No Ordinary Days

by Susan Sygall

A first generation Jewish-American daughter of joyful parents who survived the Holocaust, Susan Sygall was an athletic young woman about to start her life in college surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. A car accident changed her plans, but not her course, to lead a passionate and riveting life. From traveling through Southeast Asia on local buses to hitchhiking through New Zealand (yes, all in her wheelchair), Susan’s story is filled with moments of both pleasure and pain. Laughing, crying and rethinking what we do when life presents unexpected barriers, we journey with her around the world and through a realm of deep-felt human emotions, philosophical insights, and a life a social activism. Susan's unique philosophy on life, her “chutzpah”, and her life-affirming journey offer a page-turning experience of redefining how we see ourselves, see others, and live our own lives. “Loud, Proud and Passionate” becomes the battle-cry of women who have decided to create, through their own imagination, who they are and who they can be. Susan Sygall, a MacArthur fellow, shares with us the intimate details of her unconventional path.

Genres: Memoir

270 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Rabbi Scott Meltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Powerful. An amazing story of an amazing activist.

[Tarini Mohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book. What a story. A story with many tragedies that still gets you to laugh makes for an excellent book. Susan Sygall is an incredible woman with disabilities and she is proud of it. I have highlighted several passages I would like to remember.

Thank you for living the life you are living, Susan, and for setting an example for the rest of us.

[Beyza · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I think about this book is too personal to write down here - but Susan's story will always stay with me. It was a pleasure to meet her and now it is a pleasure to know her better.

[Sabena · Rating 5 out of 5]

No phony optimism or magical thinking. Susan Sygall is a down-to-earth woman who faces the challenges of life and relationships after a disabling car accident with strength, curiosity, and joy that is contagious. She is one of our true national treasures who tells her story, including some of her most difficult and embarrassing moments, with unblinking honesty. Want to give yourself, your loved ones and your friends an uplifting, inspiring, surprisingly wonderful gift? This is it. Susan Sygall's *No Ordinary Days.*

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memoir of the founder of Mobility International USA. Her story is remarkable. The writing is not so much. Read it for the content, not the writing style.