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OUT ON A LIMB: The true story and diary of a divorce... Well, sort of.
232 pages, Paperback
Published October 26, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 16, 2025
Thanks to Reedsy/Discovery for an ARC of this book. It won’t be winning any writing awards, but that’s not what it’s trying to do. It’s simply an enjoyable and uplifting read, a memoir of Chris Reynolds and his “divorce” from his monstrous foot “Frankenfoot,” or “Frank,” as he likes to call it. It covers his year-long journey of making the decision to sever Frank from his life, then getting a prosthetic foot. He tells the story with candor and humor, replete with puns and amusing anecdotes.
Early on, he talks about his dogs, and I found this quite entertaining. He even included a picture of one of his dogs with his leg in the air:
“So why bring up the dogs?
Recently, I’ve begun to notice or perhaps just become more aware, thanks to my own
ailments that the furry little bastards are mimicking many of my actions, and sometimes even
my mood or attitude.
I’ve caught them walking with me, and they seem to copy my limp. They sit with their left
paw raised, hoping I’ll notice and give them sympathy, just as I often have Frank propped up
on a stool for relief after a long day.”
I loved the illustrations at the top of each brief chapter. My favorites were the ones that included puns. I laughed at the sketch of the milk carton that said: “MISSING. Have you seen my leg?” with a photo of a leg. This one was great: “My amputation story is Leg-endary,” with a bent leg replacing the “L.” Then, there’s another with two men (one being Chris). The other guy says, “I saw a one legged man at the ATM.” Chris replies, “He was checking his balance.” I could go on, but I’ll leave some surprises.
Bottom line: this book is funny and inspiring. Chris, despite nearly constant pain since his accident twenty years earlier, somehow maintains a positive attitude. The night before his amputation, he suddenly worries: What if the surgeon removes the wrong foot? So, he temporarily tattoos both of his feet: “BAD” and “GOOD.” The correct foot is removed, and after a long slog—recuperating from surgery, being fitted for a prosthetic (repeatedly), and lots of ups and downs (including losing two of his dogs, which made me sad), Chris ultimately finds that all of those years filled with pain are a distant memory. Now fitted with his new foot, he discovers life doesn’t have to be filled with physical pain.
It is a well-known fact that chronic pain often results in depression, irritability, and negativity. Not for Chris, though. He truly sounds like the person who brightens a room whenever they walk in, when he could have easily been the one who brightens one when they leave. He’s self-deprecating and appreciative of all that he has, and he makes frequent mention of his Partner-in-Crime, Laura, and his many friends. He sounds like someone who makes friends wherever he goes. Life is good when you approach it with the right attitude. This book will make you feel good.
Early on, he talks about his dogs, and I found this quite entertaining. He even included a picture of one of his dogs with his leg in the air:
“So why bring up the dogs?
Recently, I’ve begun to notice or perhaps just become more aware, thanks to my own
ailments that the furry little bastards are mimicking many of my actions, and sometimes even
my mood or attitude.
I’ve caught them walking with me, and they seem to copy my limp. They sit with their left
paw raised, hoping I’ll notice and give them sympathy, just as I often have Frank propped up
on a stool for relief after a long day.”
I loved the illustrations at the top of each brief chapter. My favorites were the ones that included puns. I laughed at the sketch of the milk carton that said: “MISSING. Have you seen my leg?” with a photo of a leg. This one was great: “My amputation story is Leg-endary,” with a bent leg replacing the “L.” Then, there’s another with two men (one being Chris). The other guy says, “I saw a one legged man at the ATM.” Chris replies, “He was checking his balance.” I could go on, but I’ll leave some surprises.
Bottom line: this book is funny and inspiring. Chris, despite nearly constant pain since his accident twenty years earlier, somehow maintains a positive attitude. The night before his amputation, he suddenly worries: What if the surgeon removes the wrong foot? So, he temporarily tattoos both of his feet: “BAD” and “GOOD.” The correct foot is removed, and after a long slog—recuperating from surgery, being fitted for a prosthetic (repeatedly), and lots of ups and downs (including losing two of his dogs, which made me sad), Chris ultimately finds that all of those years filled with pain are a distant memory. Now fitted with his new foot, he discovers life doesn’t have to be filled with physical pain.
It is a well-known fact that chronic pain often results in depression, irritability, and negativity. Not for Chris, though. He truly sounds like the person who brightens a room whenever they walk in, when he could have easily been the one who brightens one when they leave. He’s self-deprecating and appreciative of all that he has, and he makes frequent mention of his Partner-in-Crime, Laura, and his many friends. He sounds like someone who makes friends wherever he goes. Life is good when you approach it with the right attitude. This book will make you feel good.
November 12, 2025
Out On a Limb is raw, honest and informative. Chris' way of telling his story is natural and entertaining. There's a focus on the importance of family and friends, and his wife Laura and their pet dogs have a special place in the book.
He talks about the hard parts of living as an amputee and life in general in an interesting way. I sped through the book and finished in a few hours.
The chapters are short and the pacing is quick, but the book is easy to follow.
I am a wheelchair user but not am amputee. I felt I learned a lot about being an amputee. I appreciated the simple, but still highly engaging, descriptions of the processes associated with getting, and fitting, a prosthetic leg.
I identified with the waiting times for equipment. I liked how Chris approached subjects like this, and pain and frustration, but by the end of the book, I felt my outlook about these things was changing.
Thanks to Chris Reynolds for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
He talks about the hard parts of living as an amputee and life in general in an interesting way. I sped through the book and finished in a few hours.
The chapters are short and the pacing is quick, but the book is easy to follow.
I am a wheelchair user but not am amputee. I felt I learned a lot about being an amputee. I appreciated the simple, but still highly engaging, descriptions of the processes associated with getting, and fitting, a prosthetic leg.
I identified with the waiting times for equipment. I liked how Chris approached subjects like this, and pain and frustration, but by the end of the book, I felt my outlook about these things was changing.
Thanks to Chris Reynolds for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews