Left Standing: The Miraculous Story of How Mason Wells's Faith Survived the Boston, Paris, and Brussels Terror Attacks

by Mason Wells, Tyler Beddoes, Billy Hallowell

After witnessing the devastation done by the Boston and Paris terror attacks and being critically injured in the Brussels bombing, Mason Wells was left with third-degree burns, emotional scars, and a shaken spirit. How could a merciful Father let evil prevail? Why had Mason been saved? What did God want from him? This miraculous true story will change how you see your own struggles and teach you the true power of forgiveness, perseverance, and faith.

Genres: Nonfiction, Lds, Memoir, Religion, Biography, Book Club, Spirituality

192 pages, Paperback

Published November 16, 2017

Reviews

[Shell Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was disappointing. Mason Wells is either incredibly lucky or blessed to "survive" three terrorist attacks. He saw the Boston Marathon bombing and was hit in Brussels. The third attack was in Paris, but I still don't completely understand why it's counted- he wasn't in our near the city.
Doesn't matter! He survived, right? Right. Left Standing has some really good book in there: his experience in and around Brussels was amazing and struck the right cords.
The rest was a mess between his highlight reel (minimal discussion on the actual struggles) and religious discussion.
He talks about his struggles in vague, passive terms and then floods the reader with different points of faith.
Reading the description for the book, I hoped to see his experiences braided with faith. The organization really hurt the book for me.
I appreciate religion and his story, but the method and organization needs adjusting and cutting.

[Krissie Bushman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I was so impressed with how Mason was able to forgive. If the whole world were like him, it would be a much better place. It was also interesting to read about his other brushes with terrorism also.

[Catherine Conley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The descriptions of the attack in Brussels and Wells's recovery are what make the book work. However, the narrative voice in the beginning is trying too hard. Despite the vocabulary and sentence clarity, there is a naivety to the voice that I found grating. This is not to be conflated with Wells's writing about his faith. As a practicing Catholic, I appreciate Wells's deep faith and the lessons he learned from his ordeal in Brussels. I just wish the book did a better job of showing rather than telling. The end in particular is rather didactic. Nonetheless, there are good messages therein on faith, patience, and forgiveness.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. Masons story is full of inspiration and very uplifting. Very impressive for such a young man.

[Helynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young man who was on or near the scene of three different terrorist bombings—the Boston Marathon, April 15, 2013; Paris, Nov. 13, 2015; and the airport in Brussels, March 22, 2016—definitely should share with the rest of the world his experiences, his pain, his recovery, and his reflections and conclusions on what he has learned. “I decided to be a survivor, not a victim,” states Mason Wells, a 20-year-old Utah man and former LDS missionary in France and Belgium. He was nearby and emotionally shaken, but not hurt, in the awful Boston and Paris attacks. But when the bombs went off in the Brussels airport, he and three fellow missionaries were in the middle of the explosive fray and seriously injured and burned. A recurring theme in Wells’s narrative of all three experiences is the power of prayer to allay fear and panic and grant an immediate feeling of peace. As he lay injured and in pain on the freezing pavement in Brussels, he began to pray. “I never finished the prayer as an incredible peace one again came over me. My body stopped shaking, and I felt God speaking to me (80) . . . . a day filled with so much pain, horror, and uncertainty ended up being one of the most peaceful days of my life—a fact I can only attribute to God” (81). Later, as he began the long process of healing and rehabilitation back in Utah, he states, “. . . all of us hold the internal power to soldier on without cocooning ourselves in misery and woe; it doesn’t take being engulfed in an explosive fireball to realize our power to overcome” (92). And overcome he did, as he endured successful skin grafts on his face and hands and learned to walk again on a badly injured heel. Wells recently went on to realize a long-term dream of being accepted to the United States Naval Academy. The last three chapters are essays on Mason’s reflections on faith, forgiveness and love—sincere and inspirational (if a little repetitious). The events of Mason’s life, the ensuing challenges he surmounted, and his nuggets of faith and wisdom should be quoted and shared for many decades to come.

[Mary-Anne Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book! Mason Wells was a young missionary in Belgium when he was severely injured by a terrorist attack at an airport. He was also present at the Boston Marathon terrorist attack and he was in France during the Paris terrorist attack, but was really far away, so I'm not really sure why they mention that one. But still...what an incredible story of faith and hope and forgiveness. I can't even imagine what he went through in Belgium. And he was away from his family, in a foreign country to make matters even harder. I really enjoyed reading his story. I don't think I could be as forgiving as him. The only thing I wished was different about this book was that I wished it went into more detail about his friends that were with him that day, what happened to them after and how they are dealing with everything. I also think it maybe would have been better to wait a few years to write the book - after he graduated from the Naval Academy and was married or something. He was very young still when he wrote the book, I think only 22 years old? I'd love to see and hear more about what happens in his life, how he handles things as he gets older. Maybe he can do a follow up book in 10 years or so. I was just really impressed with him and the way he handled things and even how articulate and well spoken he was in the book. It was a very good, and fast read.

[Aubrey Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads 13
Mason was at the Boston Marathon watching his mom when two bombs went off. They went back to their home in Utah and Mason got his mission call. While on his mission he had a companion who was very kind to others, they took another missionary to the airport so she could go home. All the sudden two bombs went off while they were in the airport in Brussels. Mason was not in good condition for a while after that. He went to three hospitals and went through many painful bandage changes, a few surgeries and he had time to think. He went home and reapplied for the Marine school. He got in and he would be in the class of 2021.
Some alliterations throughout the book are, The Boston Bombing, page 47. Visited fairly frequently, page 47. We got a conference call, page 57. Those brief bits, page 58. Taken their toll, page 81. My stomach seemed, page 85.
A few things I like about the book are, How Mason shared his feeling about everything. I also like how much faith he had, he knew that he would get through it. I dislike that innocent people around the world are getting hurt because of some people’s bad decisions. I like how he met up with people from his mission and how they were very happy to see each other.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. It was not the most well-written book, but it's not like he or Tyler Beddoes are professional writers. A couple of the chapters towards the end felt a little redundant, but I can kind of understand what was happening. Sometimes when I feel really strongly about something it's hard for me to express myself and I end up saying the same thing to try to emphasize how I feel. I also would have liked him to mention what happened to the other missionaries he was with at the bombing.

Other than that, his maturity and ability to forgive and stay optimistic through horrifying experiences is truly remarkable. It's always hard to say how we would react in certain situations, but I just don't know that I would be able to have the attitude he did. I admit to getting a little lightheaded when I was reading about some of his pain, but overall, I found the book to be truly inspiring.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed reading about Mason's determination to recover from the attack in Brussels, but on the other hand, I kind of felt misled. I remember when the news stories came on about Mason and also in reading the title of this book, I was thinking that he was a lot closer to the events that happened than he actually was. Yes, in Boston, he was at the marathon and in Brussels he was right there where the attack was, but Paris...not so much.

There was nothing really bad about this book, the writing just wasn't for me. I don't know if I like things more structured or what, but it just didn't work. If you're interested in stories of survival, then this book is a good read.

Author: Mason Wells
Publisher: Plain Sight Publishing
Publication Date: November 14th 2017

[Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reading to learn about self-discipline and choice; to learn details about the March, 2016, Brussels, Belgium, terrorist attacks; and to learn about Mason Wells's healing as the most seriously injured of the four Latter-day Saint missionaries injured in Brussels. The significance of agency, choice, action based on faith, testimony, consequences, and responsibility is made clear if not slightly over-emphasized. At least a time a time or two, both before and after the more interesting detailed narration about Brussels, I was inclined to become a little bit impatient with some redundancy. Mason Wells is certainly a shining example of self-discipline and commitment. It would be very interesting to learn about his future at the Annapolis Naval Academy and beyond.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Left Standing/Mason Wells
This is an auto-biographical book by a survivor of both the Boston Marathon Bombings and the terrorist attacks in Brussels. If these subjects are upsetting to readers, they should not read this book. Mason talks about his childhood dream to be in the Marines, and how that dream motivated him to develop discipline and determination.
The concept is really good, but I found it to be didactic and stiff. I found myself unable to really get into it, and despite the awesome subject, I didn’t want to finish it. Maybe it was a matter of personal taste, it is still worth reading just for getting Mason’s retelling of what happened from a personal perspective, but it is stylistically flat.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mason was close enough to the bombs at the Brussels terror attacks to be seriously injured, yet he has forgiven the terrorists and says: "I want you to walk away from Left Standing with a firmer grip on faith, hope, and forgiveness. I want you to see through my own journey that it is absolutely possible to replace the anger and hate in our hearts and lives with unwavering love--and that even when we struggle with certain parts of life, there is always a valuable lesson for us to learn, even if its buried deep in the weeds. Good can most certainly come out of the worst of experiences."

[Kelsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely the best book ever! The book is told in the words of Mason Wells who witnessed three separate terror attacks. He talks about the faith and the experience he had with all of them. This definitely put life into perspective and made me want to make my relationship with God a lot more meaningful so He is always there for me and can be there for me in my time of need. Such a great book and it was written wonderfully.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Left with third-degree burns, shrapnel wounds, and a shaken spirit, Mason Wells chose to leave behind his anger and hate in the face of terrorism and instead turn to God. Mason recounts how his faith eventually allowed him to forgive the men behind the attacks that nearly cost him his life and the lives of so many other.
This miraculous story will change how you see your own struggles and teach you the true power of forgiveness, perseverance, and love.

[Cindy Bigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mason Wells has so much to teach all of us. He is strong and courageous. In a world where terrorist attacts happen way to often, this book gives healing insights. Mason Wells outlook is inspiring and the way he discribes healing and forgiving is an example for everyone who has experienced trauma to look at and try. There is so much wisdom from this young man. This book is a must read!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This left my wanting to know more. It was a good story of his life, but I didn't feel like it gave enough of how he recovered emotionally to reach the forgiveness point. I also wanted the pictures explained. How and when did he reunited with his friends who were also in the attack? I would have liked more substance I guess.

[Ranee · Rating 4 out of 5]

So inspirational! His positive attitude, hard work & forgiveness are amazing. The final chapters were kind of rambly though I appreciate and love his insights. As others have mentioned, I would've liked more info on how he got into the Naval Academy and other connections with others he was with in the attack, etc.

[Angela Hobbs · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time....but of being in the wrong PLACES at the wrong times. How this young man became close to home on 3 terror attacks and managed to survive the third is a combo of both good and bad luck. You would think this would make a great story but i found the faith and forgiveness part extremely repetitive. The story lacked a lot of....story.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember his story and the message is a good one. I agree with some others who have commented that the writing was kind of all over the place. It takes a lot to share such personal trauma and I’m impressed with his progress as a survivor and man of faith. But the writing (mostly organization) was rough and made it hard to get through for me.

[Rochelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title describes just what the book is, 'how Mason's faith survived.' Amazing story, but I would've appreciated more of the nitty-gritty details. More of what happened physically to him and those around him. More of how he got through it all. Impressive faith and love, that we can all learn from, I just want more of the personal side.

[Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great book until the last 20 pages or so. I am a member of the same Church, so I learned nothing new in the last 20 pages. I realize for copyrights permission Mason could not include the 3 other Church members story so it makes this book somewhat incomplete.

[Jessi Speirs · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I felt this was a pretty good book I couldn’t help but feel it was quiet repetitive. I appreciate his dedication to forgiveness and his growth in faith but it felt a little like cutting corners. Wish I could give half stars cause it’s probably closer to a 3 1/2 stars rather than 4.

[Ellen Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and easy read/listen. I wish that the telling of this story was more in depth - it almost felt like he didn’t want to dive in too much and just skimmed the surface. I am however so impressed by his example. I would love to read a deeper and more personal edit of his story.

[Staci Greene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the narration wasn’t great. Could have been talking about rainbows and unicorns. Very monotone and quick. A little more religious than I was hoping it would be. I wanted more details about the events. 🤷‍♀️ still was interesting and wow, how unlucky…….or lucky can one person get?

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring story from an incredible young man who chose to be a survivor rather than a victim. This is surprisingly an uplifting story about faith, hope and forgiveness.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read and interesting true story.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really touching story!

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Several well written chapters, but the last two or three just lost my interest. It was fascinating to hear a first person account of the airport bombing.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about choosing hope in times of crisis. I enjoyed it, and it would be a good book for younger children as well. I would let my 12-year-old read this book.

[Maribeth Forrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring book about keeping faith despite unbearable challenges. I learned much from the messages shared in these pages. I truly admire the courage & strength exhibited by this young man.