died in the 2004 tsunami and the injuries she suffered. They were so in love :( I liked learning how they met and about their courtship. She was a model and he was a photographer.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story. It gives a face to the tragic Thai tsunami. Petra doesn't seem to fit the typical "supermodel" stereotype.

[Dorine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Titel en cover zijn misleidend. Het boek gaat voor het grootste deel over jeugd en carriere als fotomodel op een verschrikkelijk kinderlijke manier.
Op ruim de helft heb ik het opgegeven.

[Trijntje · Rating 5 out of 5]

8.5

[Kaily De Schryver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het boek “Vaarwel mijn liefste” van Petra Nemcova en Jane Scovell gaat over het leven van Petra. De hoofdgedachte van het boek is zij die haar echtgenoot Simon verliest door het tsunami in Thailand. Als je het boek leest kijk je door de ogen van Petra, het is een aangrijpende ooggetuigenverslag. Eigenlijk is het boek van Petra Nemcova een autobiografie van haar leven. Ik heb dingen bijgeleerd over het communistische waar zij vandaan kwam, maar ook hoe het leven is als model en hoe zij deze ervaring heeft ervaren. Het verhaal is mooi opgebouwd: het leven voor ze Simon leerde kennen, tijdens haar periode met hem en ook de tijd na het verlies van haar geliefde.

Ik vond dit een goed boek want het was een emotionele getuigenis. Ik kan me zeer goed in Petra haar schoenen plaatsen, daarom las dit boek zeer vlot. Het was een leerrijk boek voor mij want ik heb niet alleen meer te weten gekomen over het drama die op 26 december 2004 in Thailand is gebeurd, maar ook veel elementen in het leven: politiek, liefde, verlies, stereotypes in de modewereld.

Ik vond het ook leuk dat er foto’s van de personages in het boek stonden, dit sleurde me nog dieper in het verhaal. Het is een echte aanrader maar wel aangrijpend dus neem er een zakdoekje bij.

Vaarwel mijn liefste, Petra Nemcova & Jane Scovell, 223, waardering (****)

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not rating the writing or the story since this is a memoir and I will not judge anyone thoughts and experiences. I am only rating whether I enjoyed reading the book. The book is now 20 years ago. It is not a book about the tsunami. It is a book about her life and how it was affected by the tsunami. It was a good read and Petra’s life was interesting. She grew up poor in communist Czechoslovakia and became a super model. It was sad to read how she lost her boyfriend Simon in the 2004 tsunami. He seemed like a really great guy. She acknowledges that thousands of people lost loved ones that day and she dedicated her energy to help the children that were affected by the tsunami by donating her proceeds from the book to her charity that helped build over 250 schools in the area. She reminds us all to embrace each moment because life can change in a second.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing. Make sure you are ready with tissues - I cried about half the time. But I could not put it down. She is a beautiful woman, inside and out, and I can't even imagine the tragedy she went through. This book is 15 years old and it is incredible to see that she did indeed start her charity and that it is still going strong today, and one that appeals to me too. Her family reminds me of my own, loved her trips to her grandparents' mountain home, and it was so interesting to hear a little about growing up in the communist regime. Loved it from beginning to end!

[Anna Matejckova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tento příběh je naprosto neuvěřitelný a Petra svoje zážitky před a po tsunami naprosto skvělé popisuje. Celý příběh je velice dojemný - od vztahu se svým snoubencem, který ji zachránil od ED, přes neštěstí, které je potkalo v Thajsku, až po ztrátu snoubence a její cesty k uzdravení. Krásně napsaná knížka, ke které se budu určitě chtít vrátit.

[Nathalie Bakelandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heftig autobiografisch verhaal.
Het verhaal start met de tsunami, dan volgt een levensverhaal van Petra Nemcova, wereld beroemd model. Op het laatste volgt dan terug het relaas over de tsunami.
Denk niet dat het boek volledig over de tsunami gaat anders zal je ontgoocheld zijn.
Ik heb het toch graag gelezen

[Silencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Čekala jsem hodně o tragédii a životě po. O tom tam ale moc nebylo, spíš o životě před. Ale nelituju. Petra je neskutečně silná, cílevědomá a přizpůsobivá. Dokáže si v čemkoli a od kohokoli najít něco, co si z toho vezme, poučí se, posune se dál. Právem to dotáhla takhle daleko. Jen se mi zdá, že komunistický začátky v Česku ji naši vlast trochu zprotivily, a tak už tu není moc ráda.

[Maggie GF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supermodel, Petra Nemcova, turned trauma and profound grief into something positive by helping others particularly children in a number of countries. All proceeds from the book go to the charity she founded, All Hands and Hearts.

[Rebekah Orlick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy and simple read. A little boring and not very inspirational. Sad and sweet.

[Barbara Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very sweet love story however I got the book to read about the tsunami and couldn't read it until the end of the book..

[Shi Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main reason why the author choose to write the book is because it tells a story about a girl named Petra and her family and the girl Petra because it has to do with the communist party. To tell how Petra lived during the 1990's and how they were poor because it also had to do with the depression had also hit them. Their parents didn't have enough money to afford anything of what they were going through. The story is told in first person point of view because it says I and me.

The main message of the story is to how Petra life was after the communist period had begun and how her life is going to get when she gets older and every thing started to change for Petra. That there are many things that are going to end up happening to Petra and her family when there will be problems occurring in her life so far maybe there will be less problems toward the end for Petra. The main topic that the author is trying to say is mainly about the choices that Petra is going to end up making it throughout the book and how her actions are going to be when Petra's family finds out what she is doing with her life.

The style of the book is a description it is because of the communist time when people were depressed of what is going on in their lives and they want to change to go away to start their life over again. Like since it was during the communist party that the people were dramatically affected during the time of the poor ness and stressing about the money and family and finding a job to survive. It is also a narration because it is telling a story about Petra and her life of what she has gone through and how she is feeling.

My opinion of the book that is an okay book because it is not that good because of what is happening with her family and that the communist had begun but it now ended which is good so the people can get their jobs back and so they can earn more money. What I liked about the book is that is telling a story about Petra's life and it seems to me a very emotional book because they are really depressed at what is happening with Petra and their family. What I really didn't like is that Petra had started doing bad things with her friends and that is going to end up destroying her life . The depression of their family and what was going on in their life is a part that I did not like it because it made me feel very upset that something may end up very bad for Petra because she had started smoking with her friends I hope that she will quit and not do it ever again because bad thing are going to end up happening to her. What I would definitely like to change is the smoking part and the communists part because they are both bad things that things are doing her no good for Petra to change in her actions before she does anything wrong and for their economy to get better for them to survive. No this book is way different to any of the books that I have read because they are in the middle books because they aren't sad but they aren't to happy because it depends on the stuff they have done in their lives like in a nonfiction it tells what the generate information about their life and how it was like to them and what they had accomplished in their life.

[Alli · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the book I read, Love Always Petra, a young and aspiring model faces a dangerous and life changes tragedy, the Tsunami of 2004. I think that the autors purpose in writing this book was to let people know that you can overcome anything and you just have to stay positive like she did throughout her journey and recovery.
I think the theme of the book is to never give up. The young woman definitely did not give up not only when the tsunami hit, but throughout her modeling career. She made it very clear that as long as you have hope, no destruction is bigger than the person you can aspire to be. The style that the book is written is is both descriptive and narravtive. It is descriptive because she tells exactly about the event of the tsunami and her amazing recovery. It is also narrative because she tells about her never ending stuggle to not only become a model, but the person she is today. I think these styles of writing were definitely effective because it really got the theme of the book across while I was reading it.
My opinion of the book my differ from others who have also read the book. Honestly, the book was not my favorite. It was a good read but it was not what I expected out of the book. I thought it would be more about the tsunami and her recovery, but instead it was mainly about her career and her relationships. I did like that this book was unlike any other book that I have read before and I recommend it to anyone who finds these topics interesting!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a lot of people, I saw the story of Petra Nemcova, the supermodel who was on vacation in Thailand when the tsunamis hit, and who managed to survive, broken bones and all, by clinging to a tree until rescuers were able to find her. When I heard she had published a book about the events, I was a little skeptical (a book written by a supermodel, sure...) and a little put off (so many lives had been lost, what did she have to gain by writing this?), but I picked it up anyway.
I was actually pleasantly surprised. Sure, she focused a little too much on herself, and I got the feeling it'd be "The Petra Nemcova" show, with just a short paragraph about the tsunami, but once she was able to stop talking about her childhood, her family and her upbringing, it got a lot better.
It was a focus on just two people, their love, and how their lives were effected by tsunami, but there is such a pain in her words and the telling of those days that you can't help but feel for her.
I can't imagine the pain she was in, alone in the tree and not knowing what had happened to Simon, or if help would come.
Hers was one story out of hundreds, one life that was lost out of thousands, but she told it well, in the end, and was able to share her courage, her heartbreak and her recovery with us.

[Audrey Henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not what I was expecting at all.

I grabbed this book from the library and sat out on my patio and had it finished in 2 hours. It's an awesome book.

Petra is an incredible writer. It's a perfectly balanced book. She tells about her childhood, how she got into her modeling..she then talks about her modeling career and her travels...people she meets and the men she loves. I could somewhat relate to her even though our lives are very different.

Towards the end of the book is where she talks about the tsunami disaster that she was involved in when she was vacationing in Thailand.

I really didn't know a whole lot about Petra before reading this book, but she is a very neat and inspirational person.

[Ms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't have big expectations for this book. In fact, I purchased it only because I enjoy the work that Petra offers in the fashion world, and thought it might be interesting to check into. I was really surprised. As many know, Petra and her former boyfriend (photographer Simon Atlee), were caught in the tsunami that hit Thailand a few years back. He did not survive, and this is the wonderful story of their relationship together and the love that they shared. It is written with such honesty and sincerity, that at times I had to put the book down to sit in reflection. I have given it to men and women alike, and all have had similar reviews of this great piece.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meanwhile sometimes I think I must live in a shell, didn't even know this supermodel, nor that she was in the tsunami...although I did hear of the Happy Hearts Foundation somewhere in passing but wasn't sure what it was. I am all cleared up now on all fronts, you will all sleep better knowing that I am sure.
Back to the book, we never know what each human life will have to endure. This was an informative book on both Petra's life and living through the tsunami. It was a quick read and it catches your heart and makes you think happy thoughts even in the midst of what she had to go through. Good, quick read.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books was heartfelt. This as a good way for me to find out how the tsunami of 2004 was like, because i was only about 8 years old at the time and i wasnt every interested in the outside world. I cried at least 10 times while reading and I can honestly say that this books needs to be read by more people. Its so devestating how a girl can lose her job, loved one, and life in a split second. admire her so much because she could write about what had happened to her, and i know i could never do that.

[Chana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sad but written in an accepting and loving manner. This young woman lost her beloved in the tsunami and was terribly hurt herself, but she remains interested in the welfare of others, bringing light and life. She is a fashion supermodel. She is also, in my opinion, a supermodel of a loving and courageous heart. This book is intended to raise money for the people of Thailand who suffered in the tsunami. All proceeds go to Give2Asia/Happy Hearts Fund.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book 3 times in a row a few months back and I still think about it today. It is a quick read, but breaks will be necessary to wipe the tears so that you can actually see the text. Such a gorgeous love story, unthinkably devastating tragedy, and inspirational recovery. I highly recommend this book to any hopeless romantic out there. Also, just stare at Simon's eyes in the picture section- they are the most amazing shade of blue I have ever seen.

[Megan]

A quick, heart wrenching read. You can really tell how much love Petra Nemcova had and still has for her beloved Simon, and how much he changed her world and view of the world. You get a glimpse of her life as a child, growing up in the Czech Republic under communism and her struggles to make it as a model, succeeding those struggles but then growing and struggling through new issues that result from the life of a model. Such a lovely story.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Petra Nemcova became a top model but not without her share of heartache. This true story is heartbreaking. Petra and the love of her life, Simon Atlee, were vacationing in Thailand when the Tsunami came crashing on shore. In a second, Simon was torn from her life forever. Not only was Petra's pelvis shattered from the storm, her heart was shattered as well.
This is an easy read and something that Petra had to get on paper in order to heal.