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In an Instant
In January 2006, Lee and Bob Woodruff seemed to have it all-a happy marriage, four beautiful children, and marvelous careers. Bob had just been named co-anchor of ABC's World News Tonight, but then, while he was embedded with the military in Iraq, an improvised explosive device went off near the tank he was riding in. He and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were hit, and Bob suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly killed him. In an Instant is the frank and compelling account of how Bob and Lee Woodruff's lives came together, were blown apart, and then were miraculously put together again-and how they persevered, with grit but also with humor, through intense trauma and fear. More than a dual memoir of love and courage, In an Instant is an important, wise, and inspiring guide to coping with tragedy-and an extraordinary drama of marriage, family, war, and nation
8 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2007
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3857 people want to read
About the author
Lee Woodruff
29 books237 followersIn addition to Those We Love Most (Sept 2012) Lee Woodruff is co-author of New York Times bestselling In an Instant & author of a series of essays Perfectly Imperfect. She is correspondent for CBS This Morning and has written numerous articles for Ladies Home Journal, Redbook & Parade. She & her husband co founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation which assists wounded veterans & their families. They reside in Westchester County with their four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 449 reviews
April 29, 2011
If I could post more than five stars, I would do so for this book. I cried in many places as I read it, but I also laughed and smiled. Wow. What an amazing story of a family who has been through so much. And what a way to illustrate, that no matter what you face, you can get through it if you face it together. I have a quote I want to share from the book.
"But the moments that define us, that strip us down to raw bone and cartilage and build us back up: they are the tough ones. They are the stories of grief or tragedy, stories tinged with sadness and sorrow. They are the leads on the nightly news, the ones that grab our attention and glue us to the screen. I believe how we attack those curve balls is the stuff of life; they count just as much as the good times. Perhaps there are lessons here, lessons for others who will inevitably hit the gritty pavement of life, often when they least expect it."
The book was so powerful, so meaningful, and I am just overwhelmed. I'm going to say it again...I loved this book! IT was so incredibly powerful! It took me a long time to read, even though it's a short book, for a couple of reasons. One, it shifted back and forth into different voices, and two, it's just very powerful.
I don't normally like books that shift back and forth between characters, but in this book, it fit. Bob and Lee each needed to be able to tell their own part of the story, and honestly, the reader usually needed a shift of gears when the switch came. It fit in well, and wow. I cannot say enough about this book. READ IT.
"But the moments that define us, that strip us down to raw bone and cartilage and build us back up: they are the tough ones. They are the stories of grief or tragedy, stories tinged with sadness and sorrow. They are the leads on the nightly news, the ones that grab our attention and glue us to the screen. I believe how we attack those curve balls is the stuff of life; they count just as much as the good times. Perhaps there are lessons here, lessons for others who will inevitably hit the gritty pavement of life, often when they least expect it."
The book was so powerful, so meaningful, and I am just overwhelmed. I'm going to say it again...I loved this book! IT was so incredibly powerful! It took me a long time to read, even though it's a short book, for a couple of reasons. One, it shifted back and forth into different voices, and two, it's just very powerful.
I don't normally like books that shift back and forth between characters, but in this book, it fit. Bob and Lee each needed to be able to tell their own part of the story, and honestly, the reader usually needed a shift of gears when the switch came. It fit in well, and wow. I cannot say enough about this book. READ IT.
September 13, 2012
This is an amazing story of a man's fight to come back and of his wife's emotional roller coaster. It hit home with me because my daughter's significant other suffered major brain damage on Dec. 20. He is not going to make it. But Lee Woodruff's description of her husband and of her own feelings and fears paralleled my daughter's in the beginning. It gave me more insight as to what was going on with her and with brain trauma.
The book is written in part by Bob Woodruff and in part by his wife, Lee. Aside from the brain trauma, it is a look into his work, as it was, and into their marriage - the effects of his being away so much. Foreign journalism was like a drug for him. I used to watch him. I liked his reporting. I never gave thought as to what his family was going through. Can you imagine your husband being embedded with the troups in Iraq? His recovery from his wounds, and then from his brain injury which affected his speech and ability to remember names and put words together, is amazing. Because he was injured in Iraq, his first treatment was the same as any soldier. He saw how many had brain damage from this war and he and his wife now are dedicating their lives to helping those soldiers.
The book is written in part by Bob Woodruff and in part by his wife, Lee. Aside from the brain trauma, it is a look into his work, as it was, and into their marriage - the effects of his being away so much. Foreign journalism was like a drug for him. I used to watch him. I liked his reporting. I never gave thought as to what his family was going through. Can you imagine your husband being embedded with the troups in Iraq? His recovery from his wounds, and then from his brain injury which affected his speech and ability to remember names and put words together, is amazing. Because he was injured in Iraq, his first treatment was the same as any soldier. He saw how many had brain damage from this war and he and his wife now are dedicating their lives to helping those soldiers.
September 5, 2008
Simply stated, it is a miracle that Bob Woodruff survived a blast from an IED (improvised explosive device) in Iraq. His level of recovery has been remarkable.
Working in rehabilitation, I was mainly interested in the experience they had while recovering from his TBI. I expected the book to be more of that. The story of recovery weaves in and out with the personal history of Bob and Lee (his wife), his career, and other significant events.
Mr. Woodruff had to overcome serious physical and cognitive challenges. Finding the right words was often a challenge. My favorite examples of this was how he would call pajamas "sleep puffers" and when describing a family friend who had breast implants done, he said, "she had a breast explosion". He has recovered to the point he can look back on that with humor. Many families are not so "lucky".
Sadly, thanks to this lovely war in Iraq, too many soldiers are coming home with brain injuries and, more sadly, are not receiving the care and rehabilitation they need.
From the book:
...many soldiers' injuries have gone undiagnosed. Men and women who have been near a blast are also at risk. The concussive effects are damaging... these people were sent back to the battlefield-unsure of why they couldn't think straight or why their judgement was off... Each of these injured soldiers needs professional cognitive rehabilitation to help connect those neurons... Traumatic brain injury will be a tragic and desperate legacy of the Iraq War here at home."
I hate for anyone to go through the trauma the Woodruff family has endured. On the plus side, Bob has recovered to the point he can shed some light on TBI and the soldiers who are our walking wounded.
www.bobwoodrufffamilyfund.org
www.biausa.org
Working in rehabilitation, I was mainly interested in the experience they had while recovering from his TBI. I expected the book to be more of that. The story of recovery weaves in and out with the personal history of Bob and Lee (his wife), his career, and other significant events.
Mr. Woodruff had to overcome serious physical and cognitive challenges. Finding the right words was often a challenge. My favorite examples of this was how he would call pajamas "sleep puffers" and when describing a family friend who had breast implants done, he said, "she had a breast explosion". He has recovered to the point he can look back on that with humor. Many families are not so "lucky".
Sadly, thanks to this lovely war in Iraq, too many soldiers are coming home with brain injuries and, more sadly, are not receiving the care and rehabilitation they need.
From the book:
...many soldiers' injuries have gone undiagnosed. Men and women who have been near a blast are also at risk. The concussive effects are damaging... these people were sent back to the battlefield-unsure of why they couldn't think straight or why their judgement was off... Each of these injured soldiers needs professional cognitive rehabilitation to help connect those neurons... Traumatic brain injury will be a tragic and desperate legacy of the Iraq War here at home."
I hate for anyone to go through the trauma the Woodruff family has endured. On the plus side, Bob has recovered to the point he can shed some light on TBI and the soldiers who are our walking wounded.
www.bobwoodrufffamilyfund.org
www.biausa.org
July 5, 2022
The perils of war and the demons of journalism, the strength in marriage and the love of family, are
all part of Bob Woodruff.
Lee shared the the toll of brain injury, what he forgot and the pain of healing. He still spoke French and Chinese. Writing took more to achieve. He continues to heal.
all part of Bob Woodruff.
Lee shared the the toll of brain injury, what he forgot and the pain of healing. He still spoke French and Chinese. Writing took more to achieve. He continues to heal.
April 15, 2008
This is not the first personal story I have read about someone who survives a traumatic brain injury(TBI). Why I don't know, but TBI is very interesting to me. Reading about how the brain recovers from TBI and how the person with TBI is changed because of it is just very fascinating to me.
Woodruffs' story is amazing. If you've been through any kind of medical crisis with a loved one, there is much in this book that will ring true to you. It's been a long time since I've cried while reading a book but I cried three times while I read this. I also laughed. It's a story of hope and acceptance and perseverance and love.
Woodruffs' story is amazing. If you've been through any kind of medical crisis with a loved one, there is much in this book that will ring true to you. It's been a long time since I've cried while reading a book but I cried three times while I read this. I also laughed. It's a story of hope and acceptance and perseverance and love.
May 10, 2022
Review originally published June 2007
As Bob Woodruff was on an assignment for ABC News in Iraq, an improvised explosive device went off near the tank in which he was riding. The book, In An Instant, written by Bob Woodruff and his wife, Lee, presents the story of Bob as a husband, as a journalist, and as a person suffering and recovering from a war injury.
Bob received a traumatic brain injury that nearly killed him. In An Instant is Bob’s remarkable story of love, courage, and healing. This book gives readers insight into the effects of a severe war injury. Even though Bob Woodruff was not a member of the military, he did receive treatment and care as a soldier.
It is also sad, but true, that traumatic brain injuries are becoming the “signature wound” of the Iraq war. The Department of Defense estimates that as many as 10% of the soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan could have suffered some form of traumatic brain injury.
Today, advances in medicine, technology, and transportation are greatly improving the chances of saving the lives of the severely wounded soldiers. Cargo planes referred to as Critical Care Air Transport Teams, have been outfitted with sophisticated medical equipment, and staffed with expert personnel to quickly move wounded soldiers to US hospitals.
Still, the process of healing can be slow, lengthy, and arduous, as described in the book.
See also:
To read more about other Iraq war narratives written by reporters, check out the following books:
A Hundred and One Days: A Baghdad Journal, written by Asne Seierstad
Sister in the Band of Brothers: Embedded With the 101st Airborne in Iraq written by Katherine Skiba
Find these books and other titles within our catalog.
As Bob Woodruff was on an assignment for ABC News in Iraq, an improvised explosive device went off near the tank in which he was riding. The book, In An Instant, written by Bob Woodruff and his wife, Lee, presents the story of Bob as a husband, as a journalist, and as a person suffering and recovering from a war injury.
Bob received a traumatic brain injury that nearly killed him. In An Instant is Bob’s remarkable story of love, courage, and healing. This book gives readers insight into the effects of a severe war injury. Even though Bob Woodruff was not a member of the military, he did receive treatment and care as a soldier.
It is also sad, but true, that traumatic brain injuries are becoming the “signature wound” of the Iraq war. The Department of Defense estimates that as many as 10% of the soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan could have suffered some form of traumatic brain injury.
Today, advances in medicine, technology, and transportation are greatly improving the chances of saving the lives of the severely wounded soldiers. Cargo planes referred to as Critical Care Air Transport Teams, have been outfitted with sophisticated medical equipment, and staffed with expert personnel to quickly move wounded soldiers to US hospitals.
Still, the process of healing can be slow, lengthy, and arduous, as described in the book.
See also:
To read more about other Iraq war narratives written by reporters, check out the following books:
A Hundred and One Days: A Baghdad Journal, written by Asne Seierstad
Sister in the Band of Brothers: Embedded With the 101st Airborne in Iraq written by Katherine Skiba
Find these books and other titles within our catalog.
October 15, 2012
I picked up this book to do research for my upcoming novel, Along the Watchtower, hoping to better understand the impact of Traumatic Brain Injury. I was unprepared to find such an honest and heart wrenching story. Like the wonderful novel, Still Alice by Lisa Genova, this story is from the perspective of the person with injury/illness. In Still Alice, the reader gets to be inside the head of a Harvard professor diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease as we follow her through her gradual decline. Still Alice is a wonderful book, but it is fiction. In an Instant is real.
Bob and Lee Woodruff had a wonderful life. They were both bright and successful, with a good relationship and four terrific children. Bob had just achieved the near pinnacle of a journalist’s career, having been chosen to replace Peter Jennings as the coveted ABC World News Tonight anchor. Sent to cover the war in Iraq, Bob’s life changed in an instant, when an IED attack sent shrapnel into his brain.
While probably written mostly by Lee, the story more or less alternates between what each of them remember. The attack and its aftermath are interspersed with touching backstory about their life, their courtship and their family. But mostly it’s about his struggle to recover from his injuries.
This book gives exceptional insight into the impact of trauma to the brain, which is especially tragic in such a brilliant man. The two of them tell how Lee came to the hospital every day, without him recognizing her, and how one day she came in and he asked, almost angrily, why she hadn’t visited until then. On that day, his brain had healed enough that he could recognize her. It also demonstrates the random bizarreness of a damaged human brain, perhaps manifested most dramatically in the following: at one point, Bob Woodward could remember the names of all the US presidents (how many of us can do that), but not the names of his children.
I achieved my purpose, getting great insight into Traumatic Brain Injury. But I also received much more—a look into the life of a loving family, their descent into near tragedy and their courageous and remarkable return to a normal life.
Bob and Lee Woodruff had a wonderful life. They were both bright and successful, with a good relationship and four terrific children. Bob had just achieved the near pinnacle of a journalist’s career, having been chosen to replace Peter Jennings as the coveted ABC World News Tonight anchor. Sent to cover the war in Iraq, Bob’s life changed in an instant, when an IED attack sent shrapnel into his brain.
While probably written mostly by Lee, the story more or less alternates between what each of them remember. The attack and its aftermath are interspersed with touching backstory about their life, their courtship and their family. But mostly it’s about his struggle to recover from his injuries.
This book gives exceptional insight into the impact of trauma to the brain, which is especially tragic in such a brilliant man. The two of them tell how Lee came to the hospital every day, without him recognizing her, and how one day she came in and he asked, almost angrily, why she hadn’t visited until then. On that day, his brain had healed enough that he could recognize her. It also demonstrates the random bizarreness of a damaged human brain, perhaps manifested most dramatically in the following: at one point, Bob Woodward could remember the names of all the US presidents (how many of us can do that), but not the names of his children.
I achieved my purpose, getting great insight into Traumatic Brain Injury. But I also received much more—a look into the life of a loving family, their descent into near tragedy and their courageous and remarkable return to a normal life.
Read
January 14, 2009In an Instant: a Family’s Journey of Love and Healing, by Lee and Bob Woodruff. A.
This book details the career of Bob Woodruff and his wife, Lee and her career. The book was written after he was injured in Iraq shortly after he had gotten his dream job-anchor of the ABC Night News. Lee began a journal to help her deal with the changes-first, was Bob going to live at all? If he lived, would he have permanent brain injuries? Would he ever be able to talk, walk, hear or see again? Would his personality be different? Would he even still love her? Lee had to keep the family together, including their four children. She got lots of help from their supportive families and friends. Bob took up writing as he got better, also as a way for him to explore his feelings and to get his memory back. This is an amazing story of his come-back and lack of brain injuries which in and of themselves would ultimately change his life. He is the first to admit that he had the best of both possible worlds. He was injured in Iraq, where the military is used to immediately treating horrible brain injuries and saves lives which would be lost here in the States. But when he got back to the states, he wasn’t tied to services funded by the V.A., because he worked for ABC, which paid for him to have the best private care. Bob and Lee talk about how different it is for many of the soldiers who might get as good care while still overseas, but who face grueling waits for services and denials of services when they get home. This is a book which changed the lives of the Woodruffs and, in its own way may change the lives of military personnel as he is using his journalistic skills to bring the costs of this war in brain injuries to the forefront.
This book details the career of Bob Woodruff and his wife, Lee and her career. The book was written after he was injured in Iraq shortly after he had gotten his dream job-anchor of the ABC Night News. Lee began a journal to help her deal with the changes-first, was Bob going to live at all? If he lived, would he have permanent brain injuries? Would he ever be able to talk, walk, hear or see again? Would his personality be different? Would he even still love her? Lee had to keep the family together, including their four children. She got lots of help from their supportive families and friends. Bob took up writing as he got better, also as a way for him to explore his feelings and to get his memory back. This is an amazing story of his come-back and lack of brain injuries which in and of themselves would ultimately change his life. He is the first to admit that he had the best of both possible worlds. He was injured in Iraq, where the military is used to immediately treating horrible brain injuries and saves lives which would be lost here in the States. But when he got back to the states, he wasn’t tied to services funded by the V.A., because he worked for ABC, which paid for him to have the best private care. Bob and Lee talk about how different it is for many of the soldiers who might get as good care while still overseas, but who face grueling waits for services and denials of services when they get home. This is a book which changed the lives of the Woodruffs and, in its own way may change the lives of military personnel as he is using his journalistic skills to bring the costs of this war in brain injuries to the forefront.
October 6, 2011
I liked this book a lot. I've heard a lot about Bob Woodruff not because of his job as a reporter and anchor, but because of his injury. I'm a speech-language pathologist and his brain injury was talked about in our TBI and aphasia classes.
I thought the book was interesting and well read by Bob and Lee. Most of the story was told by Lee, his wife. I liked that at the beginning of each chapter, it gave the place and date they would be writing about. The book bounced back and forth between Bob shortly before his injury and his rehabilitation afterward and his life with Lee leading up to his injury. I found his before-life interesting and a good piece to add to his overall story.
As a speech-language pathologist, I wish there had been more written about Bob's rehab after he woke up. Some of it was touched on in the story, some of the funny words he made up while dealing with his aphasia as well as not being able to remember words. However, I thought they could have written more about all of his rehab and not just Lee's devastated feelings as she realized all of the little steps they would have to take throughout rehab.
Overall though, a good book and memoir. I laughed out loud at parts and got tears in my eyes at other parts. Since stories of his accident are woven throughout the book, it left me a little depressed every time I stopped listening to it as his accident is heart breaking. But, it kept me thinking about him and the accident and his story overall; which is what a good story does...keeps you thinking.
I thought the book was interesting and well read by Bob and Lee. Most of the story was told by Lee, his wife. I liked that at the beginning of each chapter, it gave the place and date they would be writing about. The book bounced back and forth between Bob shortly before his injury and his rehabilitation afterward and his life with Lee leading up to his injury. I found his before-life interesting and a good piece to add to his overall story.
As a speech-language pathologist, I wish there had been more written about Bob's rehab after he woke up. Some of it was touched on in the story, some of the funny words he made up while dealing with his aphasia as well as not being able to remember words. However, I thought they could have written more about all of his rehab and not just Lee's devastated feelings as she realized all of the little steps they would have to take throughout rehab.
Overall though, a good book and memoir. I laughed out loud at parts and got tears in my eyes at other parts. Since stories of his accident are woven throughout the book, it left me a little depressed every time I stopped listening to it as his accident is heart breaking. But, it kept me thinking about him and the accident and his story overall; which is what a good story does...keeps you thinking.
January 6, 2014
Not a huge fan of this book: it was much longer than it needed to be, and while some people might enjoy bob's ramblings about the current sociopolitical climates of different areas of the world at different points int time, personally, that is not why I picked up this book. I picked up this book to learn the personal stories of Bob and Lee, particularly as they relate to Bob's TBI while reporting in the middle-east. And while I did learn a lot about the family's lived experiences and TBI recovery, the book was a bit cluttered and disorganized. It frequently jumps between the husband's and the wife's individual perspectives, also jumping both in chronological time and geographical locations of the events. Bob's portions were always heavy on the news-reporter standpoint of areas, while Lee's was more focused on herself and how difficult her experiences were for her. I would have enjoyed reading a collaborative story, in chronological order, where the authors built off of one-another and disposed of the additional information written that is truly only sideline to their story. It was not until the very end of the book, particularly behind the final chapter, where I felt like I saw into the eyes of the family and their experiences. This was unfortunate. So while I feel the authors have a great story to tell, I also feel that it could have been told in a much more effective and interesting way.
May 17, 2013
I cant believe I just spent almost 3 hrs reading a true story memoir. This was so fascinating that it was a page Turner for me. I remember so well some of his stories on the air so it was refreshing to know his competitor David Bloom was one of his closest friends. I loved Peter Jennings world news and was schocked like the rest of the world when he died. I was hopeful for Bob woodruff to do well in those big shoes to fill! So this story goes back and forth between both Bob and his wife talking about how the met, living in other countries, how his travels affected the family, and in an instant that ar injury changed their life. I was impressed by the writing! Great story of hope and love their commitment to help others with traumatic brain injuries!
July 5, 2018
Lee and Bob Woodruff do an incredible job of blending two distinct writing styles, voices, and perspectives for this profound memoir after Bob was injured in January 2006 by an explosive device (IED) near the tank he was riding in.
A few months before the life-changing event, Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas had been named as co-anchors for World News Tonight. They were successors to Peter Jennings after he passed away.
Lee and Bob take the reader on an exciting journey of their lives as they lived in China, London, and several cities in the U.S. It's a compelling odyssey of integrating love, career, marriage, children, and tragedy. '
I highly recommend it!
A few months before the life-changing event, Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas had been named as co-anchors for World News Tonight. They were successors to Peter Jennings after he passed away.
Lee and Bob take the reader on an exciting journey of their lives as they lived in China, London, and several cities in the U.S. It's a compelling odyssey of integrating love, career, marriage, children, and tragedy. '
I highly recommend it!
February 2, 2016
Mr. Woodruff and his family have been wonderful advocates for Traumatic Brain Injury, and so I hate to criticize this book. However, I think it is fair to warn readers that the focus of this book is primarily on Mr. Woodruff's career and the first weeks of his hospitalization rather than a full picture of TBI and its aftermath. If you are interested in the details of Mr. Woodruff's personal life, this book if for you; if you are seeking a first-person account of recovering from brain injury, I would recommend “Over My Head” or “My Stroke of Insight” instead.
July 26, 2007
I wasn't nuts about this, and I was surprised about that because I expected to really enjoy it. Several people in my family loved it. I'm not sure why I didn't. I know that I wasn't very impressed by the writing, but that's not unusual in memoirs.
July 11, 2017
Powerful! A very heartfelt and truthful story of a family's trials and loves. I appreciate the honesty of Lee Woodruff and it is nothing short of a miracle that Bob can tell his side of the story after such a horrific accident.
April 25, 2008
In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing by Lee & Bob Woodruff is so emotionally charged you can't help but feel every single heart wrenching moment that this family must endure to save the one man they all very deeply love. I cried on that terrible day that Bob was hurt and I cry now as I revisit that fateful day through the eyes of the person who loves him the most.
Bob Woodruff is a man who is not only extremely handsome but intelligent, loving, kind, energetic, respectful and driven. He's a man who loves his family tremendously and loves his job as a journalist emphatically. Journalism is his dream and luckily for him his family supports each and every step towards fulfilling this important quest.
Lee Woodruff is a Mom first and foremost. She's pretty, intelligent, loving, devoted, caring, kind and one of the strongest women I have had the pleasure to read about. Lee is a Commander General in crisis mode and a typical human being after the fact. Organization is a fantastic quality to have when faced with the unknown and to be able to take life by the horns and hold on for everything it's worth makes this family extremely fortunate.
This memoir is not only about Bob's traumatic injuries sustained in Iraq but also about what has lead this family to this particular time period. Bob's being in the wrong place at the wrong time is one of those things that happens to even the best of us no matter how much we prepare. A quote from Bob, "You can take precautions in this life, but they are like seat belts; they won't necessarily keep you safe".
This book switches back and forth with chapters going from Bob's accident in Iraq to the past so that we may learn Bob & Lee's beginnings, then leading us ultimately to a junction of how and why Bob was in Iraq at that most fateful moment.
We learn of the couple's brief meeting while in college, Bob's success at becoming a lawyer and Lee's success at her own significant career, their marriage, the early times of their marriage while Bob is teaching in China just before and at the beginning of the Tiananmen Square conflict. This is when the journalist bug comes up and bites Bob sending him into the adventure of a lifetime. Being there at that precise moment when action is happening and adrenaline is pumping is what causes fight or flight in so many people.
We travel on through several job promotions as Bob slowly crawls up the journalistic ladder and the number of moves the family must contend with during all this. As Bob follows his dream of being a top journalist, Lee and the kids follow Bob to wherever that happens to lead them.
I found this story informative in so many different respects. Not only do you have the information about the tragedy but of the different diseases that could so easily take your life in an instant. The information about the different places that are visited here and the news presented about the different conflicts and how each and every person involved is affected. Not only that but about how we all should be concerned with what is going on in other parts of the world as they will most likely at some point affect our lives as a whole.
Bob quotes a war photographer, "In the words of legendary war photographer Larry Burrows, journalists who cover wars and conflicts are there "to show the interested people and to shock the uninterested". How true this is!
Upon finishing this book I must say the authors have succeeded in educating us in a comfortable style. May they have a long, happy and healthy life together. They most certainly deserve it.
Reviewed for Front Street Reviews
http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/
Bob Woodruff is a man who is not only extremely handsome but intelligent, loving, kind, energetic, respectful and driven. He's a man who loves his family tremendously and loves his job as a journalist emphatically. Journalism is his dream and luckily for him his family supports each and every step towards fulfilling this important quest.
Lee Woodruff is a Mom first and foremost. She's pretty, intelligent, loving, devoted, caring, kind and one of the strongest women I have had the pleasure to read about. Lee is a Commander General in crisis mode and a typical human being after the fact. Organization is a fantastic quality to have when faced with the unknown and to be able to take life by the horns and hold on for everything it's worth makes this family extremely fortunate.
This memoir is not only about Bob's traumatic injuries sustained in Iraq but also about what has lead this family to this particular time period. Bob's being in the wrong place at the wrong time is one of those things that happens to even the best of us no matter how much we prepare. A quote from Bob, "You can take precautions in this life, but they are like seat belts; they won't necessarily keep you safe".
This book switches back and forth with chapters going from Bob's accident in Iraq to the past so that we may learn Bob & Lee's beginnings, then leading us ultimately to a junction of how and why Bob was in Iraq at that most fateful moment.
We learn of the couple's brief meeting while in college, Bob's success at becoming a lawyer and Lee's success at her own significant career, their marriage, the early times of their marriage while Bob is teaching in China just before and at the beginning of the Tiananmen Square conflict. This is when the journalist bug comes up and bites Bob sending him into the adventure of a lifetime. Being there at that precise moment when action is happening and adrenaline is pumping is what causes fight or flight in so many people.
We travel on through several job promotions as Bob slowly crawls up the journalistic ladder and the number of moves the family must contend with during all this. As Bob follows his dream of being a top journalist, Lee and the kids follow Bob to wherever that happens to lead them.
I found this story informative in so many different respects. Not only do you have the information about the tragedy but of the different diseases that could so easily take your life in an instant. The information about the different places that are visited here and the news presented about the different conflicts and how each and every person involved is affected. Not only that but about how we all should be concerned with what is going on in other parts of the world as they will most likely at some point affect our lives as a whole.
Bob quotes a war photographer, "In the words of legendary war photographer Larry Burrows, journalists who cover wars and conflicts are there "to show the interested people and to shock the uninterested". How true this is!
Upon finishing this book I must say the authors have succeeded in educating us in a comfortable style. May they have a long, happy and healthy life together. They most certainly deserve it.
Reviewed for Front Street Reviews
http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/
August 31, 2008
My Review of In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing by Lee and Bob Woodruff
This is a love story. One might question this when a journalist has to fight for his life after being wounded while covering the Iraqi war, but not once you read Lee and Bob Woodruff’s amazingly poignant story. This is their love story-the story of Bob and Lee, and how their love came to be and sustained them through a year of pain, hope, fear, recovery, and dedication.
Told in alternating time frames from the dreadful moment when Lee is called and told that Bob has been critically injured to how they met and fell in love. Lee tells her account of their love story with passion and feeling, while Bob is as always the accomplished journalist with his fact based style of recollection. Both Lee and Bob are heroes in this story. Bob’s valiant effort to handle his severe injuries mostly to the brain, and Lee’s courageous, steadfast support and love throughout the entire process make up this amazingly miraculous story.
Bob, only recently having been named co-anchor of ABC News, was in Iraq imbedded with troops covering the Iraqi war while Lee and their four children were at Disney World. While that may sound almost callous to many, this is the life a journalist and his family. When a bomb explodes and Bob is literally blown to pieces, not much hope seems to exist that he will survive as Lee is rushed to her husband’s side. Telling about how she got the call and what immediately transpired, Lee aptly recounts their story first hand and truly earns the title of In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing because that is what happened to this family in just one minute.
In the above-mentioned alternating writing style, the story goes back to Bob’s leaving a profitable law profession to pursue his dream of being a journalist. Bob’s hard work and passion for covering the news takes him through the rank and file in many amazing places and stories as he works his way up in his journalism career. The part of the story of Lee and Bob’s personal life is interspersed with the realities of Bob’s day-to-day survival and recovery following the bomb in Iraq.
Bob’s 5 week coma, swelling of the brain, and many near death complications are told with detail and clarity so that the reader really experiences, as much as possible, first hand what this family went through. The never ending waiting to see if Bob will survive is a story of such devotion that in reality, you wonder just how someone can go through something like that. Lee tells this story in a way that makes you realize that you can never know, as did she, until you are tested, how you would respond in a situation such as this. At one point, after about five weeks, Lee crawls up into bed with Bob to try and hold him, with all his medical contraptions and tubes, and she tells him that he must fight for his life because she and their four children need him. Barely leaving his side, Lee is shocked when a few days later she walks into his room and he is sitting up and asking her where she has been?! It is at that point that the real fight begins for Bob to work hard to return to his life as he knew it. Meanwhile, Lee must juggle duel roles of parent and caregiver.
This compelling story of love and devotion is told with honesty, humor, and hope. The friendships both Lee and Bob have, the love and family they share, guides one through an often graphic but also witty and very human novel. Get the book In An Instant and you will find it won’t take much longer than that to be hooked and not want to put it down!
Copyright to curledup.com by Karen Haney, August, 2008
This is a love story. One might question this when a journalist has to fight for his life after being wounded while covering the Iraqi war, but not once you read Lee and Bob Woodruff’s amazingly poignant story. This is their love story-the story of Bob and Lee, and how their love came to be and sustained them through a year of pain, hope, fear, recovery, and dedication.
Told in alternating time frames from the dreadful moment when Lee is called and told that Bob has been critically injured to how they met and fell in love. Lee tells her account of their love story with passion and feeling, while Bob is as always the accomplished journalist with his fact based style of recollection. Both Lee and Bob are heroes in this story. Bob’s valiant effort to handle his severe injuries mostly to the brain, and Lee’s courageous, steadfast support and love throughout the entire process make up this amazingly miraculous story.
Bob, only recently having been named co-anchor of ABC News, was in Iraq imbedded with troops covering the Iraqi war while Lee and their four children were at Disney World. While that may sound almost callous to many, this is the life a journalist and his family. When a bomb explodes and Bob is literally blown to pieces, not much hope seems to exist that he will survive as Lee is rushed to her husband’s side. Telling about how she got the call and what immediately transpired, Lee aptly recounts their story first hand and truly earns the title of In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing because that is what happened to this family in just one minute.
In the above-mentioned alternating writing style, the story goes back to Bob’s leaving a profitable law profession to pursue his dream of being a journalist. Bob’s hard work and passion for covering the news takes him through the rank and file in many amazing places and stories as he works his way up in his journalism career. The part of the story of Lee and Bob’s personal life is interspersed with the realities of Bob’s day-to-day survival and recovery following the bomb in Iraq.
Bob’s 5 week coma, swelling of the brain, and many near death complications are told with detail and clarity so that the reader really experiences, as much as possible, first hand what this family went through. The never ending waiting to see if Bob will survive is a story of such devotion that in reality, you wonder just how someone can go through something like that. Lee tells this story in a way that makes you realize that you can never know, as did she, until you are tested, how you would respond in a situation such as this. At one point, after about five weeks, Lee crawls up into bed with Bob to try and hold him, with all his medical contraptions and tubes, and she tells him that he must fight for his life because she and their four children need him. Barely leaving his side, Lee is shocked when a few days later she walks into his room and he is sitting up and asking her where she has been?! It is at that point that the real fight begins for Bob to work hard to return to his life as he knew it. Meanwhile, Lee must juggle duel roles of parent and caregiver.
This compelling story of love and devotion is told with honesty, humor, and hope. The friendships both Lee and Bob have, the love and family they share, guides one through an often graphic but also witty and very human novel. Get the book In An Instant and you will find it won’t take much longer than that to be hooked and not want to put it down!
Copyright to curledup.com by Karen Haney, August, 2008
January 4, 2009
"Will You Still Love Me?", 1 Mar 2007
Lee Woodruff questions her husband's physician " Will he still love me?" Yes, his phyiscian answers. I have not had a patient who didn't love the people he loved before."
'In An Instant' is more than a poignant review of the year in the life of Lee and Bob Woodruff. This book is a reflection of their thoughts, prayers, experiences and day to day life. Bob Woodruff, ABC journalist, was in Iraq to report on the war and was critically injured. Half of his brain, the left half was inujred and that portion of his skull was removed to decrease the swelling. He was operated on at once and flown to Germany to be stabilized and then to Bethesda, Maryland wtih his critical brain injury. It took 5 weeks of constant care and love by his family and medical team before he awoke. Lee tells us about her struggles and the family issues and the constant anxiiety of watching her husband fight for his life. At one point at the end of the five weeks, Lee got into bed with Bob amidst his tubes and lines and told him he needed to fight, they needed him. Two days later she walked into the Intensive Care Unit,and he was sitting up in bed, and said, "Sweetie, Where ya been?" From that time the fight began in earnest for Bob who had suffered a traumatic brain injury to renew his life.
Lee Woodruff, the real hero of the story, gives us an honest, compelling look at what life was like for her. Trying to find time for four children, her husband who was crtically ill, and then recovering and balancing what she needed to do to keep her body and soul together. She talks often of the other families she met, the Iraq and Afghanistan war wounded. When Bob finally did wake up and his rehab and recovery began in earnest,life became busier and she had to become more resilient.
Bob Woodruff during his rehabilitation became involved in the lives of other men and women who had suffered as he did. He will continue to follow the TBI (traumatic brain injured) soldiers and attempt to assist in whatever manner he can. After his recovery he needed to go through more surgery to replace the piece of skull on the left side of his head. Today he looks as he did before his injury. He has had a remarkable recovery. He still has times when he cannot remember some words. He and Llee visited the Intensive Care Unity at Bethesda thank the tema who care for him. Everyone was overwhelmed. Bob was only the fifth person out of hundreds who had recoverd enough to come back and visit.
Life goes on, we all know that. Disaster, critical injuries, surgery, critical care for 5 weeks or more and then awakening. Followed by recovery and the long journey home. 'In An Instant' life changes and will never again be the same. Highly recommended. prisrob 3-01-07
May 16, 2009
Some thoughts (however, slightly disjointed and incomplete)
This book is a beautifully written account of a family's journey and testament to the importance of love, hope, and faith. Throughout the book Lee and Bob present stories and feelings surrounding his injury and other components of their live together. This method clearly emphasizes the importance of considering the context in which an injury occurs. As a result of their approach to the book I find myself walking away with two ending impressions or "take homes," if you will. The first, echoes the wisdom of one of my former professors; everything you endure in your life tests you, makes you stronger, and prepares you for the next thing that has yet to come. The component's of Lee and Bob's history presented clearly demonstrate this. The challenges, joys, and love they experience in their years together built a strong foundation from which they could rebuild the pieces that fell with Bob's injury. The second impression strikes me both personally and professionally and that is the idea of rehabilitation going beyond the medical. One's rehabilitative journy post-injury or life changing event, is way more than the physiological. Aside from recovering from injury one must recover social skills, endure cosmetic changes, adapt vocation, re-establish confidence, and grieve the things that will not go back to "normal." Occasionaly when working with people in the physical therapy setting that it is easy to tunnel vision to the specific problem at hand, which in the individual's mind may not be the most concerning issue. It's all about context, the way in which one's life has and will continue to change.
A couple of quotes from the book:
"The loss of our son taught me that there are no shortcuts to healing. There is no circumventing the pain. To truly heal, you must walk right through the blazing core of grief and face it head on, every agonizing day. Only thenn can you begin to take baby steps toward recovery. Grief is an alchemist. It will change you, morph you into someone more empathetic, more aware of what is precious, and more clearly able to see your priorities." ~Lee, pg 140
"You can't make deals, barter or trade to spare one another... You can hold faith and hope in equal measures in your heart, and in the end you can teach yourself how best to endure and then to survive and overcome. There is a Chinese saying that compares the human spirit's capacity to bear the weight of hardship to a simple bamboo stalk. It can carry a far greater burden than the naked eye can see." ~Lee, pg 270
This book is a beautifully written account of a family's journey and testament to the importance of love, hope, and faith. Throughout the book Lee and Bob present stories and feelings surrounding his injury and other components of their live together. This method clearly emphasizes the importance of considering the context in which an injury occurs. As a result of their approach to the book I find myself walking away with two ending impressions or "take homes," if you will. The first, echoes the wisdom of one of my former professors; everything you endure in your life tests you, makes you stronger, and prepares you for the next thing that has yet to come. The component's of Lee and Bob's history presented clearly demonstrate this. The challenges, joys, and love they experience in their years together built a strong foundation from which they could rebuild the pieces that fell with Bob's injury. The second impression strikes me both personally and professionally and that is the idea of rehabilitation going beyond the medical. One's rehabilitative journy post-injury or life changing event, is way more than the physiological. Aside from recovering from injury one must recover social skills, endure cosmetic changes, adapt vocation, re-establish confidence, and grieve the things that will not go back to "normal." Occasionaly when working with people in the physical therapy setting that it is easy to tunnel vision to the specific problem at hand, which in the individual's mind may not be the most concerning issue. It's all about context, the way in which one's life has and will continue to change.
A couple of quotes from the book:
"The loss of our son taught me that there are no shortcuts to healing. There is no circumventing the pain. To truly heal, you must walk right through the blazing core of grief and face it head on, every agonizing day. Only thenn can you begin to take baby steps toward recovery. Grief is an alchemist. It will change you, morph you into someone more empathetic, more aware of what is precious, and more clearly able to see your priorities." ~Lee, pg 140
"You can't make deals, barter or trade to spare one another... You can hold faith and hope in equal measures in your heart, and in the end you can teach yourself how best to endure and then to survive and overcome. There is a Chinese saying that compares the human spirit's capacity to bear the weight of hardship to a simple bamboo stalk. It can carry a far greater burden than the naked eye can see." ~Lee, pg 270
December 16, 2008
After receiving several positive recommendations from friends about this book, I decided to pick up a copy at the library. In 2006 we were living in an apartment without any TV reception, so I had never heard about or seen any of the news coverage about what had happened to Bob Woodruff in Iraq. While reading I realized this had apparently been a big story that I knew nothing about at all.
In January 2006, shortly after being named co-anchor of ABC's World News Tonight, Bob Woodruff was embedded with a military unit in Iraq when an IED went off near the tank he was riding in. Woodruff suffered a traumatic brain injury and nearly died. In an Instant, tells the story not only of Woodruff's injury and recovery but also chronicles his early career, marriage and family.
I liked the movement in time and perspective, moving in time from Lee and Bob in the hospital after the explosion to the past, parts of the story being told by Bob and others by his wife, Lee. I especially enjoyed reading about their experiences in China during the Tiananmen Square incident. I have vague memories of my family watching news stories about it at the time it occurred and reading the Woodruff's experiences prompted me to learn and read more about what had happened there.
It was interesting to read about the strides the military has made in treating traumatic brain injuries and all that our military doctors and nurses are able to do now that they were unable to do previously. While, there is still a lot that can and should be done for those suffering from these injuries, there have been some major advances in recent years. It is sad that they have had to make these advances out of necessity due to the number of soldiers who are receiving head injuries in Iraq and other areas. I found it somewhat ironic that if Woodruff had suffered the same injuries in the States he probably would not have survived but out in the Iraqi desert, miles from any hospital, the odds were in his favor.
I really did enjoy reading this account and found Lee Woodruff's story even more interesting than her husbands at times. I suppose that is because I can try and imagine myself in a similar role as a wife and mother and wonder how I would react. It was fascinating to read about how Lee dealt and coped with her husband's injuries.
In an Instant was a really interesting read.
In January 2006, shortly after being named co-anchor of ABC's World News Tonight, Bob Woodruff was embedded with a military unit in Iraq when an IED went off near the tank he was riding in. Woodruff suffered a traumatic brain injury and nearly died. In an Instant, tells the story not only of Woodruff's injury and recovery but also chronicles his early career, marriage and family.
I liked the movement in time and perspective, moving in time from Lee and Bob in the hospital after the explosion to the past, parts of the story being told by Bob and others by his wife, Lee. I especially enjoyed reading about their experiences in China during the Tiananmen Square incident. I have vague memories of my family watching news stories about it at the time it occurred and reading the Woodruff's experiences prompted me to learn and read more about what had happened there.
It was interesting to read about the strides the military has made in treating traumatic brain injuries and all that our military doctors and nurses are able to do now that they were unable to do previously. While, there is still a lot that can and should be done for those suffering from these injuries, there have been some major advances in recent years. It is sad that they have had to make these advances out of necessity due to the number of soldiers who are receiving head injuries in Iraq and other areas. I found it somewhat ironic that if Woodruff had suffered the same injuries in the States he probably would not have survived but out in the Iraqi desert, miles from any hospital, the odds were in his favor.
I really did enjoy reading this account and found Lee Woodruff's story even more interesting than her husbands at times. I suppose that is because I can try and imagine myself in a similar role as a wife and mother and wonder how I would react. It was fascinating to read about how Lee dealt and coped with her husband's injuries.
In an Instant was a really interesting read.
April 12, 2008
In an Instant is a two part memoir, one about how the Woodruffs met and the other about Bob's recovery from the injuries he received when an IED exploded under the vehicle he was riding in. For the most part, Lee's memoir covers Bob's recovery. Bob's memoir in turn covers their courtship and marriage.
As Lee explains in the "About this Book" section, the process of writing was therapy for her during those tough weeks while Bob was in the medically induced coma. Bob's contribution to the book was also therapy and served as a way for him to recover. He had to relearn how to speak, write, walk and all the other things most adults take for granted.
For the gruesome details of Bob Woodruff's injuries, In an Instant is a fairly easy book to read. Lee's passages are by far the more interesting half of the book. Her descriptions of what happens to the body when it is hit by an IED are frank, raw and unglamorous. Bob's memories of his marriage and early career may be of interest to his fans but for me it interrupted the flow of an otherwise interesting book.
If you are interested in winning my review copy, I will be drawing a winner at 11PM Pacific time on April 15th. To enter, please leave a comment on the original contest announcement. The comment must include your reason for wanting to read the book. Just leaving your name will not qualify as a comment. Comments left on this review, will not count.
As Lee explains in the "About this Book" section, the process of writing was therapy for her during those tough weeks while Bob was in the medically induced coma. Bob's contribution to the book was also therapy and served as a way for him to recover. He had to relearn how to speak, write, walk and all the other things most adults take for granted.
For the gruesome details of Bob Woodruff's injuries, In an Instant is a fairly easy book to read. Lee's passages are by far the more interesting half of the book. Her descriptions of what happens to the body when it is hit by an IED are frank, raw and unglamorous. Bob's memories of his marriage and early career may be of interest to his fans but for me it interrupted the flow of an otherwise interesting book.
If you are interested in winning my review copy, I will be drawing a winner at 11PM Pacific time on April 15th. To enter, please leave a comment on the original contest announcement. The comment must include your reason for wanting to read the book. Just leaving your name will not qualify as a comment. Comments left on this review, will not count.
April 17, 2008
I don't know what I was expecting, honestly, but whatever it was, this book surpassed it. It is such a cliche, but I'm not kidding around... you will laugh! You will cry! I really did both of these things while reading, often just minutes apart. What I don't think is apparent, from reviews and so forth, is that this book isn't co-written as in written together. It is written by 2 separate authors telling the same overarching story, each from his/her unique perspective. Bob Woodruff is the celebrity and the on-camera personality America knows. His wife, Lee, is truly a fantastic writer. Their story pretty much writes itself -- their romance (portrayed without any of the sappiness or unlikely "perfection" that happy endings usually inspire in paramours) and the events that unfolded when Bob was hit by a roadside bomb need no embellishment. But I have to hand it to them. They wrote it well, even though they probably didn't have to. I mean, voyeurism alone would have sold this thing. Yet it's not what will keep you reading once you get going. A side note. During our interview, Lee said that the title she wanted was "Swimming Through Jell-O." Apparently, too similar to "Running With Scissors"? Anyway, I agree with her that it would have been a better title. More artful, and therefore more representative of the contents. Did I mention this book is often funny? So yeah. It's intense, but the offers are at-the-ready with frequent comic relief.
October 5, 2008
This is an amazing story about what one man [and his family] went through after he suffered major head wounds from an IED during the war in Iraq. Bob Woodruff was an ABC reporter, and therefore I believe put himself in the position that he did when he was within feet of a bomb on Iraqi soil. While there is not really anything wondrous or magnificent about their story [other than the fact that he actual survived, and his cognitive resources pulled together enough for him to co-author a book], I still found it to be an enjoyable read. It's sad that only a few pages mention the thousands, more likely millions, of others with similar stories- or worse. Bob is indeed a lucky man, but what of those who didn't have as much of a choice in where they were when they befell trauma- or of those who didn't have a major corporation like ABC backing all of their medical care? I think one of the problems with this current war we are battling is that the only stories being heard are those triumphs over the tragic- instead of the more common, just plainly tragic. Still, this family has seen it's fair share of trials and it's nice to read that people like them can pull through them together.
March 27, 2008
This was a great book for me to read. At first, I was not interested in reading it any further, but when I read about the horrific things that happened to Bob Woodruff during the winter of 2006 while he was in Iraq. It made me wonder how he would recover from the injuries that he sustained from the IED that had exploded next to his tank. And it was wonderful to read that his wife, Lee, stood right by his side for the 5 weeks that he was recovering.
This book also describes their early courtship and the joys and challenges that they experienced in their early marriage. I don't know how I would have dealt with the many moves that they had to go through all over the world, but through the help and support of friends and family, the Woodruffs overcame all the obstacles that they faced.
I learned that anyone can overcome any tragedy that get thrown at them with the help of Family, friends, love, and ultimately
from Heavenly Father, so stick close to your family and friends, and especially Heavenly Father, since he will always be there to comfort you in times of need
This book also describes their early courtship and the joys and challenges that they experienced in their early marriage. I don't know how I would have dealt with the many moves that they had to go through all over the world, but through the help and support of friends and family, the Woodruffs overcame all the obstacles that they faced.
I learned that anyone can overcome any tragedy that get thrown at them with the help of Family, friends, love, and ultimately
from Heavenly Father, so stick close to your family and friends, and especially Heavenly Father, since he will always be there to comfort you in times of need
May 20, 2008
My knitting teacher lent me this book and I just got around to reading it. It's about Bob Woodruff, an ABC anchor, who was embedded with the military in Iraq during the war in 2006. He and his cameraman were riding in a tank when an IED exploded next to them. The main IED ammunition was rocks. Woodruff ended up having rocks blasted through his skull, his face and back.
This book is the Woodruff's story about Bob's recovery from such traumatic brain injury. The book flashbacks quite a bit into their past, how they met, how Bob became a journalist, etc. Lee and Bob are obviously a couple meant to be, it's evident in their writing how much they mean to each other.
We get mostly Lee's side of the story, seeing how she wasn't the one in a coma for 5 weeks. Strangely or not, I give her quite a bit of props simply for how she handled her husband being blown up, 4 children and worldwide attention.
I'm not one for biographies, but this one was really pretty good. A little too flashbacky for me but overall a good story.
This book is the Woodruff's story about Bob's recovery from such traumatic brain injury. The book flashbacks quite a bit into their past, how they met, how Bob became a journalist, etc. Lee and Bob are obviously a couple meant to be, it's evident in their writing how much they mean to each other.
We get mostly Lee's side of the story, seeing how she wasn't the one in a coma for 5 weeks. Strangely or not, I give her quite a bit of props simply for how she handled her husband being blown up, 4 children and worldwide attention.
I'm not one for biographies, but this one was really pretty good. A little too flashbacky for me but overall a good story.
November 7, 2008
This book is positive because it is the first story that touches on the Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) suffered by Americans in Iraq. TBI's have been the hallmark injury of this war and not enough has been done to protect our soldiers against them, testing to create a baseline for cognitive function before our soldiers leave is still not being implemented on a widespread basis so there is no record of their previous cognitive function to compare them to when they get back. This is a disservice to our soldiers because mild TBI's are prevalent and without baseline testing they also oftentimes go undetected.
The comeback that Bob Woodruff has made is amazing, it is uncommon to see such a nearly complete recovery in someone that has suffered a TBI of his scale. I hope that his recovery gives hope to those how have suffered a TBI whether in Iraq or elsewhere, and I hope that his name and celebrity bring public attention to one of the realities that our service members face during wartime and to ways that we can better serve them.
The comeback that Bob Woodruff has made is amazing, it is uncommon to see such a nearly complete recovery in someone that has suffered a TBI of his scale. I hope that his recovery gives hope to those how have suffered a TBI whether in Iraq or elsewhere, and I hope that his name and celebrity bring public attention to one of the realities that our service members face during wartime and to ways that we can better serve them.
August 23, 2012
i wanted to give this book 4 and 1/2 stars but don't know how:( this was an almost perfect book. the premise was that both husband and wife gave their accounts of woodruff's injuries suffered when an ied exploded near him in iraq and his subsequent recovery time for a year. it also gave some background on the couple and how they arrived at this place in their lives.
the book delivered on so many levels: medical description of the many injuries he received for us medical junkies, her feelings and fears and life for that year, his feelings on how the injuries affected him both professionally and personally, explanations as to how news people who travel the world and their spouses live - and more.
the best part, i think, is that the woodruffs seem just like real people - just like you and me. these two were honest about it all - the good and the horrible. what neat people and what wonderful extended families and friends they have. although about a terrible incident and time in peoples' lives, the book gave me hope for the world and for humanity.
read it!!!
the book delivered on so many levels: medical description of the many injuries he received for us medical junkies, her feelings and fears and life for that year, his feelings on how the injuries affected him both professionally and personally, explanations as to how news people who travel the world and their spouses live - and more.
the best part, i think, is that the woodruffs seem just like real people - just like you and me. these two were honest about it all - the good and the horrible. what neat people and what wonderful extended families and friends they have. although about a terrible incident and time in peoples' lives, the book gave me hope for the world and for humanity.
read it!!!
April 16, 2013
My brother suffered a traumatic brain injury January 23rd and many people have recommended this book to our family. It gives a real, and eerily similar, tale of living with TBI. Bob Woodruff had an outstanding recovery, yet was in a coma for 5 weeks and almost died from pneumonia and sepsis. The path of how the wife feels and rebuilding of their lives to the new normal. The fact that it takes years to recover, and the end point is always uncertain. The doctors are always saying, he could die, have an almost full recovery, or be somewhere in between, the mystery of the brain eluding even them. Mixed in with the TBI story is the biography portion of how Woodruff became a reporter. For me that was incidental. And lots of the recovery was left out, for privacy. We had to make similar choices of what to share, and yet preserve my brother's dignity. And it will continue, as he recovers (thank goodness). Everyone struggles with some pain, some heartache; it is in the dealing with it day by day our character is formed.
Read
February 11, 2010Wow! This book has been quite the attitude adjuster for me! A perfect read for Valentines.
I thought that this was well written. I normally don't read books that make me cry, but I knew the outcome was a happy one! Any tears shed were ones that I could relate to Lee with, or atleast sympathize with her!
One thing that I liked was that it has been in my lifetime, that much of the current events that were discussed, took place! I liked reading Bob's thoughts on these job. I never gave a second thought to the fact that these people were dropping their families and just running to get the story, so I would be informed!
When I started this book, I had taken my 4 kids out to pizza hut. I felt a little frustrated that I was doing this alone. No more will I feel that kind of pity! I also finished this book wanting to hug my husband more, wanting to just enjoy my kids more and wanting to tell every soldier that is fighting for me, THANK YOU!
I thought that this was well written. I normally don't read books that make me cry, but I knew the outcome was a happy one! Any tears shed were ones that I could relate to Lee with, or atleast sympathize with her!
One thing that I liked was that it has been in my lifetime, that much of the current events that were discussed, took place! I liked reading Bob's thoughts on these job. I never gave a second thought to the fact that these people were dropping their families and just running to get the story, so I would be informed!
When I started this book, I had taken my 4 kids out to pizza hut. I felt a little frustrated that I was doing this alone. No more will I feel that kind of pity! I also finished this book wanting to hug my husband more, wanting to just enjoy my kids more and wanting to tell every soldier that is fighting for me, THANK YOU!
March 22, 2011
The book is an account of Bob Woodruff's traumatic injury due to an IED while reporting in Iraq. Although both spouses write sections of the book, most of it is in Lee Woodruff's voice. The story of Bob Woodruff's injury is probably typical of the many men and women serving in the armed forces who have suffered horrific injury in wartime. What's not typical were the immense resources the Woodruffs had available to them in the recovery and aftermath. They had a very strong support system of family, colleagues and friends and it did not seem that finances were ever an issue. It seemed Mr. Woodruff received the best medical and rehabilitative care available. In a way the book profiled how very well-connected people of higher echelons of society respond to personal tragedy and disaster.
I enjoyed the portions of the book that described the Woodruff's courtship, descriptions of their family-building.
I enjoyed the portions of the book that described the Woodruff's courtship, descriptions of their family-building.
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