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We Carry Kevan: Six Friends. Three Countries. No Wheelchair.
A story about friendships and commitment to one another so incredible you wouldn't believe it if it wasn't true.
Kevan is just one of the guys. It's impossible to know him and not become a little more excited about life. He is an inspiring man permeated by joy, unafraid of sorrow, full of vitality and life! His sense of humor is infectious and so is his story.
He grew up, he says, at "belt-buckle level" and stayed there until Kevan's beloved posse decided to leave his wheelchair at the Atlanta airport, board a plane for France, and have his friends carry him around Europe to accomplish their dream to see the world together! Kevan's beloved posse traveled to Paris, England, and Ireland where, in the climax of their adventure, they scale 600 feet up to the 1,400-year-old monastic fortress of Skellig Michael.
In We Carry Kevan the reader sits with Kevan, one head-level above everyone else for the first time in his life and enjoys camaraderie unlike anything most people ever experience. Along the way they encounter the curiosity and beauty of strangers, the human family disarmed by grace, and the constant love of God so rich and beautiful in the company of good friends. We Carry Kevan displays the profound power of friendship and self-sacrifice.
Kevan is just one of the guys. It's impossible to know him and not become a little more excited about life. He is an inspiring man permeated by joy, unafraid of sorrow, full of vitality and life! His sense of humor is infectious and so is his story.
He grew up, he says, at "belt-buckle level" and stayed there until Kevan's beloved posse decided to leave his wheelchair at the Atlanta airport, board a plane for France, and have his friends carry him around Europe to accomplish their dream to see the world together! Kevan's beloved posse traveled to Paris, England, and Ireland where, in the climax of their adventure, they scale 600 feet up to the 1,400-year-old monastic fortress of Skellig Michael.
In We Carry Kevan the reader sits with Kevan, one head-level above everyone else for the first time in his life and enjoys camaraderie unlike anything most people ever experience. Along the way they encounter the curiosity and beauty of strangers, the human family disarmed by grace, and the constant love of God so rich and beautiful in the company of good friends. We Carry Kevan displays the profound power of friendship and self-sacrifice.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2019
34 people are currently reading
1181 people want to read
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May 10, 2021
An incredible story written (and lived) by a fantastic writer. Highly recommended!
August 14, 2019
I actually picked up "We Carry Kevan" the old-fashioned way - the library! I saw it on the shelf of new books and after checking it out just a little decided I would give it a shot.
I must confess I was a little bit leery. As an adult with a disability myself who's more than a little bit of an adventurer, I was afraid that "We Carry Kevan" would cross that line into inspiration porn. This was especially a concern because the book clearly is about friendship - it's not exclusively about Kevan, though there's almost no way this story could be told in such a way.
Regardless, my concerns were not warranted.
"We Carry Kevan" is a laid back, breezy, feel good, and faith inspired book written by Kevan himself about his adventures as an adult with spinal muscular atrophy in traveling with six friends across three countries and without his usual wheelchair.
There were a couple things I liked right away. The font and structure used for "We Carry Kevan" made the book pleasant to the eyes and easy to read. The book's overall structure also makes the book quite beautiful to look at and really easy to stay immersed in the adventures.
On the flip side, there was a tendency to use pull quotes that started to seem a little silly. It seemed like more of a space filler than an actual story enhancing choice. At one point, I found it really distracting.
I also found the short little sections ending each chapter, where certain travel companions would provide feedback, to be a little lacking in substance.
However, despite mild reservations, this was a book I truly enjoyed and I truly appreciated Kevan's vulnerability throughout the effort. It's at times difficult to read the word "cripple" these days, even when it's someone with a disability using it. However, the few times it's used here are indicating of Kevan's struggles with self-image and those times when disability truly impacts his life. It's impactful precisely because it's where he's at and how he feels.
"We Carry Kevan," which is now also a non-profit organization, is a pretty remarkable yet simple story of a group of friends and their love for one another that goes into self-sacrifice, fierce devotion, uncomfortable vulnerability and more. I was kind of in awe of Kevan's willingness to discuss the more personal aspects of how this trip needed to work and how he and his friends prepared for that (I will admit I wish this had been referred to at least once when the trip actually started). As is typically the case with spinal muscular atrophy, Kevan does, in fact, require significant physical assistance in virtually every aspect of daily care and how he and his friends approach this trip is a tremendous lesson in the ways in which we truly are called to be more accessible to one another.
As noted, there's a strong element of faith throughout "We Carry Kevan." If this bothers you, then you should at least take note of that as Kevan is clearly a Christian and this comes into play throughout the trip including a few inevitable encounters that I'm glad he included here. However, much of the book is celebratory in nature as it captures, for the most part, the best of humanity uniting with one another.
I'm tempted to give this book a 5-star rating, though the few modest issues have me taking it down one star while acknowledging this is definitely a book I'd wholeheartedly recommend. While I've certainly read stories and seen movies about similar adventures, few have had the heart, wisdom, vulnerability, and honest that "We Carry Kevan" has and I think those who appreciate this kind of story will truly fall in love with the book.
I must confess I was a little bit leery. As an adult with a disability myself who's more than a little bit of an adventurer, I was afraid that "We Carry Kevan" would cross that line into inspiration porn. This was especially a concern because the book clearly is about friendship - it's not exclusively about Kevan, though there's almost no way this story could be told in such a way.
Regardless, my concerns were not warranted.
"We Carry Kevan" is a laid back, breezy, feel good, and faith inspired book written by Kevan himself about his adventures as an adult with spinal muscular atrophy in traveling with six friends across three countries and without his usual wheelchair.
There were a couple things I liked right away. The font and structure used for "We Carry Kevan" made the book pleasant to the eyes and easy to read. The book's overall structure also makes the book quite beautiful to look at and really easy to stay immersed in the adventures.
On the flip side, there was a tendency to use pull quotes that started to seem a little silly. It seemed like more of a space filler than an actual story enhancing choice. At one point, I found it really distracting.
I also found the short little sections ending each chapter, where certain travel companions would provide feedback, to be a little lacking in substance.
However, despite mild reservations, this was a book I truly enjoyed and I truly appreciated Kevan's vulnerability throughout the effort. It's at times difficult to read the word "cripple" these days, even when it's someone with a disability using it. However, the few times it's used here are indicating of Kevan's struggles with self-image and those times when disability truly impacts his life. It's impactful precisely because it's where he's at and how he feels.
"We Carry Kevan," which is now also a non-profit organization, is a pretty remarkable yet simple story of a group of friends and their love for one another that goes into self-sacrifice, fierce devotion, uncomfortable vulnerability and more. I was kind of in awe of Kevan's willingness to discuss the more personal aspects of how this trip needed to work and how he and his friends prepared for that (I will admit I wish this had been referred to at least once when the trip actually started). As is typically the case with spinal muscular atrophy, Kevan does, in fact, require significant physical assistance in virtually every aspect of daily care and how he and his friends approach this trip is a tremendous lesson in the ways in which we truly are called to be more accessible to one another.
As noted, there's a strong element of faith throughout "We Carry Kevan." If this bothers you, then you should at least take note of that as Kevan is clearly a Christian and this comes into play throughout the trip including a few inevitable encounters that I'm glad he included here. However, much of the book is celebratory in nature as it captures, for the most part, the best of humanity uniting with one another.
I'm tempted to give this book a 5-star rating, though the few modest issues have me taking it down one star while acknowledging this is definitely a book I'd wholeheartedly recommend. While I've certainly read stories and seen movies about similar adventures, few have had the heart, wisdom, vulnerability, and honest that "We Carry Kevan" has and I think those who appreciate this kind of story will truly fall in love with the book.
July 28, 2023
This book had it all for me. Travel, disability worldview, friendship… Kevan uses a wheelchair full time which makes traveling Europe feel like an impossible dream. He recruits his best friends to live the dream with him. They invent a backpack to carry him, train, and learn how to care for all of his needs while traveling Europe for 3 weeks. This book shows the beauty of interdependence and how disability makes our communities stronger.
May 27, 2020
While I haven't met Keven in person yet, I had the pleasure of meeting some others that knew him well and they gave me his book. Not sure what to expect, I wasn't super optimistic as I started my read. However, the book just continued to get better and better.
The fifth star from me is earned by a book that is able to stir me on a soul level. This book was a wonderful testimony to the adventure of friendship and selflessness. The whole book culminated for me in chapter 17, definitely the chapter that won the 5th star from me.
I look forward to meeting Kevan some day and maybe talking he and his friends into joining me in Israel and Turkey.
I'll close my review with one of my favorite sections where Kevan was confronted by other Christians who wanted to pray for supernatural healing of his condition. Theology of healing aside, I really appreciated his thoughts on the experience:
"I had found that outside my wheelchair the world looked very different, and with that revelation, I expected the different-looking world to see my differently. But that wasn't the case. For months, the focus had been on how cool it was that my friends were carrying me. That had been the miracle, not legs getting fixed. My disease had been overcome; it had been 'cured' by my friends and me finding a way around it. No longer did it matter if I, or anyone else, was technically disabled. We'd proven that life could be lived regardless. That is a miracle. That is healing power. That is the kingdom of heaven. And yet, here we stood in a fifteen-hundred-year-old sanctuary, being told it wasn't enough."
The fifth star from me is earned by a book that is able to stir me on a soul level. This book was a wonderful testimony to the adventure of friendship and selflessness. The whole book culminated for me in chapter 17, definitely the chapter that won the 5th star from me.
I look forward to meeting Kevan some day and maybe talking he and his friends into joining me in Israel and Turkey.
I'll close my review with one of my favorite sections where Kevan was confronted by other Christians who wanted to pray for supernatural healing of his condition. Theology of healing aside, I really appreciated his thoughts on the experience:
"I had found that outside my wheelchair the world looked very different, and with that revelation, I expected the different-looking world to see my differently. But that wasn't the case. For months, the focus had been on how cool it was that my friends were carrying me. That had been the miracle, not legs getting fixed. My disease had been overcome; it had been 'cured' by my friends and me finding a way around it. No longer did it matter if I, or anyone else, was technically disabled. We'd proven that life could be lived regardless. That is a miracle. That is healing power. That is the kingdom of heaven. And yet, here we stood in a fifteen-hundred-year-old sanctuary, being told it wasn't enough."
February 9, 2019
You can tell Kevan is a writer. The writing in this is beautiful. Loved reading the story of Kevan and his friends, leaving Kevan’s wheelchair at home for 3 weeks and traveling around France, England, and Ireland, while carrying Kevan in a custom made backpack. Kevan’s faith is inspiring and he always brought the experience back to Jesus. His group of friends sound absolutely awesome and full of love.
August 20, 2019
I've followed Kevan's story via social media for a long time and was thrilled to see he'd written a book about the experiences! He is such an inspiring person and deserves to have the rest of the world know that!
Kevan is a born writer - he describes everything so vividly, it's as if you were standing right alongside him on the journey.
Overall, it is a fantastic book,
Kevan is a born writer - he describes everything so vividly, it's as if you were standing right alongside him on the journey.
Overall, it is a fantastic book,
December 23, 2019
The introduction with Andrew Peterson is fabulous. The book is thoughtfully written and very interesting. An excellent way to think about people with disabilities.
July 24, 2023
What a wonderful story of community, courage, deep friendships, and genuine love that goes way beyond words. I have seen Kevan talk at conferences and his exuberant joy and hospitable dependence on his friends in such a testament to the love of our Savior.
May 26, 2025
Beautifully written. Honest, unique, inspiring. Christ-honoring.
September 11, 2020
Beautiful book. Kevan is a talented writer with a great heart. Brought me to tears several times and quite a few laughs.
February 24, 2024
Family read aloud-kids age 17, 15, 14, 12. With some of my kids it sparked some good conversations about laying down our lives for friends.
4:That’s how the thought was finally voiced. There is now, in a sense, no turning back. Whether the dream came to fruition or not, it was no longer safely, tucked away inside my imagination. The dream was out in the real world, and I was suddenly accountable to it. This was a threshold, a line drawn in the sands of life, and crossing it meant nothing would ever be the same again.
9: It is a strange paradox to want entirely to be where you are, and at the same time not want it at all. This is what adventure looks like from the inside.
49: As things came together for the trip, and I dealt with this newfound attention, I turned to Andrew once again for guidance. As much as I enjoyed the surge of new popularity, I was having trouble balancing it with normal life. I expressed some concern of turning into a jerk or stewarding the experience poorly. What advice did he have for keeping my head level? I thought he’d give a list of pragmatic steps, like,” only reply to emails once a week“ or “ go for walks twice a day. He didn’t. Instead, he told me what I wouldn’t have guessed, but needed to hear.
“Always be honest with your family and closest friends,” he said. “Whatever you do, don’t cut them out. In fact, draw them in closer and hang on.”
This is the essence of a mentor, and of our unending need for them: that when we ask, they answer with truth we couldn’t have known. If we knew it, there would be no need to ask. So ask and accept what comes in the answer, whether or not, it’s what you expect, or want to hear.
52: While so many of us pour into his life, by carrying him, and carrying for him, we aren’t left empty and dry – he pours right back into us with his natural abundance of love, joy, hope, and light. Kevan has a unique perspective of the world, and it becomes a blessing when he shares it and relates it to others in a really genuine and life-giving way. It is incredible and continues to inspire me, to watch him simply do what delights his heart, to the encouragement of others and to the glory of God – that is worship in its truest and purest form!
68: We were in a rush, and there were some thrill in getting ready to fly out that distracted me from this reality, but the separation was even less dramatic because of my trust in the guys around me. I found security in my wheelchair. It was familiar to me, and I was in control. But when, Ben, Tom, and Philip lifted me out of my ever-present chair, and into this newfangled, homemade contraption, their faithfulness became the catalyst for a new sense of security. And it was a deeper security, built on the love and care of others, proven to be greater than my own strength, or any wheelchair I could drive. It was a security that gave me the courage and ability to step out of my comfort zone, on so many levels, and try something entirely different.
114: Fingers flicked at strings and dance smoothly along the guitars next. Ease and pleasure are the signs of mastery. And this was how they spoke: with music. Sometimes a glance or nod, would signal solos, and sometimes melodies would be hummed to recall a song, but mostly folks just listened well to each other. Familiarity lent itself to this, the songs played being classic, jazz standards, and Django’s style the common dialect.
258: What matters to you? We are all stomping, day in and day out, investing our time and energy into what we’ve deemed most important. It is those things that will remain, those things that our children will carry on after us, those things that will form a you-sized crater in the stone floor over time. And the world will come to see, and they will say, “this was formed by repeated stomping.”
What is your stomp? Is your bank account priority, or how you can best serve your neighbor? Are you more concerned with your son’s GPA, or his relationship with the Lord? We are all stomping; we can’t help it. As long as we are alive, we’re leaving an impression. Sometimes it is intentional. Far too often it is not, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
259: “We need Jesus, and we need each other, as God intended it to be from the beginning. When man fell into sin, not only did we separate from our creator, but we separated from each other as well. This is why, in John’s letters to the young church, he says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,“ and “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed, our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” Communion with one another point us to the gospel, loving one another “as Christ loved us, and gave Himself up for us.” And communion with Jesus, align our hearts to love one another better until they “know us by our love.”
4:That’s how the thought was finally voiced. There is now, in a sense, no turning back. Whether the dream came to fruition or not, it was no longer safely, tucked away inside my imagination. The dream was out in the real world, and I was suddenly accountable to it. This was a threshold, a line drawn in the sands of life, and crossing it meant nothing would ever be the same again.
9: It is a strange paradox to want entirely to be where you are, and at the same time not want it at all. This is what adventure looks like from the inside.
49: As things came together for the trip, and I dealt with this newfound attention, I turned to Andrew once again for guidance. As much as I enjoyed the surge of new popularity, I was having trouble balancing it with normal life. I expressed some concern of turning into a jerk or stewarding the experience poorly. What advice did he have for keeping my head level? I thought he’d give a list of pragmatic steps, like,” only reply to emails once a week“ or “ go for walks twice a day. He didn’t. Instead, he told me what I wouldn’t have guessed, but needed to hear.
“Always be honest with your family and closest friends,” he said. “Whatever you do, don’t cut them out. In fact, draw them in closer and hang on.”
This is the essence of a mentor, and of our unending need for them: that when we ask, they answer with truth we couldn’t have known. If we knew it, there would be no need to ask. So ask and accept what comes in the answer, whether or not, it’s what you expect, or want to hear.
52: While so many of us pour into his life, by carrying him, and carrying for him, we aren’t left empty and dry – he pours right back into us with his natural abundance of love, joy, hope, and light. Kevan has a unique perspective of the world, and it becomes a blessing when he shares it and relates it to others in a really genuine and life-giving way. It is incredible and continues to inspire me, to watch him simply do what delights his heart, to the encouragement of others and to the glory of God – that is worship in its truest and purest form!
68: We were in a rush, and there were some thrill in getting ready to fly out that distracted me from this reality, but the separation was even less dramatic because of my trust in the guys around me. I found security in my wheelchair. It was familiar to me, and I was in control. But when, Ben, Tom, and Philip lifted me out of my ever-present chair, and into this newfangled, homemade contraption, their faithfulness became the catalyst for a new sense of security. And it was a deeper security, built on the love and care of others, proven to be greater than my own strength, or any wheelchair I could drive. It was a security that gave me the courage and ability to step out of my comfort zone, on so many levels, and try something entirely different.
114: Fingers flicked at strings and dance smoothly along the guitars next. Ease and pleasure are the signs of mastery. And this was how they spoke: with music. Sometimes a glance or nod, would signal solos, and sometimes melodies would be hummed to recall a song, but mostly folks just listened well to each other. Familiarity lent itself to this, the songs played being classic, jazz standards, and Django’s style the common dialect.
258: What matters to you? We are all stomping, day in and day out, investing our time and energy into what we’ve deemed most important. It is those things that will remain, those things that our children will carry on after us, those things that will form a you-sized crater in the stone floor over time. And the world will come to see, and they will say, “this was formed by repeated stomping.”
What is your stomp? Is your bank account priority, or how you can best serve your neighbor? Are you more concerned with your son’s GPA, or his relationship with the Lord? We are all stomping; we can’t help it. As long as we are alive, we’re leaving an impression. Sometimes it is intentional. Far too often it is not, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
259: “We need Jesus, and we need each other, as God intended it to be from the beginning. When man fell into sin, not only did we separate from our creator, but we separated from each other as well. This is why, in John’s letters to the young church, he says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,“ and “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed, our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” Communion with one another point us to the gospel, loving one another “as Christ loved us, and gave Himself up for us.” And communion with Jesus, align our hearts to love one another better until they “know us by our love.”
December 16, 2025
Number of pages: 260
Genre: Non-fiction
Series: N/A
Age recommendation: High school (15+)
Summary: Kevan was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neuromuscular disease, but he doesn’t let that stop him from enjoying life. Tired of seeing the world from belt buckle level, Kevan asked his friends if they would take him on an entire trip without his wheelchair. After a lot of planning and fundraising, they left Kevan’s wheelchair behind and boarded a plane for France. Their European adventure had begun!
My thoughts: In the forward from Kevan’s friend Andrew, he says the story is more about Kevan’s friends than it is about Kevan. That is true. It is about real friendship where they will work to do what makes their friend happy rather than themselves. It’s about sacrificing their own pleasure for that of their friend, which in the end brings them joy as well.
The book was funny. Kevan and his friends seem like the kind of people who just want to have a good time. They don’t mind laughing at themselves or their mistakes. They eat at places where mac and cheese is considered a vegetable. They just enjoy life to the fullest.
Kevan is very thankful to God for all that He has given him; including the wonderful friends that he has. I’m impressed by all their self-sacrifice and I’m glad they got to make those trips together.
I didn’t enjoy the parts when Kevan went on and on about something I didn’t care about or couldn’t relate to so much. For example, while in England it was a big deal to him to visit all the Peter Pan stuff, and he talked all about the author, the book, etc. There’s nothing wrong with that, it just really didn’t interest me.
Overall, this was a really interesting story that I would recommend!
My personal rating: 4/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
Genre: Non-fiction
Series: N/A
Age recommendation: High school (15+)
Summary: Kevan was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neuromuscular disease, but he doesn’t let that stop him from enjoying life. Tired of seeing the world from belt buckle level, Kevan asked his friends if they would take him on an entire trip without his wheelchair. After a lot of planning and fundraising, they left Kevan’s wheelchair behind and boarded a plane for France. Their European adventure had begun!
My thoughts: In the forward from Kevan’s friend Andrew, he says the story is more about Kevan’s friends than it is about Kevan. That is true. It is about real friendship where they will work to do what makes their friend happy rather than themselves. It’s about sacrificing their own pleasure for that of their friend, which in the end brings them joy as well.
The book was funny. Kevan and his friends seem like the kind of people who just want to have a good time. They don’t mind laughing at themselves or their mistakes. They eat at places where mac and cheese is considered a vegetable. They just enjoy life to the fullest.
Kevan is very thankful to God for all that He has given him; including the wonderful friends that he has. I’m impressed by all their self-sacrifice and I’m glad they got to make those trips together.
I didn’t enjoy the parts when Kevan went on and on about something I didn’t care about or couldn’t relate to so much. For example, while in England it was a big deal to him to visit all the Peter Pan stuff, and he talked all about the author, the book, etc. There’s nothing wrong with that, it just really didn’t interest me.
Overall, this was a really interesting story that I would recommend!
My personal rating: 4/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
November 25, 2019
I picked up "We Carry Kevan" because I thought it would be a story of how friendship overcomes impossible obstacles. There was some of that, but mostly it was about Kevan's relationship with God. Don't get me wrong, that's great... but it wasn't what I was expecting, or what the title lead me to believe. That said, he did tell the story of how his friends love him and carried him on their backs for three weeks, and I enjoyed reading that story. I like to think that if anything ever happened to me that landed me in a wheelchair for life, my friends would do the same thing for me.
Ultimately, this book was about Kevan's search for a profound spiritual connection with Jesus. He eventually found his connection, after climbing Skellig Michael... which I found to be pretty funny actually. He talks in the book about how they were planning to end their trip with this great spiritual climax, climbing Skellig Michael (which is only 600 ft tall, by the way). He builds it up as this great spiritual pinnacle they are working towards, but in the end, it becomes clear that the main reason they went there is because that is where "The Last Jedi" was filmed. He would probably deny this, but reading between the lines, that's the impression that I got. I chuckled at how he tried to make it sound all profound, but it was really just a fanboy pilgrimage.
Anyway, I'm happy for Kevan, and I enjoy hearing about people with disabilities being able to achieve their dreams, but all in all this book wasn't really what I was hoping for.
Ultimately, this book was about Kevan's search for a profound spiritual connection with Jesus. He eventually found his connection, after climbing Skellig Michael... which I found to be pretty funny actually. He talks in the book about how they were planning to end their trip with this great spiritual climax, climbing Skellig Michael (which is only 600 ft tall, by the way). He builds it up as this great spiritual pinnacle they are working towards, but in the end, it becomes clear that the main reason they went there is because that is where "The Last Jedi" was filmed. He would probably deny this, but reading between the lines, that's the impression that I got. I chuckled at how he tried to make it sound all profound, but it was really just a fanboy pilgrimage.
Anyway, I'm happy for Kevan, and I enjoy hearing about people with disabilities being able to achieve their dreams, but all in all this book wasn't really what I was hoping for.
August 8, 2020
I might just love Kevan now. I did not have a single clue what this was about besides these guys carrying a man in a backpack across Europe. Upon opening the book, I saw that the forward was written by one of my favorite authors, Andrew Peterson. He had carried Kevan around the Warren and become a mentor to him.
The more I read, the more I loved this adventure and these men. The sacrifice it must have taken to carry someone for 3 weeks through huge crowds and up steep cliffs. It’s beautiful. I found out that Kevan loves Jesus and had been studying the servant’s heart in John during this journey. What a powerful picture of that idea literally carrying someone is.
There are amazing details about places he traveled in the book. One of my favorites was when he traveled to the Peter Pan statue and told the stories of how green parakeets escaped from a pet store 30 years ago. Those birds turned into a flock of hundreds and have chosen to take up residence at the Peter Pan statue. J.M. Barrie gave large sums of money to the local children’s hospital there and in 1927 he signed over the rights to Peter Pan to them. There are plaques there thanking him for the gift of Peter Pan not only because of the huge amount of funding, but because of the gift the character is to a sick child’s imagination. It had been a gift to Kevan’s. He also went down Baker St. (Sherlock Holmes), danced through Paris, and climbed the steep steps of Skellig Michael in Ireland (a bit of Star Wars was filmed there). It was an amazing adventure.
Kevan has gone on to start a non-profit, team up with Stephen Curtis Chapman at Show Hope, and walk on the Great Wall of China. In September, he’s getting married. **There is also a documentary on Prime. It’s a bit like a home movie of their journey. It doesn’t explain where they are or what they are doing exactly. You’ll need to read the book for that. I loved it.
The more I read, the more I loved this adventure and these men. The sacrifice it must have taken to carry someone for 3 weeks through huge crowds and up steep cliffs. It’s beautiful. I found out that Kevan loves Jesus and had been studying the servant’s heart in John during this journey. What a powerful picture of that idea literally carrying someone is.
There are amazing details about places he traveled in the book. One of my favorites was when he traveled to the Peter Pan statue and told the stories of how green parakeets escaped from a pet store 30 years ago. Those birds turned into a flock of hundreds and have chosen to take up residence at the Peter Pan statue. J.M. Barrie gave large sums of money to the local children’s hospital there and in 1927 he signed over the rights to Peter Pan to them. There are plaques there thanking him for the gift of Peter Pan not only because of the huge amount of funding, but because of the gift the character is to a sick child’s imagination. It had been a gift to Kevan’s. He also went down Baker St. (Sherlock Holmes), danced through Paris, and climbed the steep steps of Skellig Michael in Ireland (a bit of Star Wars was filmed there). It was an amazing adventure.
Kevan has gone on to start a non-profit, team up with Stephen Curtis Chapman at Show Hope, and walk on the Great Wall of China. In September, he’s getting married. **There is also a documentary on Prime. It’s a bit like a home movie of their journey. It doesn’t explain where they are or what they are doing exactly. You’ll need to read the book for that. I loved it.
January 1, 2019
"My friends and I went on a trip, and they carried me in a backpack because we loved each other and we wanted to have the experience together, living life to the fullest, unhindered by our shortcomings." Kevan Chandler, from the Epilogue
"We Carry Kevan" was a tremendous read! I absolutely loved the story of Kevan's journey with several friends and a camera crew as they traversed Europe in 2016. I found myself transported to follow along with their adventures, complete with laughter and tears. To hear the amazing connections that were made, hearts that were touched and memories shared was an honor. Kevan writes in a way that is beautifully elegant and enriching. I highlighted much of the book as I read to return to later.
This is one you will want to read and reread. Perfect for gifts, resources for those serving the differently abled and simply for those who want to read a real story of what I like to call 'rooftop friends' : those who will not let any obstacle keep them from getting new life experiences for their beloved friend.
I feel humbled to have had the opportunity to read "We Carry Kevan" early, thanks to #NetGalley. I loved this book!
"We Carry Kevan" was a tremendous read! I absolutely loved the story of Kevan's journey with several friends and a camera crew as they traversed Europe in 2016. I found myself transported to follow along with their adventures, complete with laughter and tears. To hear the amazing connections that were made, hearts that were touched and memories shared was an honor. Kevan writes in a way that is beautifully elegant and enriching. I highlighted much of the book as I read to return to later.
This is one you will want to read and reread. Perfect for gifts, resources for those serving the differently abled and simply for those who want to read a real story of what I like to call 'rooftop friends' : those who will not let any obstacle keep them from getting new life experiences for their beloved friend.
I feel humbled to have had the opportunity to read "We Carry Kevan" early, thanks to #NetGalley. I loved this book!
November 23, 2020
I heard Kevan speak at my company for rare disease day. He was so engaging and I could wait to read his book. Unfortunately it was cumbersome to read and I could only read it in short spurts, and this the reason it took me so long to read. I kept reading and finishing other novels during the same time period. I really wanted to like it more than I did.
I agree with my Dad’s review. Excellent for story and disappointment with the editing but worth reading. The flow was choppy and at times difficult to follow. It often read like stream of consciousness. Along those lines I felt like it jumped back and forth in time at times but not with any sort of predictable consistency. Totally random. I also wasn’t a fan of the middle of the page large repeat of text from a previous paragraph.
I agree with my Dad’s review. Excellent for story and disappointment with the editing but worth reading. The flow was choppy and at times difficult to follow. It often read like stream of consciousness. Along those lines I felt like it jumped back and forth in time at times but not with any sort of predictable consistency. Totally random. I also wasn’t a fan of the middle of the page large repeat of text from a previous paragraph.
September 21, 2020
But he stayed faithful to what he knew -- loving people and telling stories -- and trusted the rest would work itself out.
If books had hearts (which, who knows? They might!) this would have the biggest heart of any book I've ever read.
It's genuine and wholesome and a lot of fun. It's the epitome of friendship, told in anecdotes interspersed amongst adventures in awesome cities. It makes my heart happy, as we say in the South, to know that these people exist, and that this really happened, and that stories like this are true.
Also: Kevan was born and raised not even an hour from me! You go, fellow North Carolinian!!
If books had hearts (which, who knows? They might!) this would have the biggest heart of any book I've ever read.
It's genuine and wholesome and a lot of fun. It's the epitome of friendship, told in anecdotes interspersed amongst adventures in awesome cities. It makes my heart happy, as we say in the South, to know that these people exist, and that this really happened, and that stories like this are true.
Also: Kevan was born and raised not even an hour from me! You go, fellow North Carolinian!!
June 7, 2023
This book was part travelogue, part humor, and part Christian biography. In this case, those parts added up to one great book! This book was a perfect balance of Keven admitting his limitations without being "woe is me" nor being preachy and "inspirational". In fact, he gives all the credit to God and his friends, not himself. Nor is it about how wonderful and dedicated his friends are, making them to be saints vs. real people. He candidly speaks of one of them drinking a bit too much and other things that show that although they love Kevan and gave up their time to take him on this trip, they are still real, down-to-earth people, too.
September 3, 2019
This was the first book I selected to read while preparing for Hurricane Dorian. I finished it before the hurricane even left the Bahamas.
Jaye and Kate come back from Camp PossAbiliites with this book, and Jaye gave it to me to read. After finishing Kevan's story and reading the post-Epilogue "About Us," I asked Jaye if his non-profit was part of establishing Camp PossAbilities because the endeavor sounded like it could be part of We Carry Kevan's mission. She said she thought he possibly did help out.
Jaye and Kate come back from Camp PossAbiliites with this book, and Jaye gave it to me to read. After finishing Kevan's story and reading the post-Epilogue "About Us," I asked Jaye if his non-profit was part of establishing Camp PossAbilities because the endeavor sounded like it could be part of We Carry Kevan's mission. She said she thought he possibly did help out.
January 28, 2019
This story is absolutely amazing. What friends Kevan is gifted to have that they would carry him in a backpack so that he could experience the trip of a lifetime with them. I felt like I was transported to 2016 following their trip myself. Kevan is a master writer as he tells of all their adventures full of laughter and tears. This is definitely the book to read in 2019! I was given this ARC by NetGalley for my honest review!
December 4, 2021
Read on a whim, there was something compelling and engaging in this book, something that connected with a deeper part of me. The focus was on camaraderie, trust, and relationships (with each other, family, and with God - though I didn’t find the religious references overwhelming, nor did I find it preachy). It was inspiring and uplifting, and a testament to human character and our drive to experience more and be a part of the greater world around us.
August 28, 2019
We Carry Kevan: Six Friends. Three Countries. No Wheelchair by Kevan Chandleris an interesting story about friends and Kevan has a disability. Kevin's perspective is well rounded and shows his full attack on living the best life with the help of his faith and friends.It is well writtenand keeps your interest.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads giveaway.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads giveaway.
October 18, 2019
Friendship matters
A great example of living others and expressing that you care by your actions. This was a wonderful story about an adventure but more importantly, about a friendship. A deep, meaningful connection among men who constantly express their devotion to one another. Thank you Jevan
A great example of living others and expressing that you care by your actions. This was a wonderful story about an adventure but more importantly, about a friendship. A deep, meaningful connection among men who constantly express their devotion to one another. Thank you Jevan
November 15, 2021
So much good here. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year, it’s inspiring and challenging. It moved me more then most books because of how I know Kevan and a few of the guys who sacrificed to carry him, to give him a view of the world he had never seen before. “Each pain or hardship is a prayer”.
I won’t say more. Just read it. Please.
I won’t say more. Just read it. Please.
March 12, 2022
Kevan's experiences were told from a unique perspective with honesty and humor. The writing style is down to earth, relatable, and matter of fact in its inclusion of Kevan's spiritual discoveries along the way. I found myself wanting more about Kevan's China trip and with a new appreciation of Django Reinhart. Recommended.
November 29, 2023
I expected this book to be a fun and adventurous story, but it went above and beyond to give me that and so much more! I absolutely loved it. I love Kevan’s writing style, his humour, his perspective on disability and his spiritual insights. That was the most pleasantly surprising part of the book for me as my friend who recommended it to me didn’t really allude to that. Listening to Kevan describe his feelings as his friends carried him to the top of Skellig spoke to me so deeply, and put some things into words that I haven’t been able to on my own before. I recommend this book to everyone!
April 24, 2025
This book started off a little slow for me. However, by the end I actually enjoyed it. I find it fascinating that these men literally carried (and presumably continue to do so) their friend throughout many long trips on which he would otherwise not be able to accomplish, at least not in the same way. What patience, kindness and love they must have for their friend.
March 11, 2020
Magical
Magical makes u look at the world a whole new way. An inspirational young man with such fantastic friends eho concur the world and its misconceptions of disables people- showing us anything is possible if we look at it a differnt way.
Magical makes u look at the world a whole new way. An inspirational young man with such fantastic friends eho concur the world and its misconceptions of disables people- showing us anything is possible if we look at it a differnt way.
January 8, 2022
Wonderful story. Period. I mean the book itself was not perfect, I had some issues with the editing. But all of these little technicalities really don't matter because it's a beautiful story about friendship.
July 4, 2025
A couple years back, Kevan spoke to my university class, and I won this book by correctly answering one of his trivia questions! He is such a strong and humble guy, and the book reflects his character. I would definitely recommend it! The stories and reflections are heartwarming and inspiring.
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