Not fade away : a memoir of senses lost and found / by Rebecca Alexander with Sascha Alper.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York, New York : Gotham, [2014]Description: 308 pages ; 22 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 1592408311 (hardback)
- 9781592408313 (hardback)
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | Biography | Alexande R. A377 | Available | 33111007938760 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Even a darkening world can be brilliantly lit from within.
Born with a rare genetic mutation called Usher Syndrome type III, Rebecca Alexander has been simultaneously losing both her sight and hearing since she was a child, and was told that she would likely be completely blind and deaf by age 30. Then, at 18, a fall from a window left her athletic body completely shattered.
None of us know what we would do in the face of such devastation. What Rebecca did was rise to every challenge she faced. She was losing her vision and hearing and her body was broken, but she refused to lose her drive, her zest for life and - maybe most importantly - her sense of humor. Now, at 35, with only a sliver of sight and significantly deteriorated hearing, she is a psychotherapist with two masters' degrees from Columbia University, and an athlete who teaches spin classes and regularly competes in extreme endurance races. She greets every day as if it were a gift, with boundless energy, innate curiosity, and a strength of spirit that have led her to places we can't imagine.
In Not Fade Away , Rebecca tells her extraordinary story, by turns harrowing, funny and inspiring. She meditates on what she's lost - from the sound of a whisper to seeing a sky full of stars, and what she's found in return - an exquisite sense of intimacy with those she is closest to, a love of silence, a profound gratitude for everything she still has, and a joy in simple pleasures that most of us forget to notice.
Not Fade Away is both a memoir of the senses and a unique look at the obstacles we all face - physical, psychological, and philosophical - exploring the extraordinary powers of memory, love, and perseverance. It is a gripping story, an offering of hope and motivation, and an exquisite reminder to live each day to its fullest.
'A remarkable story of resilience and heart, Not Fade Away follows Rebecca Alexander as she must navigate the world cursed with a rare genetic disorder that will one day rob her of both sight and hearing. Bereft of self-pity, funny, and bursting with honesty, Not Fade Away will get its hooks in you. I promise that by the end of her story, you will fall just as in love with Rebecca as I have.' Susannah Cahalan, New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire
'There is a saying that goes - you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Rebecca Alexander's indomitable spirit spills out on to the pages of this incredible memoir. She will lift you up . . . the way she did for me.' Hoda Kotb, New York Times bestselling author of Ten Years Later and Hoda , and Emmy-award-winning anchor of Today
'Her eyes and ears may be declining, but Rebecca's sense of self is sharply focused and profoundly tuned. By sharing her life, she has enriched mine and will yours, too. I love this woman.' Meredith Vieira, journalist and Emmy Award-winning television host
"The inspiring memoir of a young woman who is slowly losing her sight and hearing yet continues to live each day with grace and purpose. Thirty-four-year-old Rebecca Alexander is a psychotherapist, a spin instructor, a volunteer, and an athlete. She is also almost completely blind, with significantly deteriorated hearing. Not Fade Away is a deeply moving exploration of the obstacles we all face-physical, psychological, and philosophical. Like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Rebecca's story is an exquisite reminder to live each day to its fullest. When Rebecca was twelve, her parents were told that she would be completely blind before she turned thirty. At eighteen, she fell through a window, shattering her body. In college, she found out that due to a rare genetic disorder-Usher Syndrome Type III-she was losing her hearing as well. Since then, she has earned two Master's degrees from Columbia University, ridden a six-hundred-mile bike race, hiked the Inca Trail, and established a thriving career-all while maintaining a vibrant social life. In Not Fade Away, Rebecca charts her journey from a teenager who tried to hide her disabilities, to a woman who is able to face the world exactly as she is. She meditates on what she's lost-the sound of laughter and skies full of stars, which she can now only imagine (though, she quips, "It's not like anyone can see stars in New York anyway")-and what she's found in return: an exquisite sense of intimacy with family and friends who've stuck by her, and a profound appreciation for everything she still has. Even though Rebecca inhabits a gradually darkening world, she refuses to let that stop her from living life with joy and enthusiasm."-- Provided by publisher.