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San Gabriel Valley Girl: Fighting To Be Me Again
This is a true, inspirational story about a young girl's journey to health and happiness.
At the age of eighteen, just before graduating from high school, the unimaginable nightmare began. After a car accident threw her thirty feet into a carpool lane on the Corona Freeway, she slipped into a coma and awoke days later with the mindset of an average five-year-old. Her severe traumatic brain injury forced her to rebuild her mind. With love all around her, resilience in her blood, and a strong will to live, her brain and body would have to learn to adapt to a new way of living. She would go through numerous bizarre mental stages, but endurance, patience and time was on her side for a decade and beyond.
Join Rosemary on this amazing journey as she captures each moment, emotion and experience, and learns just how powerful and incredible the mind really is. Sometimes, it takes living through tortuous times to one day find true enlightenment.
At the age of eighteen, just before graduating from high school, the unimaginable nightmare began. After a car accident threw her thirty feet into a carpool lane on the Corona Freeway, she slipped into a coma and awoke days later with the mindset of an average five-year-old. Her severe traumatic brain injury forced her to rebuild her mind. With love all around her, resilience in her blood, and a strong will to live, her brain and body would have to learn to adapt to a new way of living. She would go through numerous bizarre mental stages, but endurance, patience and time was on her side for a decade and beyond.
Join Rosemary on this amazing journey as she captures each moment, emotion and experience, and learns just how powerful and incredible the mind really is. Sometimes, it takes living through tortuous times to one day find true enlightenment.
252 pages, Paperback
Published December 14, 2020
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 12, 2021
This is a wonderful book! I gave myself ten days to read it and finished it in 5. If I didnt have a three year old running around that needs attention, I'm sure I would have finished it in two.
I am so thankful Rosemary chose to share her story with the world. I gained so much from reading about her and her experiences. There were so many times I wished I could hug her myself. I often say that I'm glad I'm not in my twenties anymore because of the emotional ups and downs and the uncertainty that often characterizes that time, as we try to find our place in the world. Rosemary had to grapple with all of those feelings while also suffering from brain injuries and multiple surgeries. My heart goes out to her. I felt like I really got to know her as I read about her childhood and her teen years, as well as after the accident. She writes in a way that she is highly relatable. While we have different histories, grew up in different places, etc, I felt I could relate to her as another woman finding her place in the world, through out shared humanity. I was so touched by this book it's hard to put into words.
It also helped reinforce my belief that we dont know what others are going through. A person from the outside who didnt know what Rosemary had been through, might have seen her as simply an addict or judged her based on isolated actions or her relationships. It's so easy for us to label people based on isolated incidents. What Rosemary's book illustrates so beautifully is the multiple layers of humanity. People's stories. No one can be labelled. The person addicted to coke or in an abusive relationship, they have a name and a story. They have dealt with hard things. We all have. I dont know if I explained that as eloquently as I hoped I would, but everyone had a story.
My own background in psychology has been driven by this idea, that we all have stories. I used to watch people in the car next to me as a kid, wondering where they were going. I'd they had a family. Who their friends were, what they liked to do. What did they struggle with? Sometimes I felt connections with people, as if they were going through something and I would try to send them love and healing in my mind.
The end of the book, as Rosemary discovered herself again, was amazing. The strength she took from her difficult journey was awe-inspiring and the advice she gives for healing yourself and growing from your experiences is well received. I think even more so than some of the self help books we see out there, because we know where shes coming from. We know her story. We've seen her struggles and seen ourselves in her humanity. Thank you, Rosemary Montoya, for sharing your story. This has been a life-changing read for me and I appreciate the time she took to publish this book. Highly recommend.
I am so thankful Rosemary chose to share her story with the world. I gained so much from reading about her and her experiences. There were so many times I wished I could hug her myself. I often say that I'm glad I'm not in my twenties anymore because of the emotional ups and downs and the uncertainty that often characterizes that time, as we try to find our place in the world. Rosemary had to grapple with all of those feelings while also suffering from brain injuries and multiple surgeries. My heart goes out to her. I felt like I really got to know her as I read about her childhood and her teen years, as well as after the accident. She writes in a way that she is highly relatable. While we have different histories, grew up in different places, etc, I felt I could relate to her as another woman finding her place in the world, through out shared humanity. I was so touched by this book it's hard to put into words.
It also helped reinforce my belief that we dont know what others are going through. A person from the outside who didnt know what Rosemary had been through, might have seen her as simply an addict or judged her based on isolated actions or her relationships. It's so easy for us to label people based on isolated incidents. What Rosemary's book illustrates so beautifully is the multiple layers of humanity. People's stories. No one can be labelled. The person addicted to coke or in an abusive relationship, they have a name and a story. They have dealt with hard things. We all have. I dont know if I explained that as eloquently as I hoped I would, but everyone had a story.
My own background in psychology has been driven by this idea, that we all have stories. I used to watch people in the car next to me as a kid, wondering where they were going. I'd they had a family. Who their friends were, what they liked to do. What did they struggle with? Sometimes I felt connections with people, as if they were going through something and I would try to send them love and healing in my mind.
The end of the book, as Rosemary discovered herself again, was amazing. The strength she took from her difficult journey was awe-inspiring and the advice she gives for healing yourself and growing from your experiences is well received. I think even more so than some of the self help books we see out there, because we know where shes coming from. We know her story. We've seen her struggles and seen ourselves in her humanity. Thank you, Rosemary Montoya, for sharing your story. This has been a life-changing read for me and I appreciate the time she took to publish this book. Highly recommend.
May 7, 2021
The cover of this book is designed really well. It looks really appealing. The title is really interesting and apt for the book.
This book is a memoir where the author shares her own story and journey. She hides nothing and has shared her story with the world. She shares life changing challenges which tested her mentally and physically but were not able to destroy her. She went into coma and lost her memory. She had to start everything from beginning but she never gave up. She had hope and a charecter to fight. She never lost patience despite all the challenges.
Grab the book to read her inspiring journey!
Overall it is a really emotional read which I completed in a few sittings. I became emotional while reading this book. The narration is smooth and gripping. The language is reader friendly and can be read by everyone.Definitely recommended from my side if you want to read something inspiring.
This book is a memoir where the author shares her own story and journey. She hides nothing and has shared her story with the world. She shares life changing challenges which tested her mentally and physically but were not able to destroy her. She went into coma and lost her memory. She had to start everything from beginning but she never gave up. She had hope and a charecter to fight. She never lost patience despite all the challenges.
Grab the book to read her inspiring journey!
Overall it is a really emotional read which I completed in a few sittings. I became emotional while reading this book. The narration is smooth and gripping. The language is reader friendly and can be read by everyone.Definitely recommended from my side if you want to read something inspiring.
July 21, 2021
This is a lovely, uplifting read. Rosemary Montoya's remarkable story and her unique introspection, bravery, generosity and perspective shine through in this incredible account of how she came back from a traumatic brain injury. Montoya honestly and poignantly expresses what the journey felt like on the inside, both the hard parts and the opportunities to soar anew and reconnect with the people and experiences that make life meaningful. It is a rare piece of work and I smiled, cried and learned.
April 7, 2021
Five Stars
One of the best books I have read this month!
Highly recommend it! I only leave positive feedback and reviews when I love the book.
Feel free to ask anything regarding this book.
A must read for sure.
I'd recommend this book to everyone who would like to change something about the way they live and look at life.
The book covered lots of life-related situations in a very interesting way
A must read for sure
One of the best books I have read this month!
Highly recommend it! I only leave positive feedback and reviews when I love the book.
Feel free to ask anything regarding this book.
A must read for sure.
I'd recommend this book to everyone who would like to change something about the way they live and look at life.
The book covered lots of life-related situations in a very interesting way
A must read for sure
December 29, 2020
An absolute must-read. The author does not hold back in sharing her story. This book made me cry happy and sad tears. Made me smile and laugh out loud. I read this book fast as I could not wait to find out what was going to happen next. I was hooked within the first chapter. Rosemary's story is truly inspiring. Many times throughout the book I felt as if I was living her life. I recommend this book to everyone and I hope anyone who reads it is as inspired by Rosemary as I am.
April 7, 2021
Amazingly woven like an interesting spell. I didn't think this book was going to be this good. It was , as you might expect , engaging , a total different piece of art from every aspect.
It sets a very high bar for whatever he does that comes next.
Must Read
It sets a very high bar for whatever he does that comes next.
Must Read
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews