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Overcome: Burned, Blinded, and Blessed
Bronze medal winner of the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Inspirational/Spiritual category!On June 10, 2007, Carmen Blandin Tarleton’s estranged husband broke into her rural Vermont home, beat her with a baseball bat, and doused her with industrial-strength lye. Doctors called it “THE MOST HORRIFIC INJURY A HUMAN BEING COULD SUFFER.” Tarleton spent the next three and a half months in a medically induced coma, and when she awoke, it was to an unimaginable she was blind and permanently disfigured, with burns covering more than eighty percent of her body. Her recovery would include months of painful rehab, dozens of surgeries, and total dependence on family, friends, and strangers for physical and financial care. With so much taken away, no one could have anticipated what Tarleton would gain from her an awakening. A purpose. Joy. By sharing her struggles and ultimate victory over catastrophic loss, Tarleton proves that life is a choice—and, in the process, offers a rare glimpse into the best and worst corners of the human heart. “CARMEN IS SO UNFLINCHINGLY HONEST, SO TRANSPARENT . . . Burned, Blinded, and Blessed is an opportunity to bask, for just for a little while, in the rays of her exceptional spirit.” —JONI BUSBYSUPERVISING PRODUCER, THE DOCTORS “Carmen’s story is one of tragedy and triumph. She is truly an example of the strength and beauty of the human spirit. Carmen went from victim to survivor and teaches us all that we can overcome the unimaginable and create the lives we would like to live.” ⎯JENNIFER RADICS, MBA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALISA ANN RUCH BURN FOUNDATION “Carmen Tarleton's story is a riveting account of a courageous woman who teaches us all the power of fighting suffering with relentless hope and tenacity.” ⎯SAMIR MELKI, MD, PHD FOUNDER, BOST ON EYE GROUP “Carmen tells her inspiring story with remarkable clarity and honesty. She has endured a journey many might be unable to endure and arrived to provide the reader with wisdom, compassion, and inspiration. As heavy as the price was for Carmen, Overcome is a wonderful gift to those of us who take the time to read it. Her story is, at heart, one of a profound and courageous journey, and she has arrived with great treasures to offer us all.” ⎯DAVID VOGEL PRESIDENT, BURN SURVIVORS OF NEW ENGLAND “Told with sincerity and grace, Overcome powerfully illustrates the unlimited resilience of the human spirit. Carmen's heart-thumping journey is at times harrowing, yet always keenly illuminating. Overcome is a bracing triumph of the soul.” ⎯MICHAEL PAUL MASON AUTHOR OF HEAD STORIES OF BRAIN INJURY AND ITS AFTERMATH
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 11, 2013
An amazing story about an incredibly strong woman physically And from the heart.
January 13, 2014
I would sincerely like to thank NetGalley and Round Table Publishing for granting me the privilege of reading this book in exchange for a review. Although I received a copy of the book for free, that in no way influenced the review I have written.
It is a challenge to imagine this happening to anyone, but having grown up in Vermont it was even more challenging to accept that this kind of heinous violence could be aimed at anyone in this small, beautiful state. This book shares Carmen Blandin Tarleton's astound journey, from the beginning of her romance and eventual marriage to Herbert "Herb" Rodgers, to their separation and divorce proceedings nine years later, followed by his unprovoked, hideously violent assault that left Carmen permanently disfigured, and through the first several years of her physical and emotional recovery.
Told from Carmen's point of view, this book is astoundingly moving, and profoundly uplifting. Unable to write the book herself, the team at Round Table Publishing worked with Carmen to share her story in her words. They did such an excellent job you would never know that Carmen didn't actually write the book if the details weren't shared with us at the end of the book.
Carmen did exactly what she set out to with this book - getting her story out without all of the focus being on the attack, but rather making her message of positivity be the focus. She walks us through the amicable end of her first marriage, to meeting Herb and the slow, cautious development of their friendship into a romance, and into love. Though she talks about Herb she stays away from trying to analyze his emotional state beyond what she saw on a daily basis. Apparently he was an expert at hiding things from her, and quite possibly himself. Combine that with her being totally smitten with him and it made for the perfect storm - though it sounds as if no one would have been able to foresee what he would eventually do years after they got together.
She explains the attack fairly matter of factly, though she includes what she recalls thinking and feeling at the time. It is amazing the amount of damage he was able to do in just fifteen minutes, though covering someone in industrial strength lye will do more than enough damage all by itself, especially considering it has been used to dissolve dead bodies. That she survived at all some say is a miracle - Carmen says it was a choice, one made during a dream she had while in a medically induced coma.
Rather than giving up, or allowing anger & bitterness to rule her life, Carmen made constant choices that kept her moving on a positive path forward. This doesn't mean that she didn't feel pain, or that she didn't initially struggle with the 'what-ifs' that can plague a person in retrospect. She did. She also had to learn how to accept help and be open to it, rather than feel that she was creating an imbalance in her relationships by accepting help - part of that may have been due to the fact that for a long, agonizing time she had no choice but to accept help due to the extremity of her injuries & loss of sight caused by the lye.
Step by step Carmen began to figure out what message she was meant to learn from this experience. She learned many, including the crucial importance of forgiveness. The forgiveness was not for anyone other than herself, she discovered that once she forgave Herb she was much happier, and list some strange physical ailments that no one had been able to explain. She never condoned what Herb did, but she did forgive him for her own sake. And in doing so she found her path with more clarity - in taking what happened to her and sharing her story with others, letting other survivors know that there was still the chance for love, romance, happiness in their lives.
Today Carmen appreciates everything in her life, no longer taking things for granted. She lives in the present and is as fully open to it as she possibly can be. She is truly an inspiration for all, and continues her work of educating people about the benefits of forgiveness, positive thinking, and the very basic but crucial concept that all of life is a choice. Her story is a clarion call for people everywhere - healthy, ill, injured, victims of accidents or deliberate assaults - life is what you make of it, and your attitude is the most important part of it all.
(Side Note - Since the publication of this book Carmen has gone on to have a total face transplant, of which about only 24 have ever been done. She also started taking piano lessons, and she and her piano teacher have since fallen in love. So she truly is the living embodiment of what she preaches.)
On June 10, 2007, Carmen Blandin Tarleton's estranged husband broke into her rural Vermont home, beat her with a baseball bat, and doused her with industrial-strength lye. Doctors called it "THE MOST HORRIFIC INJURY A HUMAN BEING COULD SUFFER." Tarleton spent the next three and a half months in a medically induced coma, and when she awoke, it was to an unimaginable reality: she was blind and permanently disfigured, with burns covering more than eighty percent of her body. Her recovery would include months of painful rehab, dozens of surgeries, and total dependence on family, friends, and strangers for physical and financial care. With so much taken away, no one could have anticipated what Tarleton would gain from her experience: an awakening. A purpose. Joy. By sharing her struggles and ultimate victory over catastrophic loss, Tarleton proves that life is a choice-and, in the process, offers a rare glimpse into the best and worst corners of the human heart. "CARMEN IS SO UNFLINCHINGLY HONEST, SO TRANSPARENT . . . Overcome: Burned, Blinded, and Blessed is an opportunity to bask, for just for a little while, in the rays of her exceptional spirit." -JONI BUSBY, SUPERVISING PRODUCER, THE DOCTORS "Carmen's story is one of tragedy and triumph. She is truly an example of the strength and beauty of the human spirit. Carmen went from victim to survivor and teaches us all that we can overcome the unimaginable and create the lives we would like to live." JENNIFER RADICS, MBA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALISA ANN RUCH BURN FOUNDATION "Carmen Tarleton's story is a riveting account of a courageous woman who teaches us all the power of fighting suffering with relentless hope and tenacity." SAMIR MELKI, MD, PHD FOUNDER, BOST ON EYE GROUP "Carmen tells her inspiring story with remarkable clarity and honesty. She has endured a journey many might be unable to endure and arrived to provide the reader with wisdom, compassion, and inspiration. As heavy as the price was for Carmen, Overcome is a wonderful gift to those of us who take the time to read it. Her story is, at heart, one of a profound and courageous journey, and she has arrived with great treasures to offer us all." DAVID VOGEL PRESIDENT, BURN SURVIVORS OF NEW ENGLAND "Told with sincerity and grace, Overcome powerfully illustrates the unlimited resilience of the human spirit. Carmen's heart-thumping journey is at times harrowing, yet always keenly illuminating. Overcome is a bracing triumph of the soul." MICHAEL PAUL MASON AUTHOR OF HEAD CASES: STORIES OF BRAIN INJURY AND ITS AFTERMATH
It is a challenge to imagine this happening to anyone, but having grown up in Vermont it was even more challenging to accept that this kind of heinous violence could be aimed at anyone in this small, beautiful state. This book shares Carmen Blandin Tarleton's astound journey, from the beginning of her romance and eventual marriage to Herbert "Herb" Rodgers, to their separation and divorce proceedings nine years later, followed by his unprovoked, hideously violent assault that left Carmen permanently disfigured, and through the first several years of her physical and emotional recovery.
Told from Carmen's point of view, this book is astoundingly moving, and profoundly uplifting. Unable to write the book herself, the team at Round Table Publishing worked with Carmen to share her story in her words. They did such an excellent job you would never know that Carmen didn't actually write the book if the details weren't shared with us at the end of the book.
Carmen did exactly what she set out to with this book - getting her story out without all of the focus being on the attack, but rather making her message of positivity be the focus. She walks us through the amicable end of her first marriage, to meeting Herb and the slow, cautious development of their friendship into a romance, and into love. Though she talks about Herb she stays away from trying to analyze his emotional state beyond what she saw on a daily basis. Apparently he was an expert at hiding things from her, and quite possibly himself. Combine that with her being totally smitten with him and it made for the perfect storm - though it sounds as if no one would have been able to foresee what he would eventually do years after they got together.
She explains the attack fairly matter of factly, though she includes what she recalls thinking and feeling at the time. It is amazing the amount of damage he was able to do in just fifteen minutes, though covering someone in industrial strength lye will do more than enough damage all by itself, especially considering it has been used to dissolve dead bodies. That she survived at all some say is a miracle - Carmen says it was a choice, one made during a dream she had while in a medically induced coma.
Rather than giving up, or allowing anger & bitterness to rule her life, Carmen made constant choices that kept her moving on a positive path forward. This doesn't mean that she didn't feel pain, or that she didn't initially struggle with the 'what-ifs' that can plague a person in retrospect. She did. She also had to learn how to accept help and be open to it, rather than feel that she was creating an imbalance in her relationships by accepting help - part of that may have been due to the fact that for a long, agonizing time she had no choice but to accept help due to the extremity of her injuries & loss of sight caused by the lye.
Step by step Carmen began to figure out what message she was meant to learn from this experience. She learned many, including the crucial importance of forgiveness. The forgiveness was not for anyone other than herself, she discovered that once she forgave Herb she was much happier, and list some strange physical ailments that no one had been able to explain. She never condoned what Herb did, but she did forgive him for her own sake. And in doing so she found her path with more clarity - in taking what happened to her and sharing her story with others, letting other survivors know that there was still the chance for love, romance, happiness in their lives.
Today Carmen appreciates everything in her life, no longer taking things for granted. She lives in the present and is as fully open to it as she possibly can be. She is truly an inspiration for all, and continues her work of educating people about the benefits of forgiveness, positive thinking, and the very basic but crucial concept that all of life is a choice. Her story is a clarion call for people everywhere - healthy, ill, injured, victims of accidents or deliberate assaults - life is what you make of it, and your attitude is the most important part of it all.
(Side Note - Since the publication of this book Carmen has gone on to have a total face transplant, of which about only 24 have ever been done. She also started taking piano lessons, and she and her piano teacher have since fallen in love. So she truly is the living embodiment of what she preaches.)
July 29, 2017
Bronze medal winner of the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Inspirational/Spiritual category!
On June 10, 2007, Carmen Blandin Tarleton’s estranged husband broke into her rural Vermont home, beat her with a baseball bat, and doused her with industrial-strength lye. Doctors called it “THE MOST HORRIFIC INJURY A HUMAN BEING COULD SUFFER.”
Tarleton spent the next three and a half months in a medically induced coma, and when she awoke, it was to an unimaginable reality: she was blind and permanently disfigured, with burns covering more than eighty percent of her body. Her recovery would include months of painful rehab, dozens of surgeries, and total dependence on family, friends, and strangers for physical and financial care. With so much taken away, no one could have anticipated what Tarleton would gain from her experience: an awakening. A purpose. Joy. By sharing her struggles and ultimate victory over catastrophic loss, Tarleton proves that life is a choice—and, in the process, offers a rare glimpse into the best and worst corners of the human heart.
see this and more than a hundred other organ donation/transplant related books - many with my personal reviews - at http://www.trioweb.org/resources/book...
On June 10, 2007, Carmen Blandin Tarleton’s estranged husband broke into her rural Vermont home, beat her with a baseball bat, and doused her with industrial-strength lye. Doctors called it “THE MOST HORRIFIC INJURY A HUMAN BEING COULD SUFFER.”
Tarleton spent the next three and a half months in a medically induced coma, and when she awoke, it was to an unimaginable reality: she was blind and permanently disfigured, with burns covering more than eighty percent of her body. Her recovery would include months of painful rehab, dozens of surgeries, and total dependence on family, friends, and strangers for physical and financial care. With so much taken away, no one could have anticipated what Tarleton would gain from her experience: an awakening. A purpose. Joy. By sharing her struggles and ultimate victory over catastrophic loss, Tarleton proves that life is a choice—and, in the process, offers a rare glimpse into the best and worst corners of the human heart.
see this and more than a hundred other organ donation/transplant related books - many with my personal reviews - at http://www.trioweb.org/resources/book...
August 6, 2021
TW: i don't know if it really needs to be said if you've read the back of the book, but this book contains descriptions of a horrific sexual and physical assault, as well as lots and lots of medical procedures/medical care involving wounds.
I remember hearing about Carmen Blandin's assault the morning after it happened. She was living about an hour away from where i was at the time. She was a nurse at the hospital where i got my own medical care. Most unsettling, there was no reported history of violence with her husband. Thankfully, he was arrested at the scene and took a plea (he eventually died in prison from vaguely referenced health issues), so much of the focus on Carmen's life since the assault has been on her journey to heal and thrive.
Carmen does an incredible job of describing her world, and everything she has experienced in such an honest way, and yet it never feels like she is wallowing, or looking for pity. i'm sure she has bad days, but we all could learn something about dealing with adversity from Carmen. I hope some day i can hear her speak, i am sure it is nothing but inspiring.
I remember hearing about Carmen Blandin's assault the morning after it happened. She was living about an hour away from where i was at the time. She was a nurse at the hospital where i got my own medical care. Most unsettling, there was no reported history of violence with her husband. Thankfully, he was arrested at the scene and took a plea (he eventually died in prison from vaguely referenced health issues), so much of the focus on Carmen's life since the assault has been on her journey to heal and thrive.
Carmen does an incredible job of describing her world, and everything she has experienced in such an honest way, and yet it never feels like she is wallowing, or looking for pity. i'm sure she has bad days, but we all could learn something about dealing with adversity from Carmen. I hope some day i can hear her speak, i am sure it is nothing but inspiring.
July 22, 2017
Her resilience and story of forgiveness are inspiring. I saw her speak recently and if we all could spread the light that Carmen does, after the horrific act she survived, the world would definitely be a better place.
March 2, 2024
Interesting. Easy read. I was worried that it would be too gruesome but it was OK. May God bless her always!
September 11, 2024
A coworker suggested this book after watching her speak. So inspiring & heartfelt!
April 9, 2013
I recently read a book called Overcome: Burned, Blinded, and Blessed by Carmen Blandin; she is a woman who was beaten and chemically burned by her husband of nine years. Carmen writes around the event to give background (she's a nurse) and afterwards to show where she is today (she might get a face transplant).
I expected to feel immeasurable sadness (even depression!) reading her story, but instead I felt compassion, anger, and pride--never pity.
Carmen is a wonderfully clear and straight-forward narrator; perhaps the reason I didn't feel so much sadness for her is that she doesn't often let herself feel sadness at her situation. Sure, there are moments when she's overwhelmed by circumstances, but her first thoughts throughout her ordeal were of her daughters well-being.
Her story is an absorbing one. Not only because of the horror of what happened, but also because Carmen is a nurse with a unique perspective on what has happened to her. My husband works in a hospital and has always claimed health care workers have to have a unique sense of humor. Carmen certainly does--she makes fun of her missing ear by waving her 'ear flap' around. Further evidence of a resilient sense of humor comes from a conversation between Carmen and her sister:
"Well," I said to Kess, frustrated, "at least I don't have to dress up for Halloween."
"What do you mean?" Kess asked.
"I can go as an accident victim."
Carmen's visions while she was in a drug-induced coma were the most memorable to me. Interspersed with hallucinations and dreams about Dr. Phil, she received one clear message: Life is a choice. I think we often forget how much our attitudes and actions can affect the path our lives take.
The takeaway for me: be thankful and content. Carmen, now blind, briefly regained sight in one eye with an artificial cornea. When she lost that precious bit of sight again, she realized how important it is to be thankful for what we do have in the here and now.
I expected to feel immeasurable sadness (even depression!) reading her story, but instead I felt compassion, anger, and pride--never pity.
Carmen is a wonderfully clear and straight-forward narrator; perhaps the reason I didn't feel so much sadness for her is that she doesn't often let herself feel sadness at her situation. Sure, there are moments when she's overwhelmed by circumstances, but her first thoughts throughout her ordeal were of her daughters well-being.
Her story is an absorbing one. Not only because of the horror of what happened, but also because Carmen is a nurse with a unique perspective on what has happened to her. My husband works in a hospital and has always claimed health care workers have to have a unique sense of humor. Carmen certainly does--she makes fun of her missing ear by waving her 'ear flap' around. Further evidence of a resilient sense of humor comes from a conversation between Carmen and her sister:
"Well," I said to Kess, frustrated, "at least I don't have to dress up for Halloween."
"What do you mean?" Kess asked.
"I can go as an accident victim."
Carmen's visions while she was in a drug-induced coma were the most memorable to me. Interspersed with hallucinations and dreams about Dr. Phil, she received one clear message: Life is a choice. I think we often forget how much our attitudes and actions can affect the path our lives take.
The takeaway for me: be thankful and content. Carmen, now blind, briefly regained sight in one eye with an artificial cornea. When she lost that precious bit of sight again, she realized how important it is to be thankful for what we do have in the here and now.
June 3, 2013
Very inspiring story filled with hope and a gives the reader a desire to forgive, let go of wrongs that have been made against you and a love for the author- Carmen Tarleton. This book was written before Carmen received her full face transplant one of the first few full face transplants in history. The story of her recovery has been in the news all month and I was grateful to have been able to read her story.
The book is filled with Carmen's will to live and rise above the most horrific experience. Her ability to forgive is amazing.
Lots of insightful thoughts.
pg. 256 where she is speaking to a group of prisoners serving for sex crimes.
"Your only goal is to help yourself, not your victim. That is what I truly believe. Selfish is a bad word in our society, but I think we're not nearly selfish enough. We never put ourselves first the way we should. . . and when I say selfish, not in a malicious way. I mean taking care of yourself as your first priority. Because unless you do that, you can't fully take care of anyone else. Forgive yourself first. Then see what other changes come.
"I realized the truth of my words as I spoke them. As a society, we self-sacrifice to our own detriment. . . We accept responsibility for other people's happiness before we accept responsibility for our own. If we reversed that, we would be better mothers, better spouses, and better friends, siblings and daughters."
I'm grateful Carmen was willing to share her story with the world as I think we can all learn from her strength.
Disclaimer: The first half of this book contained a few F words and a few other random bits of language. Also the description of the attack is naturally quite graphic.
The book is filled with Carmen's will to live and rise above the most horrific experience. Her ability to forgive is amazing.
Lots of insightful thoughts.
pg. 256 where she is speaking to a group of prisoners serving for sex crimes.
"Your only goal is to help yourself, not your victim. That is what I truly believe. Selfish is a bad word in our society, but I think we're not nearly selfish enough. We never put ourselves first the way we should. . . and when I say selfish, not in a malicious way. I mean taking care of yourself as your first priority. Because unless you do that, you can't fully take care of anyone else. Forgive yourself first. Then see what other changes come.
"I realized the truth of my words as I spoke them. As a society, we self-sacrifice to our own detriment. . . We accept responsibility for other people's happiness before we accept responsibility for our own. If we reversed that, we would be better mothers, better spouses, and better friends, siblings and daughters."
I'm grateful Carmen was willing to share her story with the world as I think we can all learn from her strength.
Disclaimer: The first half of this book contained a few F words and a few other random bits of language. Also the description of the attack is naturally quite graphic.
April 26, 2013
From the opening page I was drawn into this story. Carmen's story could be anyone's story. How many people do you know who are young divorced women thinking they found love only to find that their new mate has flaws and keeps secrets? Quite a few I bet. But of course no one thinks that one day their ex love will come back and bring such a nightmare of pain, loss and agony. This is not so much a book about her struggle but more about survival, and not just survival but victory. That's not to say that Carmen didn't have her moments of doubt, her moments of anger, her moments of despair.
We've all heard stories of people who have overcome cancer and told how it changed their lives, that living so close to death was a wake up call to live. Well this is similar, Carmen used what happened to her to help others. She chose to share her story, Carmen's determination and strength can teach us all what is important in life, to not dwell on the past, or be overwhelmed by what we have lost and instead focus on the things we love, the things that inspire. Life is a choice, you can choose to live it or you can choose to waste it being miserable or unhappy...which will you do?
We've all heard stories of people who have overcome cancer and told how it changed their lives, that living so close to death was a wake up call to live. Well this is similar, Carmen used what happened to her to help others. She chose to share her story, Carmen's determination and strength can teach us all what is important in life, to not dwell on the past, or be overwhelmed by what we have lost and instead focus on the things we love, the things that inspire. Life is a choice, you can choose to live it or you can choose to waste it being miserable or unhappy...which will you do?
May 14, 2013
I grew up in the Vermont hills where Carmen Blandin Tarleton suffered at the hands of her husband and recovered in the hands of a tight-knit rural community. I don’t know her personally, but I remember her story in the local papers several years ago. It featured an attack by a mentally unhinged spouse, a bottle of corrosive lye, and a woman’s body burned beyond recognition by caustic chemicals. It was hard to look at but hard to turn away as well.
Today, Tarleton has proved that people really can overcome anything. With the publication of this book, she tells the world not just the horrors she survived, but the blessings she received. Written in a straightforward, first-person style, Tarleton’s story is more about resilience and bravery than it is about trauma and pain. Most of all, it’s about forgiveness, and Tarleton’s astonishing journey to forgiving her attacker. That’s the story she wants to tell with her book, and it comes through loud and clear in this inspirational memoir of healing and hope.
Today, Tarleton has proved that people really can overcome anything. With the publication of this book, she tells the world not just the horrors she survived, but the blessings she received. Written in a straightforward, first-person style, Tarleton’s story is more about resilience and bravery than it is about trauma and pain. Most of all, it’s about forgiveness, and Tarleton’s astonishing journey to forgiving her attacker. That’s the story she wants to tell with her book, and it comes through loud and clear in this inspirational memoir of healing and hope.
June 30, 2013
This is the true story of Carmen Blandin, a young mother whose life was irrevocably changed after her ex husband attacked her. He came into her house one night savagely beat her and then poured industrial strength lye over her body. She sustained burns over the majority of her body and doctors weren't sure if she would make it.
But Carmen survived and this book details her road to recover both physically and emotionally. I wouldn't call it an easy read but it was inspiring. The obstacles Carmen overcame and the way she decided she would approach life is remarkable. She chose life, as she likes to say, and I found myself wondering if I could be as brave as she is. I would love to hear Carmen speak in one of her public speaking opportunities, I think she is amazing and has a wealth of knowledge to share.
But Carmen survived and this book details her road to recover both physically and emotionally. I wouldn't call it an easy read but it was inspiring. The obstacles Carmen overcame and the way she decided she would approach life is remarkable. She chose life, as she likes to say, and I found myself wondering if I could be as brave as she is. I would love to hear Carmen speak in one of her public speaking opportunities, I think she is amazing and has a wealth of knowledge to share.
March 28, 2013
Inspiring. Courageous. Strong. Smart. and a whole string of more words along the same line. This story is much more than a tale about survival against all odds. It's about things we can all use in our very ordinary lives: finding what we can control and letting go of what we cannot. Honoring our self and being the best we can be so that we can be healthy about relationships with others (Carmen calls it being selfish in a healthy way). Forgiving. And conviction that we create our own reality. This is an important book.
May 25, 2015
Carmen experienced things that no one ever should have to, but as we all learn from our trials, Carmen learned a level of healing and understanding that would be hard to achieve without going through the process.
Carmen commented on how she was called brave. She was brave. She sat in court with her ex-husband so he could see what he had done to her. More importantly, she rose above her situation and learned to become a motivational speaker, even speaking about forgiveness. While some of the topics and trials were difficult, the book is ultimately an inspirational read.
Carmen commented on how she was called brave. She was brave. She sat in court with her ex-husband so he could see what he had done to her. More importantly, she rose above her situation and learned to become a motivational speaker, even speaking about forgiveness. While some of the topics and trials were difficult, the book is ultimately an inspirational read.
March 24, 2013
This book is amazing. Carmen was attacked by her husband with industrial strength lye and recently underwent a face transplant. It is so inspiring to read of her life and how she has dealt with the many, many challenges since her attack so positively. You can find it on Amazon.
November 20, 2014
Incredible! This book reads like you are sitting at Carmen's kitchen table and she is telling you her story. Her strength, determination and will power is inspiring. This is a must read for anyone. It really focused on forgiveness and letting go. Something we all could be a little better at.
April 1, 2013
Very inspiring. Carmen is my daughter's friend's mother.
March 25, 2013
A must read. Amazing example of strength and resilience. Carmen is an inspiration for us all.
May 15, 2013
Carmen is a very courageous, strong, and brave women. I could not put this book down. It is a real page turner, she is a true inspiration!
June 28, 2013
I enjoyed this book very much. I am so proud of Carmen. I also have the pleasure of having knowing Carmen personally. I could hear her voice as I read. She is an inspiration!
Read
July 8, 2013As a published author, I have been advised that it could be viewed as a conflict of interest if I give ratings on books I've read.
September 27, 2017
This was a book that I couldn't put down. What an incredible story of loss and faith. I loved this book.
March 29, 2014
There aren't enough "stars" to rate this book. This is the most inspiring story I have EVER read. Everyone should read this book. She is such a strong, brave woman.
April 6, 2014
Great book, quick read, very inspirational.
Read
February 9, 2016AMAZING book and story. This author is a great inspiration and amazing person. I had the pleasure of meeting her and hearing her speak.
March 2, 2013
Amazing story of a courageous woman. She is an example of how we all should treat life!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews