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Als mein Leben vom Himmel fiel
Es war als romantisches Wiedersehen geplant: Annette Herfkens, junge, erfolgreiche Bankerin an der Wall Street, besucht ihren Verlobten in Vietnam. Doch aus dem Liebeswochenende wird ein Albtraum: Das Flugzeug, mit dem das Paar an die Küste fliegen will, zerschmettert an einer Felswand, alle Insassen bis auf Annette sind tot. Ganz auf sich gestellt, überlebt sie acht Tage im Dschungel - und lernt, worauf es im Leben wirklich ankommt ...
320 pages, Paperback
Published June 28, 2019
53 people are currently reading
1557 people want to read
About the author
Annette Herfkens
4 books30 followersAnnette Herfkens is the sole survivor of a 1992 airplane disaster in Vietnam. Sudden turbulence and the subsequent crash took the life of her fiancé, Willem van der Pas. He was her best friend, college sweetheart, and soul mate.
She spent eight days alone in the jungle amidst the dead with only rainwater to sustain her.
Annette was born in Venezuela from Dutch parents. She was raised in The Netherlands, where she studied at Leiden University. After completing an internship in Santiago de Chile, she became an executive trainee for ING Bank which stationed her in New York and London. She then moved to Banco Santander in Madrid. She was promoted to Managing Director and seven years later sent to New York, where she currently lives with her family.
In Turbulence, Annette finally tells her story to the world after years of resisting media attention. As one of the few female international bankers of her time Annette broke down professional barriers; by writing this book she overcomes her personal barriers as well. As a banker she was known for composing the shortest memos possible; yet in Turbulence she writes poetically, with both depth and humor, about love, survival and acceptance of what cannot be changed.
She spent eight days alone in the jungle amidst the dead with only rainwater to sustain her.
Annette was born in Venezuela from Dutch parents. She was raised in The Netherlands, where she studied at Leiden University. After completing an internship in Santiago de Chile, she became an executive trainee for ING Bank which stationed her in New York and London. She then moved to Banco Santander in Madrid. She was promoted to Managing Director and seven years later sent to New York, where she currently lives with her family.
In Turbulence, Annette finally tells her story to the world after years of resisting media attention. As one of the few female international bankers of her time Annette broke down professional barriers; by writing this book she overcomes her personal barriers as well. As a banker she was known for composing the shortest memos possible; yet in Turbulence she writes poetically, with both depth and humor, about love, survival and acceptance of what cannot be changed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
April 22, 2014
I was very disappointed with this book. I was so excited to have won it on Goodreads because I love stories like this,and especially true stories. The book really was not at all what I had expected it to be. There really isn't much in it about the crash...it mainly talks about her education,travels for business, and her career and childrens schooling. I also found the way the book was written to be very confusing..whereas it bounced back and forth from chapter to chapter...even though there really seems to be no chapters....confusing.
March 28, 2014
I am an avid non-fiction reader, yet I cannot recall ever having been gifted with anything akin to the intensely visceral experience Ms. Herfkens's, "TURBULENCE - A Survival Story" has conjured within me.
I am beyond thankful to the author for in many ways, "re-awakening" & reminding me of the importance of living in the NOW. To simply be unafraid to allow oneself to be surrounded, contented & connected with the beauty of the "cacophony" of each moment.
Your fearless decision to share your AMAZING experiences & the astoundingly brave & uplifting ways in which you have seemingly learned to consciously manage your reactions to all manner of life's challenges, has made a difference in my own tiny, little life.
Thank you for this very personal, very precious gift of the exquisite "translation" of your life so far. You are a TRUE survivor in every way imaginable.
I am beyond thankful to the author for in many ways, "re-awakening" & reminding me of the importance of living in the NOW. To simply be unafraid to allow oneself to be surrounded, contented & connected with the beauty of the "cacophony" of each moment.
Your fearless decision to share your AMAZING experiences & the astoundingly brave & uplifting ways in which you have seemingly learned to consciously manage your reactions to all manner of life's challenges, has made a difference in my own tiny, little life.
Thank you for this very personal, very precious gift of the exquisite "translation" of your life so far. You are a TRUE survivor in every way imaginable.
March 15, 2016
6 de 10*
A primeira coisa que me chamou a atenção quando vi este livro foi a sua apelativa capa. A seguir o título e as notas, assim como a referência a que se trata de uma história verídica.
Fiquei à espera de um livro com o relato da sobrevivência de uma mulher na selva, durante 8 dias, após um acidente de avião.
Comentário completo em:
http://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.pt/...
A primeira coisa que me chamou a atenção quando vi este livro foi a sua apelativa capa. A seguir o título e as notas, assim como a referência a que se trata de uma história verídica.
Fiquei à espera de um livro com o relato da sobrevivência de uma mulher na selva, durante 8 dias, após um acidente de avião.
Comentário completo em:
http://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.pt/...
March 9, 2014
Turbulence is an inspiring story following the life of an incredibly charismatic woman after she survives a plane crash. Herfken's writing keeps the reader constantly engaged on a roller-coaster of emotions throughout the entire novel, and I recommend this book to anyone looking for a sincere and original representation of an amazing life story. 5 stars all the way!
August 6, 2015
Alles omtrent het vliegtuigongeluk en de periode dat ze thuis was heb ik met spanning gelezen. Helaas schieten die stukjes steeds heen en weer van daar en de autistische zoon die ze heeft. Ik snap dat ze daar aandacht aan wil besteden in haar boek, maar dat is niet waarom ik het boek wilde lezen. Helaas wordt daar wel heel veel over verteld, maar miste ik de diepgang in haar verhaal bijvoorbeeld tijdens haar revalidatie. Of waarom het niet werkte met de vader van haar kinderen.
Gedurende het boek laat ze woorden vallen waardoor ik toch sterk de indruk krijg dat ze toch wel een beetje een diva is. Zoals op de terugreis van de berg. Zo kan ze niet meer lopen en zo loopt ze de trap in het hotel enige tijd later de trap op met drie treden tegelijk, 'omdat ze het niet kon laten'.
Inclusief alle bladzijden over haar werk las het meer als een biografie dan als een waargebeurd verhaal.
Gedurende het boek laat ze woorden vallen waardoor ik toch sterk de indruk krijg dat ze toch wel een beetje een diva is. Zoals op de terugreis van de berg. Zo kan ze niet meer lopen en zo loopt ze de trap in het hotel enige tijd later de trap op met drie treden tegelijk, 'omdat ze het niet kon laten'.
Inclusief alle bladzijden over haar werk las het meer als een biografie dan als een waargebeurd verhaal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2014
I am deeply touched by this survival story. Thank you to the author for telling it. A real treasure of a book.
June 29, 2023
2,5⭐️ Gewoon niet zo bijzonder… Ik had verwacht dat het veel meer ging over de vliegtuigramp. Maar in wezenlijke ging het meer over haar werk en het leven ervoor en daarna wat ik persoonlijk jammer vond en dus anders had verwacht.
April 17, 2021
I feel a little bit bad reviewing this book. It feels like I'm reviewing someone else's life... weird!
But, I'm putting that aside, and review this book like any other book I've read before.
The truth is: I didn't like it very much! It is a good book, an autobiography, but not at all what I was expecting. I bought this book because I wanted to read about a girl who had a plane accident and survived, alone, in the jungle, for eight days... well, this book is not about that!
This book is how that experience change the author's life completely. Who she was before the accident and who she became after that. How she coped with the loss of her boyfriend, how she healed physically and psychologically from her injuries, how she grabbed her life, found love again, formed a family, had kids and, ultimately, dealt with her son's autism.
And all that is fine! I really appreciate that the book is just not about the accident, I really enjoyed knowing about her healing process and how she dealt with everything that happened in her life. The problem here is that the book is barely about the accident! The accident, itself, takes a couple of chapters, and that's it! And that was not the way this book was sold. If you read the synopsis it seems that the book is about the eight days she survived alone in the jungle... but that's not the case. And in those, very, small chapters everything is really 'telegraphed': short sentences, no feeling, almost like they where not written by the same person who wrote the rest of this book.
Another thing that bothered me a lot was the constant time changes: one chapter is 1991, the next 2006, then 2001, then 1979... it's hard the keep track of the time line.
Overall it was a nice book. But not what I was expecting.
But, I'm putting that aside, and review this book like any other book I've read before.
The truth is: I didn't like it very much! It is a good book, an autobiography, but not at all what I was expecting. I bought this book because I wanted to read about a girl who had a plane accident and survived, alone, in the jungle, for eight days... well, this book is not about that!
This book is how that experience change the author's life completely. Who she was before the accident and who she became after that. How she coped with the loss of her boyfriend, how she healed physically and psychologically from her injuries, how she grabbed her life, found love again, formed a family, had kids and, ultimately, dealt with her son's autism.
And all that is fine! I really appreciate that the book is just not about the accident, I really enjoyed knowing about her healing process and how she dealt with everything that happened in her life. The problem here is that the book is barely about the accident! The accident, itself, takes a couple of chapters, and that's it! And that was not the way this book was sold. If you read the synopsis it seems that the book is about the eight days she survived alone in the jungle... but that's not the case. And in those, very, small chapters everything is really 'telegraphed': short sentences, no feeling, almost like they where not written by the same person who wrote the rest of this book.
Another thing that bothered me a lot was the constant time changes: one chapter is 1991, the next 2006, then 2001, then 1979... it's hard the keep track of the time line.
Overall it was a nice book. But not what I was expecting.
October 24, 2016
This book just wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting the plot to be more focused on her survival post-crash but that actually seemed to be a very minor part of the story. I found myself skipping to those scenes which were very limited. I feel bad giving up on it but it was just not what I was hoping to read at the time. I do love love love the cover art though. I received this book as a First Reads giveaway and I think it would do better if the plot description were a bit more accurate.
March 28, 2014
"The Jungle cacophony has become a symphony. Of silence. I belong without past or future. I am within the moment....a moment that gives me peace, unity, and joy; a moment within something greater than my own life...." This is a quote from Annette Herfkens' sensitive, insightful and hopeful account of the many turbulences in her life. Through flashbacks she recounts how she was the sole survivor of a airplane crash in the jungle of Vietnam. And yes, it is a story of survival but even more than that it is a story of transformation, of acceptance that we don't have any control over life. All we have control over is how we react to what life brings to us. In her poetic, self-deprecating and also Dutch down-to-earthness style Annette shares with us a deeply personal story. A story of loss and gain. Loss of her great love and loss of false expectations. The gain is her acceptance of reality of life and of her son's autism, the fact that there is nothing she can do to change that for him but to celebrate in his joy and love of life. With great humanity and love she describes that life is a duality. You can't have light without darkness. It is her"Jungle Moment" that will sustain Annette in later turbulences in her life. Annette's memoir is such an amazingly beautiful and touching story. I am so grateful she shared her story with the world. Already my copy is full of earmarks and underlining of passages. This will be a book I will reread and refer to again and again
June 11, 2016
Criei grandes expectativas ao iniciar esta leitura. Tratava-se de uma história verídica. Era a história contada na primeira pessoa de uma sobrevivente a um acidente de avião no meio da selva vietnamita.
O início relata o seu instinto de sobrevivência, intercalando esses momentos com a descrição da sua juventude. Depois muda o relato para a sua vida pós acidente, entrando num emaranhado de relatos que me levaram a não poder dar mais do que 2*
O início relata o seu instinto de sobrevivência, intercalando esses momentos com a descrição da sua juventude. Depois muda o relato para a sua vida pós acidente, entrando num emaranhado de relatos que me levaram a não poder dar mais do que 2*
March 29, 2014
Really well told story of immense courage and wisdom. The author's stages of life are told honestly, with grace, poise and at time, heartache. You feel both richer as well as wiser when you finish her story -
August 10, 2018
Sách mượn. Nội dung khá truyền cảm hứng nếu chỉ nói về khao khát sống mãnh liệt của tác giả, cả những người Việt Nam hiền lành chân chất nữa. Ngoài ra thì không có gì nhiều.
July 16, 2023
I read the French editio (only one available), but am glad I did, since (French) OH is now reading, and equally mesmerised by this incredible account. I did find the "to-ing and fro-ing" somewhat offputting, but that's just me (doesn't bother OH at all).
March 12, 2017
Een vlot te lezen boek, niet alleen over de vliegramp zelf, maar zeker ook welke impact dit gehad heeft op de rest van het leven van Anette Herfkens. En er valt nog iets uit te leren ook, nl: niet zeuren over wat verkeerd gaat, vervelend is, pijn doet etc, maar probeer altijd te zien wat er goed is aan wat jou overkomt! Iets om te herinneren als je weer in de klaagdtand schiet!
April 29, 2018
Ik had geen idee wat ik met dit boek moest. Ik pikte het op bij de kringloop en was geïntrigeerd door t gegeven dat een Nederlandse vrouw een vliegramp overleeft.
Het eerste deel van het boek was ok en ging over de ramp en de aanloop ertoe. Het tweede deel was verwarrend: over de autistische zoon, dan weer over de reis terug naar Vietnam.
Tussendoor kwam een studentenleven in Leiden aan bod, een huwelijk dat kennelijk niet langer ging en de moeite om een dochter op een particuliere school te krijgen. Ik bleef met het idee zitten: wat wil ze nou eigenlijk vertellen?
Het eerste deel van het boek was ok en ging over de ramp en de aanloop ertoe. Het tweede deel was verwarrend: over de autistische zoon, dan weer over de reis terug naar Vietnam.
Tussendoor kwam een studentenleven in Leiden aan bod, een huwelijk dat kennelijk niet langer ging en de moeite om een dochter op een particuliere school te krijgen. Ik bleef met het idee zitten: wat wil ze nou eigenlijk vertellen?
May 29, 2018
Já estava há algum tempo à espera para conseguir pegar neste livro e finalmente consegui um tempinho para o fazer! O facto de se tratar de uma história verídica deixou-me ainda mais curiosa e com bastantes expectativas relativamente a esta obra!
O livro relata a vida de Annette Herfkens a partir do momento em que entrou num avião com destino ao Vietname e este se despenha numa cadeia montanhosa. A partir desse momento, Annette vivencia situações até então impensáveis. Daquele momento em diante, Annette luta pela sua sobrevivênvia, mesmo que para isso tenha de sofrer imenso!
Mas esta foi a única parte da narrativa que realmente me cativou a leitura: o sentido de sobrevivência de Annette e os sentimentos ambivalentes que surgiram após aquele acontecimento fatídico. A maior parte do livro relata outros momentos da vida de Annette: o regresso à sua vida, o cumprimento de rotinas profissionais e até mesmo o desenrolar da sua nova vida pessoal. Apesar de serem na mesma medida interessantes, não me cativaram tanto quanto estava à espera.
Alguns dos capítulos são, no seu todo, reflexões da autora acerca de certos assuntos que derivaram do acidente de avião que vivenciou. Entre a perda, a morte e o recomeçar, Annette conseguiu transpôr para o papel reflexões incríveis que me deixaram, sem dúvidas, a refletir acerca dos mesmos temas.
A escrita da autora é de tal forma fluída que este livro lê-se em pouco mais de um par de horas. Mas existem muitos altos e baixos no que diz respeito ao suspense das diferentes cenas e capítulos que a autora apresenta.
Este continua a ser um bom livro. Contudo, para mim, não superou completamente as expectativas que tinha antes de lhe pegar.
O livro relata a vida de Annette Herfkens a partir do momento em que entrou num avião com destino ao Vietname e este se despenha numa cadeia montanhosa. A partir desse momento, Annette vivencia situações até então impensáveis. Daquele momento em diante, Annette luta pela sua sobrevivênvia, mesmo que para isso tenha de sofrer imenso!
Mas esta foi a única parte da narrativa que realmente me cativou a leitura: o sentido de sobrevivência de Annette e os sentimentos ambivalentes que surgiram após aquele acontecimento fatídico. A maior parte do livro relata outros momentos da vida de Annette: o regresso à sua vida, o cumprimento de rotinas profissionais e até mesmo o desenrolar da sua nova vida pessoal. Apesar de serem na mesma medida interessantes, não me cativaram tanto quanto estava à espera.
Alguns dos capítulos são, no seu todo, reflexões da autora acerca de certos assuntos que derivaram do acidente de avião que vivenciou. Entre a perda, a morte e o recomeçar, Annette conseguiu transpôr para o papel reflexões incríveis que me deixaram, sem dúvidas, a refletir acerca dos mesmos temas.
A escrita da autora é de tal forma fluída que este livro lê-se em pouco mais de um par de horas. Mas existem muitos altos e baixos no que diz respeito ao suspense das diferentes cenas e capítulos que a autora apresenta.
Este continua a ser um bom livro. Contudo, para mim, não superou completamente as expectativas que tinha antes de lhe pegar.
October 18, 2019
SPOILER ALERT right off the bat so please don' read if you're planning to get this.
Terrible book. Despite being excited to get it after see the story on the Weather Channel, I had so much trouble getting through it because the author was so self-centered about the whole ordeal it turned me off right away. I was expecting some great, spiritual revelation - and there were hints it was going to happen. Now, this is a spoiler alert. She was rescued before page 90 - and there are 324 pages in the book. What could someone possibly write about for the next 234? Not much to do with the crash or the recovery process. It was just about how she went back to live, raising kids and so. She also contradicts herself. After her beau was killed in the plane crash, she finds a new love named Jaime. Suddenly, without warning, she has become estranged from him and she didn't know how it happened. The next page they have reconciled with no explanation as to how. In another spot, when she is first approached about telling her story, she is hesitant to do so because she doesn't want to make it all about her or drag her family into it. Then, she does exactly that. Don't waste money on this. I really feel sorry for her because I would think being the only survivor of a plane crash would change a person. It didn't.
Terrible book. Despite being excited to get it after see the story on the Weather Channel, I had so much trouble getting through it because the author was so self-centered about the whole ordeal it turned me off right away. I was expecting some great, spiritual revelation - and there were hints it was going to happen. Now, this is a spoiler alert. She was rescued before page 90 - and there are 324 pages in the book. What could someone possibly write about for the next 234? Not much to do with the crash or the recovery process. It was just about how she went back to live, raising kids and so. She also contradicts herself. After her beau was killed in the plane crash, she finds a new love named Jaime. Suddenly, without warning, she has become estranged from him and she didn't know how it happened. The next page they have reconciled with no explanation as to how. In another spot, when she is first approached about telling her story, she is hesitant to do so because she doesn't want to make it all about her or drag her family into it. Then, she does exactly that. Don't waste money on this. I really feel sorry for her because I would think being the only survivor of a plane crash would change a person. It didn't.
July 5, 2014
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
This book tells the story of a plane crash in the jungles of Vietnam with the author being the sole survivor. Her boyfriend was one of the victims. She survived in the jungle for 8 days before being rescued. She had multiple, serious injuries, so the recovery was very slow. The story is inspiring, but there was something about the way it was told that bothered me. I guess the writing style, when she was telling about her experience in the jungle, was awkward-sounding to me.
A good portion of the book was dedicated to her son, who has autism. I actually enjoyed reading about her special needs son more than the crash.
The end of the book was well-written. Thirteen years later, she takes a trip back to Vietnam and hikes up to the site where the plane crashed. I could feel the emotional pain in the telling of the trek back to the crash site; I didn't feel this same pain as she was telling of the actual crash in the beginning of the book.
She definitely had a good story to tell. Unfortunately, the tragedy being told in a less than serious, almost juvenile tone, nearly ruined it for me. Fortunately, however, she made up for it in the second half of the book.
This book tells the story of a plane crash in the jungles of Vietnam with the author being the sole survivor. Her boyfriend was one of the victims. She survived in the jungle for 8 days before being rescued. She had multiple, serious injuries, so the recovery was very slow. The story is inspiring, but there was something about the way it was told that bothered me. I guess the writing style, when she was telling about her experience in the jungle, was awkward-sounding to me.
A good portion of the book was dedicated to her son, who has autism. I actually enjoyed reading about her special needs son more than the crash.
The end of the book was well-written. Thirteen years later, she takes a trip back to Vietnam and hikes up to the site where the plane crashed. I could feel the emotional pain in the telling of the trek back to the crash site; I didn't feel this same pain as she was telling of the actual crash in the beginning of the book.
She definitely had a good story to tell. Unfortunately, the tragedy being told in a less than serious, almost juvenile tone, nearly ruined it for me. Fortunately, however, she made up for it in the second half of the book.
August 5, 2014
I received an ARC at BEA where I also had the opportunity to meet Annette Herfkens. She was such a kind, friendly, unassuming woman and she has provided readers with a dynamite story about overcoming struggles in life, whether they may be a tragedy like an airline crash, a child with struggles, or a marriage in peril. I loved Annette's honesty and the fact that she lets her feelings known when it is important for her to do so. While some may have wanted more details about the crash I liked that the book took the direction of how one person deals with life's curveballs. The story is so compelling so be prepared to read it in one sitting!
May 10, 2014
Turbulence is a beautifully written book. Not only is it a story of survival, but also it contains all the components that make life worth living! I love how the past and more recent past are interwoven through flashbacks. I found this riveting - it's like how our minds work darting from past to present, from present to future, and then back again. I can easily see this as an inspiring movie - a real lesson about what true happiness is - teaching us that each one of us holds the key to his or her own happiness.
April 15, 2014
Herfken's story and her telling of it are quite compelling. Turbulence describes not only the life-changing, tragic flight which crashed leaving her the sole survivor, but other bumpy rides life presented in the ensuing years. She movingly parallels her journey as a survivor with the experience of mothering an autistic son. She discovers strength and beauty in unexpected places and conveys the loneliness of finding treasure that is unknowable, unseen to most people. A wonderful read.
July 23, 2015
Ik kan dit boek niet meer dan 1 ster geven. Wat is dit ongelooflijk saai en verwarrend geschreven. Je gaat steeds heen en weer van 1992 naar 2005, naar 2002, naar 1998, naar 2006, naar 2001 en weer naar 2005. Zo verschrikkelijk irritant. Daarnaast gaat het eerste stuk vooral over het wel en wee van het leven in Chili. En heel veel saaie bankierspraatjes. Snel weer vergeten dus.
October 22, 2016
"A good story but poor execution."
Pros: Inspiring, A decent story
Cons: Choppy sentences, annoying writing style, boring, switches between the current and the past frequently, has unnecessary passages, and overall annoying read
Disclaimer: I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. I am also sorry for the words in this review.
Pros: Inspiring, A decent story
Cons: Choppy sentences, annoying writing style, boring, switches between the current and the past frequently, has unnecessary passages, and overall annoying read
Disclaimer: I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. I am also sorry for the words in this review.
October 3, 2016
This is a Goodreads win review. This is a wonderful book about a lady who survived a plane crash in the jungle and lost her true love. Then later in life her son got autism. The book is about how she dealt with loss, love, her resilience (I wish I had that much) and spirit.
April 2, 2014
A well-crafted story and riveting read, with ample evidence of resiliency and just the right amount of redemption. Amazing story.
June 7, 2015
In een keer uitgelezen, fijn geschreven, ongelooflijk verhaal, tof boek!
April 8, 2017
I was very excited to read this book BUT it was a huge disappointment!!! Couldn't even get halfway through it!!! Don't waste your time/money!!!
March 9, 2023
Este livro foi sem dúvida uma desilusão, adoro livros que retratem histórias reais mas este é para esquecer.
Sinto que é um livro sem conteúdo, fala fala mas não diz nada de jeito
Sinto que é um livro sem conteúdo, fala fala mas não diz nada de jeito
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews