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After the Fall: A Climber's True Story of Facing Death and Finding Life
Craig DeMartino never thought this would happen to him. He was 100 feet up a cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park when—with one step—his 13 years of rock climbing experience and 15 pounds of gear plummeted with him to the ground. Expert climbers say that if you fall 10 feet you have a 10% chance of dying, a 20% chance at 20 feet, 30% at 30, and so on. Craig fell 100 feet. By basic calculation, Craig should not be alive today. But he is.
In the months that followed, the pain, the subsequent partial leg amputation, the media attention, and the knowledge that his body was broken challenged Craig on a daily basis. Scarier still was the realization that his faith was broken too. Slowly, as his physical body recovered, Craig’s emotional and spiritual body strengthened as well. In prayer, Craig learned to take God out of a box and allow His plan and promise to be revealed. Looking back, the doctors and nurses played a big role in Craig’s recovery, but it was a series of miracles that saved his life.
For anyone who has been knocked down or run over by life, After the Fall not only offers an engaging read but also provides a clear message of sometimes the greatest gift we can receive isn’t just healing, but the power to endure.
In the months that followed, the pain, the subsequent partial leg amputation, the media attention, and the knowledge that his body was broken challenged Craig on a daily basis. Scarier still was the realization that his faith was broken too. Slowly, as his physical body recovered, Craig’s emotional and spiritual body strengthened as well. In prayer, Craig learned to take God out of a box and allow His plan and promise to be revealed. Looking back, the doctors and nurses played a big role in Craig’s recovery, but it was a series of miracles that saved his life.
For anyone who has been knocked down or run over by life, After the Fall not only offers an engaging read but also provides a clear message of sometimes the greatest gift we can receive isn’t just healing, but the power to endure.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
16 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 28, 2013
The category this book falls into, per back of book, is "Christian Life/Personal Growth" It is a story of a man who has an accident while climbing that should have killed him but doesn't and how he recovers/heals. It is also about how he regains his faith in God. That being said the author does not come off as a perfect Christian (in fact, even at the end of the book he is still pointing out "You'd think that someone who's seen God perform real miracles would be above getting angry in traffic. Or being self-centered. Or letting anything get in the way of his faith. I'm not.") or preachy or that everyone should convert immediately to Christianity. He is very real and human. So, yes, there is quite a bit of God and talk of faith/believing, etc. in this book but there is also the story of how a human being can endure and move on with his life despite it not being the life he imagined it would be before the accident.
September 10, 2013
I would give this book 3.5 stars. It is a book about a rock climber who falls from 100 ft. and his physical & spiritual road to recovery. In the book he gives his perspective but he also has his wife write her perspective and feelings as he was going through all of this. I liked it because both he and his wife were very real about their feelings about all that was happening. I also liked it because he is a Christian and he acknowledged God and His mercies, but not in a preachy kind of way. I like it also, because even though I haven't had physical pain like he has, I understood what he was saying about the emotional/spiritual anguish and mercies.
August 14, 2013
October 2013 Book Club
Great inspirational Christian true story. I was very impressed with how open, honest, and real the author was, not preachy. Craig DeMartino had a horrible accident climbing, and through his recovery finds himself and develops a relationship with God. I liked it when his wife told her side of the story. Great message about noticing the tender mercies of God.
Great inspirational Christian true story. I was very impressed with how open, honest, and real the author was, not preachy. Craig DeMartino had a horrible accident climbing, and through his recovery finds himself and develops a relationship with God. I liked it when his wife told her side of the story. Great message about noticing the tender mercies of God.
December 21, 2013
Well-written and interesting; kept my attention throughout it. Even though there's a Christian theme, I didn't feel overwhelmed by it. In fact, the main character Craig was honest about his pain (emotional and physical) and was realistic in his portrayal of his tough journey with his religious faith as the backbone of his bravery.
March 20, 2022
I have never had a desire to rock climb. It might have something to do with my fear of heights, or worse yet, my fear of falling. I will however read books and watch movies about people who do this.
This book is amazing. This is the story of a man who fell 100 feet while rock climbing. By all accounts he should have died that day. A few miraculous things happened that prevented that. First he struck a tree that slowed his descent. Then he managed to twist his body in a manner that when he landed it didn’t kill him, but messed him up big time. There were several other things that played a part in his fall and rescue. He landed in the one place that they were able to get cell reception. He had his phone on him instead of in his car. The people who came to rescue him were familiar with the area and made it in record time. This is a book about not just a man’s journey to survive and heal, but more importantly a man’s journey back to God and the purpose God had for him. Before the accident Craig and his wife were Christians, but didn’t live very close to God. After the accident Craig had to rely on God for so much. He started question God as to what his purpose was in all of this. I am a firm believer that sometimes God has to hit us over the head with a two by four to get our attention. The fall was Craig’s two by four. Casually sharing with people how God helped him not only that day but every day after became a first step. Learning to step out on faith when he had his badly damaged leg amputated and then having the courage to begin climbing again is another example. Yes, we know that this book and climbing could be a metaphor for the mountains we often have to climb to get back to a relationship with God. However, this is just straight forward, ‘look what God has done with my life and how he has blessed me after my accident. Look how he has taken something I deemed so bad and used it for something good.’ This is one of the most inspirational books I have read this year. I highly recommend it. You don’t have to be a rock climber to enjoy this book. It is inspirational in the fact that it shows us how much we as Christians need to hold tight to God, to keep our priorities in order. It shows us that no matter what terrible thing happens that God is there to walk with us on that journey.
This book is amazing. This is the story of a man who fell 100 feet while rock climbing. By all accounts he should have died that day. A few miraculous things happened that prevented that. First he struck a tree that slowed his descent. Then he managed to twist his body in a manner that when he landed it didn’t kill him, but messed him up big time. There were several other things that played a part in his fall and rescue. He landed in the one place that they were able to get cell reception. He had his phone on him instead of in his car. The people who came to rescue him were familiar with the area and made it in record time. This is a book about not just a man’s journey to survive and heal, but more importantly a man’s journey back to God and the purpose God had for him. Before the accident Craig and his wife were Christians, but didn’t live very close to God. After the accident Craig had to rely on God for so much. He started question God as to what his purpose was in all of this. I am a firm believer that sometimes God has to hit us over the head with a two by four to get our attention. The fall was Craig’s two by four. Casually sharing with people how God helped him not only that day but every day after became a first step. Learning to step out on faith when he had his badly damaged leg amputated and then having the courage to begin climbing again is another example. Yes, we know that this book and climbing could be a metaphor for the mountains we often have to climb to get back to a relationship with God. However, this is just straight forward, ‘look what God has done with my life and how he has blessed me after my accident. Look how he has taken something I deemed so bad and used it for something good.’ This is one of the most inspirational books I have read this year. I highly recommend it. You don’t have to be a rock climber to enjoy this book. It is inspirational in the fact that it shows us how much we as Christians need to hold tight to God, to keep our priorities in order. It shows us that no matter what terrible thing happens that God is there to walk with us on that journey.
August 9, 2018
The story was okay, but the e-book I read was not edited well. There were scores of repeating passages. It's like someone cut and pasted sections and accidentally pasted the same sentences or paragraph twice. Very annoying.
Also, I went into the book expecting a near death experience, like he physically died, his spirit left his body etc., and was then brought back to life. That didn't happen.
Also, I went into the book expecting a near death experience, like he physically died, his spirit left his body etc., and was then brought back to life. That didn't happen.
November 30, 2020
Excellent motivational book
Excellent book! For me it was motivating and an inspiration. Amazing that he never have up on God and could see God was there with him through out the trauma. Also great that he had.the.courage to go back to climbing.
Excellent book! For me it was motivating and an inspiration. Amazing that he never have up on God and could see God was there with him through out the trauma. Also great that he had.the.courage to go back to climbing.
October 2, 2017
A great true story
A great book, full of courage and how to overcome adversity. An amazing story! Very uplifting and definitely worth the read!
A great book, full of courage and how to overcome adversity. An amazing story! Very uplifting and definitely worth the read!
November 13, 2013
I picked this book to read out of curiosity since climbing is a sport in our family. I read it with mixed emotions. I wondered why a person with a young family would jeopardize all of their lives to persue such a hazardous sport. I felt sorry for what he put himself and his family through. I admire his perserverance in facing his severe injuries and disability and continuing to make a life for himself as well as help others with disabilities realize their potential. In the end,I still couldn't help thinking that all of that could probably have been prevented if he had just found a safer sport to enjoy.
December 5, 2021
I worked with Craig's wife at a pharmacy. We were both Pharmacy Technicians and I obtained the book directly from her. The book was filled with hope and courage and many other attributes of a brave, determined father and husband. The accident might have slowed him down for a short time of recovery but I'll bet he's climbing someplace right now! What an inspiring and incredible man with an obvious reason to live. I passed the book on because it was too uplifting to just sit on my library shelf. You need to read this. Super humans are
among us! There are many personal photos which I appreciate the family sharing.
among us! There are many personal photos which I appreciate the family sharing.
June 19, 2015
Somehow I stumbled upon this book. I think it was a free Kindle download. It seems to be a cross between memoir and Christian (I'm not typically into Christian literature other than scripture.) I was very impressed by the whole story. This idea of God working in our life through what others might deem a coincidence is something I have thought about a lot and something that the author (indirectly) addresses. I'm glad Craig was able to see the hand of God in his life and recognize it through this accident. I would recommend this book. It is an inspiring story.
February 5, 2018
Sometimes we have a hard time seeing God at work in our lives when we get overwhelmed by all of our problems. Craig didn't see God at work right away but was able to look back and and see it and share that with us.
If I were him I don't know that I would have gotten back into rock climbing, but it wad a reminder for me that God calls some people to do different things. I enjoyed reading about how God used his rock climbing to further Craig's outreach to others.
If I were him I don't know that I would have gotten back into rock climbing, but it wad a reminder for me that God calls some people to do different things. I enjoyed reading about how God used his rock climbing to further Craig's outreach to others.
February 16, 2017
This was one of the best books I read all year. So inspiring to read how his faith grew through such hardships and how ultimately God used him to challenge, inspire, and expand the faith journeys of others in the end.
May 6, 2013
I enjoyed this book very much.
June 13, 2013
A fabulous book! It kept me interested to see what would happen next and how Craig and his family would react to it. I couldn't help but be inspired by his courage and determination.
April 10, 2014
Loved it however it was read from a physical therapist's point of view so may have been able to overlook more than the average reader.
July 19, 2016
An inspiring book, full of many details of the trials he went through after the fall.
December 25, 2020
Great story of Craig’s life, sudden injury, and return - felt like I was right beside him while reading. Thankful for his willingness to take such an event and share it with us all.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews