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By Accident: A Memoir of Letting Go
Joanne Greene grew up in Boston during the 1960s and ’70s, a turning point for women in the United States. Doors were opening wider, and Joanne walked through as many as she could. As a young woman, she dove headfirst into San Francisco radio and television, and went on to host and produce award-winning feminist and other timely features and talk shows for decades. Throughout, she worked at having a great marriage and being an exemplary parent. But underlying her high-achieving life was a sometimes-destructive need for control.
Vulnerability and dependency were okay . . . for other people. Joanne’s value was tied to how in charge, how together, and how productive she was. Then she suffered a traumatic accident—and it set her on a journey of discovery that taught her true power came in the still moments, the moments when she not only loosened her grip but even allowed herself to crack. In fragility, Joanne found, there was beauty—and possibility, too.
By Accident is a story about discovering that control is a seductive illusion and how letting go of the need for it can reveal great strength and lead us to even firmer ground.
Vulnerability and dependency were okay . . . for other people. Joanne’s value was tied to how in charge, how together, and how productive she was. Then she suffered a traumatic accident—and it set her on a journey of discovery that taught her true power came in the still moments, the moments when she not only loosened her grip but even allowed herself to crack. In fragility, Joanne found, there was beauty—and possibility, too.
By Accident is a story about discovering that control is a seductive illusion and how letting go of the need for it can reveal great strength and lead us to even firmer ground.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 20, 2023
19 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
June 19, 2023
Joanne Greene was always a driven woman in constant motion until a serious car accident changed everything. While enjoying a career, a solid marriage and motherhood, Greene had already faced tragic personal loss. But this was different. Greene was faced with a long, painful recovery and had to start to accept the help of others. She has written a memoir of her experiences and the lessons learned through it all. The book is entitled By Accident and the subtitle, A Memoir of Letting Go, truly describes her story. She's been through a lot!
On a personal note, this has been a tough year for me, having experienced indescribable loss and crippling grief. Did I really want to read a book about pain and loss? With the hope of finding words of positivity, I'm glad I took that chance. This is Greene's very personal journey and not a self-help book. But her story is an uplifting one about overcoming life's adversities. The book is filled with meaningful messages about life and its unpredictability. And has some humor mixed in. Greene reminds us that while we don’t have control over what happens to us, we have control over how we respond.
I greatly appreciate that Ms. Greene enabled me to read her inspiring book in advance of its release. I was surely in need of a dose of hopeful and joyful words. If you feel you could benefit from some too, this well-written book is worth checking out.
Rated 4.5 stars.
On a personal note, this has been a tough year for me, having experienced indescribable loss and crippling grief. Did I really want to read a book about pain and loss? With the hope of finding words of positivity, I'm glad I took that chance. This is Greene's very personal journey and not a self-help book. But her story is an uplifting one about overcoming life's adversities. The book is filled with meaningful messages about life and its unpredictability. And has some humor mixed in. Greene reminds us that while we don’t have control over what happens to us, we have control over how we respond.
I greatly appreciate that Ms. Greene enabled me to read her inspiring book in advance of its release. I was surely in need of a dose of hopeful and joyful words. If you feel you could benefit from some too, this well-written book is worth checking out.
Rated 4.5 stars.
September 17, 2023
I recently had a huge ATV accident in Mexico and broke my leg and hand. I was immobile for 10 weeks and started recovery after that. This book brought me immense comfort as I still continue to heal. Joanne's self awareness, insight on healing, and her ability to adapt and incorporate her lessons throughout are truly inspiring. I'm thoroughly excited to meet her at Portland Oregon's Annie Blooms Books when she presents her book to us.
March 26, 2026
By Accident: A Memoir of Letting Go is a deeply introspective and emotionally resonant narrative that explores the illusion of control and the transformative power of vulnerability. Joanne Greene delivers a memoir that is both personal and universally relatable, drawing readers into a life shaped by ambition, discipline, and ultimately, profound self-discovery.
What makes this book particularly compelling is its central turning point the traumatic accident that disrupts a carefully controlled life. This moment becomes more than an event; it serves as a catalyst for reflection and change, forcing Joanne to confront long-held beliefs about strength, productivity, and self worth. The shift from control to surrender is handled with honesty and depth, making the journey both authentic and impactful.
Additionally, the memoir stands out in how it contextualizes personal growth within a broader social backdrop. Joanne’s experiences coming of age during a transformative era for women add richness to the narrative, highlighting both opportunity and pressure. Her career in media and her pursuit of excellence in both professional and personal life further underscore the tension between achievement and inner peace.
The emotional strength of the book lies in its vulnerability. Joanne’s willingness to explore dependency, fragility, and the discomfort of letting go creates a powerful connection with the reader. Her realization that true strength can emerge from stillness and openness offers a meaningful and thought-provoking perspective.
Ultimately, By Accident is more than a memoir it is a reflective exploration of what it means to truly live without the constant need for control. It resonates strongly with readers interested in personal growth, self-awareness, and emotional resilience, leaving a lasting impression through its honesty, wisdom, and transformative message.
What makes this book particularly compelling is its central turning point the traumatic accident that disrupts a carefully controlled life. This moment becomes more than an event; it serves as a catalyst for reflection and change, forcing Joanne to confront long-held beliefs about strength, productivity, and self worth. The shift from control to surrender is handled with honesty and depth, making the journey both authentic and impactful.
Additionally, the memoir stands out in how it contextualizes personal growth within a broader social backdrop. Joanne’s experiences coming of age during a transformative era for women add richness to the narrative, highlighting both opportunity and pressure. Her career in media and her pursuit of excellence in both professional and personal life further underscore the tension between achievement and inner peace.
The emotional strength of the book lies in its vulnerability. Joanne’s willingness to explore dependency, fragility, and the discomfort of letting go creates a powerful connection with the reader. Her realization that true strength can emerge from stillness and openness offers a meaningful and thought-provoking perspective.
Ultimately, By Accident is more than a memoir it is a reflective exploration of what it means to truly live without the constant need for control. It resonates strongly with readers interested in personal growth, self-awareness, and emotional resilience, leaving a lasting impression through its honesty, wisdom, and transformative message.
February 28, 2026
By Accident: A Memoir of Letting Go by Joanne Greene is a reflective and deeply honest examination of ambition, identity, and the seductive illusion of control.
Growing up in Boston during the cultural shifts of the 1960s and ’70s, Greene came of age at a pivotal moment for women in the United States. As opportunities expanded, she stepped confidently into them building a career in San Francisco radio and television, producing and hosting award-winning feminist and socially relevant programs for decades. Her professional life was marked by visibility and influence, while her personal life reflected equal determination: to sustain a strong marriage and embody exemplary parenthood.
Yet beneath the surface of accomplishment was a relentless need to control outcomes, appearances, and perceptions. Greene candidly reveals how her self worth became tethered to productivity and competence. Vulnerability, she admits, felt acceptable so long as it belonged to someone else.
The turning point arrives with a traumatic accident that disrupts her carefully managed life. What follows is not simply recovery but reckoning. Stripped of certainty and forced into stillness, Greene confronts the fragility she had long resisted. The memoir traces her gradual realization that strength does not reside in constant control, but in the willingness to loosen one’s grip.
At 186 pages, By Accident is intimate yet broadly resonant. It speaks to high achievers, caregivers, professionals, and anyone whose identity has been built around being “together.” Greene’s journey reframes fragility as fertile ground for growth and suggests that letting go is not surrender it is recalibration.
The memoir ultimately argues that control is an illusion we cling to for safety, and that true stability may emerge only when we allow ourselves to crack.
Growing up in Boston during the cultural shifts of the 1960s and ’70s, Greene came of age at a pivotal moment for women in the United States. As opportunities expanded, she stepped confidently into them building a career in San Francisco radio and television, producing and hosting award-winning feminist and socially relevant programs for decades. Her professional life was marked by visibility and influence, while her personal life reflected equal determination: to sustain a strong marriage and embody exemplary parenthood.
Yet beneath the surface of accomplishment was a relentless need to control outcomes, appearances, and perceptions. Greene candidly reveals how her self worth became tethered to productivity and competence. Vulnerability, she admits, felt acceptable so long as it belonged to someone else.
The turning point arrives with a traumatic accident that disrupts her carefully managed life. What follows is not simply recovery but reckoning. Stripped of certainty and forced into stillness, Greene confronts the fragility she had long resisted. The memoir traces her gradual realization that strength does not reside in constant control, but in the willingness to loosen one’s grip.
At 186 pages, By Accident is intimate yet broadly resonant. It speaks to high achievers, caregivers, professionals, and anyone whose identity has been built around being “together.” Greene’s journey reframes fragility as fertile ground for growth and suggests that letting go is not surrender it is recalibration.
The memoir ultimately argues that control is an illusion we cling to for safety, and that true stability may emerge only when we allow ourselves to crack.
June 1, 2023
An exceptional achievement! Author Joanne Greene voices her own odyssey of recovery sparked, in her case, by a simple twist of fate. Joanne is a master storyteller and through her many voices she paints pictures—vibrant fragments of her life—that map out for us how extreme vulnerability can lead to a deeper truer strength. After a horrific car accident that she endures as a pedestrian walking toward her car after work, Greene faces a lengthy recovery for her shattered body. She comments early on that she “can hear the space between the seconds.” Taking advantage of those spaces, she rolls back time to share stories with us of her childhood in Boston, followed by a quick rise to meaningful work in San Francisco Bay area media, a seemingly idyllic marriage and growing family. Yet there is turmoil underneath the surfaces of her life and she does not shy away from diving deep. What follows is a riveting reassessment of how her strength and achievements stem largely from a fear hardened fragility that she has never truly explored. She does that task with us along for the ride. As she turns and turns in the widening gyres propelled by exceptional honesty and thirst for self-knowledge, she reveals once again that the road to wisdom is never a straight one. I guarantee that every twist and turn in this tale of self-discovery is worth your time and contemplation.
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March 7, 2023By Accident is the true story of a hit and run that upended one woman's life and became the catalyst to look back and in, forward and beyond. One minute she stepped into the street, the next she was bedridden for months with multiple fractures to her pelvis and unrelenting pain. This book is about so much more than that accident; it's about the narrator's search for meaning and her reliance on her inherited religion, Judaism. It's about marriage and how difficult it is to lean so much on one person when you can't take care of yourself. It's about loss--of parents, siblings, but most of all, control. It's about how that loss of control plays with the narrator's mind and body; it's about aging and dealing with physical illness. But the line that strikes me most is this: "... extreme pain is blinding. And like grief, it’s cumulative. Chronic pain doesn’t toughen you up; it breaks you down, to the point where you question how much more you can handle..." Joanne's writing is accessible and her story reinforces how often the things that we think are going to break us help us create art.
May 16, 2023
This book is a wow-zer. From the very first paragraph, the reader is thrust into the sights and sounds of the author getting hit by a car, followed by her heartfelt rendering of a series of losses and circumstances that would devastate most people. The author never asks for sympathy, but instead rises phoenix-like with grace, resilience, and a profound understanding of her psyche. I cried many times and stayed quite affected by this complex, rich, and multi-layered story for hours after. Joanne Greene's honest portrayal of vulnerability, her personal journey and growth, and her keen sense of what it means to survive adversity and live fully, are written with quiet humor and wise reflection. While her story is a unique one, her use of back story and flashbacks, the crystal-clear imagery and sensory details, her observations of the world writ large and small, and the importance of her deep and abiding faith, makes this memoir relatable at every level.
Oh, did I mention this worthy book is also a love story?
Oh, did I mention this worthy book is also a love story?
July 4, 2023
If you think YOU'VE had a bad year, read this book. On page 1, Joanne Greene's life is upended (quite literally) when she's hit by a speeding car. A former radio broadcaster and successful journalist, Greene defines herself through her productivity, success, and control of her life. The accident reduces her to being an invalid, dependent on others to help her survive.
But wait: there's more! Once she's finally overcome most of her injuries, the trauma continues with several other conditions, like kidney stones and lung cancer. While on vacation, she's caught in a life-threatening hurricane. Then COVID and the California wildfires. The bad news just never ends.
Fortunately, Greene is a woman of faith and of great humor. She survives this seemingly Biblical "series of unfortunate events" with a new-found wisdom and a deep sense of gratitude for the privilege of getting older. It's a process we're all gradually going through, but reading Greene's memoir will deepen your own gratitude without, one hopes, all the hospitals.
But wait: there's more! Once she's finally overcome most of her injuries, the trauma continues with several other conditions, like kidney stones and lung cancer. While on vacation, she's caught in a life-threatening hurricane. Then COVID and the California wildfires. The bad news just never ends.
Fortunately, Greene is a woman of faith and of great humor. She survives this seemingly Biblical "series of unfortunate events" with a new-found wisdom and a deep sense of gratitude for the privilege of getting older. It's a process we're all gradually going through, but reading Greene's memoir will deepen your own gratitude without, one hopes, all the hospitals.
July 3, 2023
I read this book in two sittings. That’s how quickly and deeply it swept me in. By Accident is a story of resilience, vulnerability, courage, and a profound willingness to learn and grow. While the author’s back-to-back harrowing experiences are more than worthy of more than a teeny bit of self-pity, she tells the various angles of her story with the care of a journalist and the self-awareness of a determined badass. Yes, there are a million “survivor memoirs” and “cancer memoirs” out there, but this isn’t that … even when it sort of becomes that. Instead, the author uses this terrible thing that happened to her – the eponymous accident – as a springboard for reportage and reflection. Getting hit by a car is far from a universal experience, but Joanne Greene manages to tap into some very universal themes as she writes about how she managed to heal in the wake of it. Huge thumbs up.
March 30, 2026
By Accident: A Memoir of Letting Go by Joanne Greene is a deeply moving exploration of control, vulnerability, and personal transformation. Greene’s candid storytelling draws readers into her world of professional success, familial devotion, and the quiet, often hidden pressures of perfectionism.
The memoir balances narrative intimacy with broader reflections on resilience and self discovery. Greene’s accident becomes a pivotal lens through which she examines the illusion of control and the liberating power of surrender. Readers will find inspiration in her journey toward embracing fragility, uncovering strength in stillness, and learning that letting go can lead to profound personal growth.
By Accident is both an engaging memoir and a timeless reminder that true power often comes from accepting life’s unpredictability.
The memoir balances narrative intimacy with broader reflections on resilience and self discovery. Greene’s accident becomes a pivotal lens through which she examines the illusion of control and the liberating power of surrender. Readers will find inspiration in her journey toward embracing fragility, uncovering strength in stillness, and learning that letting go can lead to profound personal growth.
By Accident is both an engaging memoir and a timeless reminder that true power often comes from accepting life’s unpredictability.
April 22, 2023
Joanne Greene could teach a master class on how to withstand calamity with grace and irresistible insight and humor. Her memoir begins with a hit-and-run accident that leaves her immobile and in excruciating pain, but in addition to that, she has also has to reckon with the anguish of losing loved ones in quick succession, an overwhelmed husband-turned-caretaker, and a profound sense of vulnerability and loss of control.
Narratives of injury and recovery are sometimes formulaic, but this is anything but. Joanne takes us through her childhood and adolescence, years of work in radio, and strong ties to her community and Jewish traditions—all of which help her heal, and most importantly, to understand what she can control, and what she cannot.
Narratives of injury and recovery are sometimes formulaic, but this is anything but. Joanne takes us through her childhood and adolescence, years of work in radio, and strong ties to her community and Jewish traditions—all of which help her heal, and most importantly, to understand what she can control, and what she cannot.
July 11, 2023
I was transfixed by this book from the first sentence. I should start by saying that I have not finished a book in years. I love the idea of reading but I'm always doing too many things and even great books can't keep my attention. But this book, I finished in 3 days and could not put it down. Joanne's writing draws you in and takes you along on her journey with her. Her vulnerability in sharing her inner thoughts through a harrowing journey was so relatable. I found myself wanting to take notes so that I could remember her pearls of wisdom about how she turned her life around- the inside job of learning how to change your thoughts and habits in order to change your life. I will be re-reading this gem. Highly recommend!
October 29, 2023
A story of perseverance sustained by love
This is a really great story of a high achiever's lessons in letting go of her need to always be in control of everything and everyone in her life. She had to do so in order to live her best life after the misfortunes that came her way. A bit of the publicity blurb sums it up:
"In her debut memoir, By Accident, a freak, traumatic accident set Joanne on a journey of discovering that her power would come in the still moments, the moments when she loosened her grip and even allowed herself to crack, finding beauty and possibility in her fragility. By Accident is a story about discovering that control is a seductive illusion and how letting go of the need for it can reveal great strength and lead us to even firmer ground."
This is a really great story of a high achiever's lessons in letting go of her need to always be in control of everything and everyone in her life. She had to do so in order to live her best life after the misfortunes that came her way. A bit of the publicity blurb sums it up:
"In her debut memoir, By Accident, a freak, traumatic accident set Joanne on a journey of discovering that her power would come in the still moments, the moments when she loosened her grip and even allowed herself to crack, finding beauty and possibility in her fragility. By Accident is a story about discovering that control is a seductive illusion and how letting go of the need for it can reveal great strength and lead us to even firmer ground."
April 25, 2023
So relatable. So honest. Beautifully written. By Accident validates our life’s challenges, and gave me the tremendous gift of hope, as well as courage to keep moving forward in this wildly crazy, unpredictable world in which we all share. I so appreciate Joanne‘s ability to articulate how she feels, not being afraid to put it all out there. Joanne is clearly a woman of deep conviction, amazing inner strength, and graciously holds a sincere love of life, which she so candidly demonstrates through her stories. From this book, I have realized how important it is always remember to look both ways, and stay in the present. Thank you Joanne!
June 28, 2023
"I couldn't take a break from reading Joanne's story. I was hooked from the opening paragraphs. It takes skill, and more important...bravery, to tell a story that is both compelling and honest. Some memoirs fall into the trap of being rich in detail and devoid of vulnerability and genuine storytelling. Jo shares the most intimate details of her harrowing experiences of trauma and loss and then comes out the other side full of gratitude and wisdom. It is my own hope to be as brave to face the rest of my own personal challenges and struggles...and mortality with as much grace and faith as Jo does."
March 29, 2023
Just....WOW. By Accident is a book of extraordinary depth, heart and wisdom. Joanne Greene's amazing story -- told in her wonderfully warm and engaging voice --is a blueprint for living in this world. She's given us a roadmap for how to cope for everything life brings, for how to let go, and for teaching ourselves how to find the joy beyond the pain. For letting go. I read it in two sittings, often through laughter and tears. Beautifully written, compulsively readable, with heart, insight and humor and style. I adored it and you will too!
June 20, 2023
By Accident is a memoir of surviving loss. Joanne is a woman who is not afraid to honestly confront her life, without pity, and who does know how to love and how to connect. In many ways it is a love story to her family, her communities, her friends, and herself. She walks us through a decade of personal tumult that is more than many can ever imagine---and she comes out the other side with a story that allows all of us to experience the role of love, community, and faith in one's ability to live through and with loss and the change it brings. Enjoy the read!
July 1, 2023
Having gone through serious medical issues and treatments myself, I seek out stories of others who have done the same. Joanne Greene's memoir is a moving example of enduring such challenges and allowing herself to be transformed in the process. Though the book is mostly about her severe injuries from being hit by a car as she crossed the road at a crosswalk, she provides rich context of her work, Jewish culture, marriage, and her two sons. The fact that she emerges from her traumas with fortitude, grace, and gratitude is reason enough to read this insightful memoir.
August 18, 2023
This memoir packs a punch. From the first line, we are hurled head-first into the accident that changed the author's life. And it's by no means downhill from there. The amount of sickness and death she faces afterward, among her loved ones, might have buried others. Instead, Greene manages to extract strength from her experiences and let them instruct her on an alternative way of life: adopting a slower pace and taking more time to appreciate and embrace all she's been given. Lovely underlying message for the reader.
April 15, 2024
This book was very well written and she sprinkled in bits of dry humor to bring some levity to her trauma and healing. I also liked that she was very vulnerable about her thoughts and emotions even in the moments that she wasn't triumphing over the obstacles in her path. I think it just sat really heavy with me and it kind of brought some of my own past trauma up which made the book feel a bit emotionally draining for me. I had to take frequent breaks because I found myself catastrophizing alongside her.
May 25, 2023
It's no accident that By Accident is as well-written and performed as it is. Author Joanne Greene has years of experience in both, developing the expertise that draws us into this memoir, the center of gravity of which is a horrendous automobile accident that she survives and that serves as a lens through which she views key experiences in her life. As readers, we can all take meaning from what she writes.
June 20, 2023
You will hold your breath, shake your head, laugh out loud, and nod in recognition as you join Joanne in reliving the last decade of her remarkable life. She’s captured the action, and accident-induced frozen stillness, in vivid, you-are-there prose. As catastrophe’s accumulated, she dug deeper and deeper to extract life lessons and love lessons we can all learn from. You will be happy to be with her every step of the way.
July 17, 2023
By Accident is a compelling memoir about resilience, courage and the attitude that strength can always overcome. The story begins with a gripping car accident that ultimately is the premise for the book. Joanne's perseverance during recovery and her continued hard times shows her strength. A wonderfully, well written and insightful read that I couldn't put down. A wonderful book to help us all understand the power of letting go.
March 22, 2023
There is so much in this memoir that resonated with me, from the hardships of navigating the loss of loved ones, to the pretense of being in control of everything. The author's voice felt honest and relatable -- and her realizations reminded me that even in our darkest days there are always silver linings.
May 12, 2023
This well-written book is certainly a necessary read for our times. We follow the author's feminist journey from Boston to San Francisco in the exciting world of radio and television. Because of a devastating accident, we then accompany her internal journey of letting go and finding an even more fulfilling way of life.
July 14, 2023
Wow!
Joanne’s memoir is a gut wrenching, non-stop, candid account of her life as a multi tasking queen who was literally stopped in her tracks and who, with the help of her loving husband Fred, her family and her circle of friends, triumphed through several very difficult chapters in a short period of time. A remarkable journey of grit and resilience.
Joanne’s memoir is a gut wrenching, non-stop, candid account of her life as a multi tasking queen who was literally stopped in her tracks and who, with the help of her loving husband Fred, her family and her circle of friends, triumphed through several very difficult chapters in a short period of time. A remarkable journey of grit and resilience.
July 16, 2023
A great read about self discovery. Who you are and what you're capable of overcoming.
Life throws everyone curve balls, some more than others. Some earlier in life, some later.
What's important is learning from these experiences, not just getting through them.
Joanne has done both, remarkably well, in this well written story of her life experiences.
Life throws everyone curve balls, some more than others. Some earlier in life, some later.
What's important is learning from these experiences, not just getting through them.
Joanne has done both, remarkably well, in this well written story of her life experiences.
March 8, 2026
I met Joanne within the past few months and quickly liked her, but I knew none of these pieces of her life. She writes with an unflinching honesty that I admire - she writes about herself and the people she loves most in a way that honors them while also acknowledging their flaws. She is a marvelous writer and storyteller, and now I feel even luckier to know her.
March 22, 2023
Phenomenal read. So inspirational. I couldn’t put it down and finished it within a few days. The underlying love story was almost as inspirational as the author’s perseverance through all of her tragic events. 5 stars all day!!!!
April 1, 2023
The best memoirs give you life lessons and Joanne Greene's memoir is one of those. It starts with an almost-tragic accident, followed by recovery and the discovery of an inspirational path. A great read for someone going through tough times and who needs encouragement.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews