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Running on Broken Legs
Take undersized five-year-old farm girl Elinor, give her the polio that not only cripples her but also nearly kills her, then give her an impossible dream. In her childhood and again as a college student she rebels against the plan. Finally, she embraces the dream, and it leads Elinor to one of the most primitive, rugged places on earth and to a life that brawny international explorers would envy.
For nearly eighteen years Elinor deals with murdering tribal people, a devastating earthquake and the relief efforts that follow, joys, triumphs, depression, peace, life-threatening illnesses, recovery, and friendship with the Kimyal tribal people, whom she comes to deeply respect and love. The Kimyal people give her the name Bad Legs, which to them reflects how her weak body shows them God's love. Finally, the late effects of Elinor's original polio force her to leave the place and people that her heart has embraced. She must find a way to say goodbye.
In typical Kimyal fashion, Elinor tells a story to picture a profound truth: our weaknesses can be the conduit of strength beyond our own.
For nearly eighteen years Elinor deals with murdering tribal people, a devastating earthquake and the relief efforts that follow, joys, triumphs, depression, peace, life-threatening illnesses, recovery, and friendship with the Kimyal tribal people, whom she comes to deeply respect and love. The Kimyal people give her the name Bad Legs, which to them reflects how her weak body shows them God's love. Finally, the late effects of Elinor's original polio force her to leave the place and people that her heart has embraced. She must find a way to say goodbye.
In typical Kimyal fashion, Elinor tells a story to picture a profound truth: our weaknesses can be the conduit of strength beyond our own.
268 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2022
3 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 29, 2022
I've had the privilege of meeting Miss Elinor a couple of times, and she is nothing short of delightful. While I knew some of her story and of her life as a missionary, being able to read her story in her own words gave me a much deeper understanding of this incredible lady. Some missionary autobiographies are dry and dull, but Miss Elinor's is nothing like that. I couldn't put it down; she is a hugely gifted writer! Her unending grit and determination in life, while also living with a disability, is amazing to read about. I loved learning about the tribe she worked with, and of the trials and victories of her 18 years on the island. Such an incredible story of what God can do!
November 22, 2024
I watched a 7-part interview of Elinor Young by Paul Washer (on YouTube), so I had to read her book too. I loved her story.
One of my favorite things about Bible translation is how translators struggle to find the right words for theological concepts. For Neil Anderson (see In Search of the Source), it was glory. For Elinor, it was mercy. God came through with just the right cultural metaphor to convey the concept. Do a search for "God relaxes the bow," and you can read that part of her story.
Elinor says what I've heard many missionaries say—they're not an extraspecially spiritual species. But I think many of them share a particular spiritual trait, and that is having a straightforward, almost stubborn, childlike faith. Her childhood polio trained her in patience through affliction, and that training serves her well throughout her adventures. She is submissive under God's hand and under other authorities He places over her. When, after eighteen years in Papua, her health takes a turn for the worse, an American neurologist just happens to appear on the scene with the knowledge to evaluate her condition. The hardest providence of all was that she had to go home for good. Happily, the Kimyal New Testament translation she'd invested so much in was eventually finished, and Elinor was able to return to Papua for the celebration. I'm curious to know if the Old Testament is underway.
I'm guessing Redemption Press is a quite small independent publisher, but my advice is don't be a publisher of any sort if you are not going to rigorously copyedit your books. There were some atrocious grammatical bloopers in this book. For pity's sake, people, learn what a dangling modifier is and don't let one by under your watch. (See...I do not have a childlike faith that is patient through afflictions either great or small!)
The narrator was so-so.
One of my favorite things about Bible translation is how translators struggle to find the right words for theological concepts. For Neil Anderson (see In Search of the Source), it was glory. For Elinor, it was mercy. God came through with just the right cultural metaphor to convey the concept. Do a search for "God relaxes the bow," and you can read that part of her story.
Elinor says what I've heard many missionaries say—they're not an extraspecially spiritual species. But I think many of them share a particular spiritual trait, and that is having a straightforward, almost stubborn, childlike faith. Her childhood polio trained her in patience through affliction, and that training serves her well throughout her adventures. She is submissive under God's hand and under other authorities He places over her. When, after eighteen years in Papua, her health takes a turn for the worse, an American neurologist just happens to appear on the scene with the knowledge to evaluate her condition. The hardest providence of all was that she had to go home for good. Happily, the Kimyal New Testament translation she'd invested so much in was eventually finished, and Elinor was able to return to Papua for the celebration. I'm curious to know if the Old Testament is underway.
I'm guessing Redemption Press is a quite small independent publisher, but my advice is don't be a publisher of any sort if you are not going to rigorously copyedit your books. There were some atrocious grammatical bloopers in this book. For pity's sake, people, learn what a dangling modifier is and don't let one by under your watch. (See...I do not have a childlike faith that is patient through afflictions either great or small!)
The narrator was so-so.
January 20, 2023
Memoir of a young girl who survived polio and became a missionary. Very quick read, jumps quickly but a warm meaning.
July 18, 2025
“I could not have it both ways- I either had to follow God’s way, or stop pretending to.”
I have known of Elinor Young’s story for years, but never read her memoir, so I was very glad to finally read about her life and work in her own words. It was truly an amazing, eye-opening read.
The way Elinor was willing to follow God’s guidance, despite her physical condition and seemingly impossible odds, was so inspiring, as was her bravery and resilience in the onerous Indonesia mission field. The linguistics/translation aspects of her story were absolutely fascinating to me as an avid language learner, and I really enjoyed that. There were definitely some parts that were sad/distressing to read, but I expect that when reading a missionary biography, and overall, it was an extraordinary story that I will not forget.
One of my favorite quotes:
“I understood that I didn’t have to be fully cheerful about doing what I knew God wanted. I just needed to be willing to be taught that it was a happy thing. So I was frank with God. ‘I’m afraid of being made to look foolish by aiming for something impossible’, I said. ‘But You are my God; teach me to do Your will. I will take the first step and let you take care of what happens.’”
Suitable for older teens & up interested in mission work.
Follow my blog for more reviews: https://www.blogger.com/followers/fol...
I have known of Elinor Young’s story for years, but never read her memoir, so I was very glad to finally read about her life and work in her own words. It was truly an amazing, eye-opening read.
The way Elinor was willing to follow God’s guidance, despite her physical condition and seemingly impossible odds, was so inspiring, as was her bravery and resilience in the onerous Indonesia mission field. The linguistics/translation aspects of her story were absolutely fascinating to me as an avid language learner, and I really enjoyed that. There were definitely some parts that were sad/distressing to read, but I expect that when reading a missionary biography, and overall, it was an extraordinary story that I will not forget.
One of my favorite quotes:
“I understood that I didn’t have to be fully cheerful about doing what I knew God wanted. I just needed to be willing to be taught that it was a happy thing. So I was frank with God. ‘I’m afraid of being made to look foolish by aiming for something impossible’, I said. ‘But You are my God; teach me to do Your will. I will take the first step and let you take care of what happens.’”
Suitable for older teens & up interested in mission work.
Follow my blog for more reviews: https://www.blogger.com/followers/fol...
February 5, 2023
Having a son with a disability, who also loves Jesus, I loved hearing the author’s story. She was confident, from a young age, of the Lord calling her to be a missionary. The Lord made a way and she persevered through many obstacles and the result was amazing.
My son has an upcoming surgery at one of the same hospitals she did and we plan on listening to this together as the time draws near.
I’ve known Elinor for awhile, but hearing all of the details was wonderful and new. I sometimes had tears. The existence of this book is another testament to her perseverance and God’s grace.
My son has an upcoming surgery at one of the same hospitals she did and we plan on listening to this together as the time draws near.
I’ve known Elinor for awhile, but hearing all of the details was wonderful and new. I sometimes had tears. The existence of this book is another testament to her perseverance and God’s grace.
May 10, 2022
Wow! Elinor shares an amazing story of courage and trust in a God who uses us in our weaknesses for His glory! She overcame incredible challenges and lived among peoples who had been isolated from the outside world. Her testimony brought me to tears. Highly recommend.
January 14, 2024
Number of pages: 280
Genre: Non-fiction Missionary Biography
Series: N/A
Age recommendation: 15+
Summary: Elinor was only 5 when the polio epidemic raged. Despite her brush with death, God still had big plans for her. One evening, a missionary came to her church, and at the end of his message he asked those who were called to be missionaries to come forward. Elinor was the only one to walk to the front of the church.
My thoughts: I have been waiting to read this book for so long and I finally got it for Christmas! I was so excited to read it and it did not disappoint.
There was so much in this book about God, about trusting Him and His plans for our lives. There was the message that if you are sure God called you to something, it doesn’t matter what people say, or how difficult your personal circumstances are because God will provide a way for it to happen.
I liked how Elinor went to smaller churches to speak so she could be a blessing to them, regardless of whether they could contribute anything for her mission work. She knew God would provide for her needs because He called her, without her needing to request money from everyone. I agree with Elinor that we’re often to quick to go to bigger groups because we worry about the money, or we want the recognition from the larger group or whatever. We instead need to focus on God and doing His will/serving His people, and He will provide the rest.
There was quite a bit about Elinor’s actual translation work, which I found very interesting. I sometimes forget how difficult it can be to explain things to people of different cultures and languages, because we all have our own sayings, and even things like animals and plants are so different around the world that it’s hard to explain things that are so familiar to us to someone who’s never seen it. (I’d be just as lost trying to learn someone else’s culture and things I’d never seen). Even just learning the language (sentence and grammar structures) would be challenging enough. I really admire Elinor’s faithfulness in making sure the translation she provided for the Kimyals was the very best it could be – even after handing out copies of her translations, she’d attend the meetings where those texts were being preached from to make sure they were properly understood and presented (if not, she would make changes).
Throughout the book I found myself forgetting that Elinor was a polio survivor and had difficulty walking. She never let it get in her way of serving God, and she never made a big fuss over her struggles. She just figured out how to live life with her difficulties and I really admire her courage and ingenuity in that.
Another thing I liked about this book was the short chapter length. It made everything go by very quickly because each chapter was only a couple of pages long. (It’s also good when you’re short on time, although I could barely put it down as I was reading it 😊).
My favourite takeaway from the book was Elinor’s point that if you are unsure of what to do with your life, you should follow your passions and interests. God is the One who puts these desires in us anyway; He gives them to us for a reason and He’s got a plan for how we can use them for His glory. He will show us the way.
This is the fifth book I’ve read now about mission work in Papua New Guinea, and I found it really cool to see how some of these missionaries were able to serve the Lord together.
My personal rating: 4.5/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
Genre: Non-fiction Missionary Biography
Series: N/A
Age recommendation: 15+
Summary: Elinor was only 5 when the polio epidemic raged. Despite her brush with death, God still had big plans for her. One evening, a missionary came to her church, and at the end of his message he asked those who were called to be missionaries to come forward. Elinor was the only one to walk to the front of the church.
My thoughts: I have been waiting to read this book for so long and I finally got it for Christmas! I was so excited to read it and it did not disappoint.
There was so much in this book about God, about trusting Him and His plans for our lives. There was the message that if you are sure God called you to something, it doesn’t matter what people say, or how difficult your personal circumstances are because God will provide a way for it to happen.
I liked how Elinor went to smaller churches to speak so she could be a blessing to them, regardless of whether they could contribute anything for her mission work. She knew God would provide for her needs because He called her, without her needing to request money from everyone. I agree with Elinor that we’re often to quick to go to bigger groups because we worry about the money, or we want the recognition from the larger group or whatever. We instead need to focus on God and doing His will/serving His people, and He will provide the rest.
There was quite a bit about Elinor’s actual translation work, which I found very interesting. I sometimes forget how difficult it can be to explain things to people of different cultures and languages, because we all have our own sayings, and even things like animals and plants are so different around the world that it’s hard to explain things that are so familiar to us to someone who’s never seen it. (I’d be just as lost trying to learn someone else’s culture and things I’d never seen). Even just learning the language (sentence and grammar structures) would be challenging enough. I really admire Elinor’s faithfulness in making sure the translation she provided for the Kimyals was the very best it could be – even after handing out copies of her translations, she’d attend the meetings where those texts were being preached from to make sure they were properly understood and presented (if not, she would make changes).
Throughout the book I found myself forgetting that Elinor was a polio survivor and had difficulty walking. She never let it get in her way of serving God, and she never made a big fuss over her struggles. She just figured out how to live life with her difficulties and I really admire her courage and ingenuity in that.
Another thing I liked about this book was the short chapter length. It made everything go by very quickly because each chapter was only a couple of pages long. (It’s also good when you’re short on time, although I could barely put it down as I was reading it 😊).
My favourite takeaway from the book was Elinor’s point that if you are unsure of what to do with your life, you should follow your passions and interests. God is the One who puts these desires in us anyway; He gives them to us for a reason and He’s got a plan for how we can use them for His glory. He will show us the way.
This is the fifth book I’ve read now about mission work in Papua New Guinea, and I found it really cool to see how some of these missionaries were able to serve the Lord together.
My personal rating: 4.5/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
November 15, 2024
Running on Broken Legs is the true story of Elinor Young. She had polio as a child, which resulted in significant physical limitations; however, in her weakness, God’s strength was evident as He used her to reach the Kimyal people of Irian Jaya, Indonesia. The story was encouraging and God-honoring, and as a missionary on the other side of the island, Papua New Guinea, I was familiar with much of what she described when on the mission field. The audiobook I listened to felt a bit hurried but was still enjoyable; I especially liked how Elinor Young began the reading and how she ended the reading by speaking Kimyal. If you think you can’t be used by God because of some weakness, you need to read this book. The Kimyal people affectionately named Elinor “Bad Legs” - her coming to them even with her disability was a testimony to them of God’s love for them. Never underestimate God!
September 5, 2023
inspiring
Such an amazing lady! I read a brief article on this from the heart cry magazine. I am mediately went and bought the book. Not a disappointment! If each child of the king had half Elinor’s energy and used it, the gospel would be spread so much farther to all parts of the world.
Such an amazing lady! I read a brief article on this from the heart cry magazine. I am mediately went and bought the book. Not a disappointment! If each child of the king had half Elinor’s energy and used it, the gospel would be spread so much farther to all parts of the world.
September 27, 2023
Elinor's writing style isn't the greatest.....but that doesn't mean her story is not encouraging. She had polio but still went to Irian Jaya (known as Papua) to reach the Kimyal people in Indonesia. She eventually had to leave because of post-polio syndrome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2023
A moving read about a truly incredible woman of God!
January 15, 2024
The strength of this lady's heart and soul can overcome even the worst of situations. As she lives in the area, I hope to meet this inspiration.
Read
May 4, 2025Very clear, very detailed, but honestly very cheery account of a trial with polio, missions, and grace in midcentury Spokane, and the island of Papua.
March 25, 2024
Love her story of not allowing Polio to stop her from saying yes to being a missionary despite what everyone thought. Her drive to not let others tell her she could not serve and to instead follow Gods calling despite the odds. God knew where she could serve to make a huge impact and God knew it was going to be in a faraway jungle. A must read for anyone struggling to believe God could use them.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews