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1st out of 102 books
—
3 voters
Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope
AS INDIVIDUALS, CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE GIFFORDS and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, showed Americans how optimism, an adventurous spirit, and a call to service can help change the world. As a couple, they became a national example of the healing power to be found in deeply shared love and courage. Their arrival in the world spotlight came under the worst of circumstanc...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
November 15th 2011
by Scribner
(first published January 1st 2011)
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I have so many reactions to this book, many of which are based in personal experiences.
First, let me state that I vote in Tucson. Giffords is my representative. I rarely get involved in politics, as I’m so often out of the US, but I happened to be in Tucson for the 2010 election and did some GOTV work on her behalf.
The tension in Tucson before the election was extremely high, and I felt nervous around some of those supporting the tea party candidate opposing her. They were loud and threatening....more
First, let me state that I vote in Tucson. Giffords is my representative. I rarely get involved in politics, as I’m so often out of the US, but I happened to be in Tucson for the 2010 election and did some GOTV work on her behalf.
The tension in Tucson before the election was extremely high, and I felt nervous around some of those supporting the tea party candidate opposing her. They were loud and threatening....more
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This is a book that I scored this high not because of the writing (which was competent and engaging but not particularly moving) but because of the story.
I'm a Tucsonan and love Tucson, and even though Gabrielle Giffords was not MY Congresswoman (I'm in Grijalva's district), I have been a fan of hers almost as long as I've been in Tucson. I've followed her story in the Weekly and always admired her for being young, athletic, attractive, devoted to Tucson, and known for being a "nice" politician...more
I'm a Tucsonan and love Tucson, and even though Gabrielle Giffords was not MY Congresswoman (I'm in Grijalva's district), I have been a fan of hers almost as long as I've been in Tucson. I've followed her story in the Weekly and always admired her for being young, athletic, attractive, devoted to Tucson, and known for being a "nice" politician...more
This book is very aptly titled. It truly is a story of courage and hope. I expected something a little more medically-oriented, which would have been fine, but this is a wonderfully-told, full, real-life story. The balance of long ago and more recent, tragedy and comedy, his career and hers, sorrow and joy is beautifully done. I'm a bit biased, having real-life connections to both Mark and Gabby, but I feel that I can honestly put that aside and say that this book is truly wonderful. It tells us...more
This was truly an amazing and inspiring story. Gabrielle Giffords was a Congresswoman from Arizona who was shot in the head while doing a public event in her district on January 8, 2011. Six people also at the event died, and 19 others were also seriously wounded. This is her story and that of her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly. It shares their lives before the event and what has happened since.
I have always been intrigued by Gabby Giffords. She had her traumatic brain injury just a week before R...more
I have always been intrigued by Gabby Giffords. She had her traumatic brain injury just a week before R...more
Gabby: a Story of Courage and Hope,by Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly, narrated mostly by Mark Kelly with Gabby Giffords reading the last chapter, Produced by Simon and Schuster Audio, Downloaded from audible.com.
This is the story of Gabby Giffords, the representative from Arizona who was shot in the head January 8, 2011 while meeting constituents. The shooter left six dead and many injured. Gabby survived the attack and has succeeded in coming a long way back in the past year. With the ongoin...more
This is the story of Gabby Giffords, the representative from Arizona who was shot in the head January 8, 2011 while meeting constituents. The shooter left six dead and many injured. Gabby survived the attack and has succeeded in coming a long way back in the past year. With the ongoin...more
After Gabby Giffords was shot in an incident that left others killed and her gravely injured, I was curious about her. I had heard of her husband, Mark Kelly the astronaut, but was unfamiliar with Congresswoman Giffords. I picked this up on impulse from the library in order to learn more. This book is a celebration of her life, including photos from infancy to present day. There are numerous details about her relationship with Mark from their meeting, to wedding, to his help with her recovery. T...more
I loved this book even though it seemed to take quite a while to read! I have always loved reading books about someone we all know and this was no exception!
Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Astronaut Mark Kelly are a true form of exceptional love and endurance! When she was shot in the head last January 2011 she was critically injured and he was by her side always except when he had a duty to fly the shuttle and she encouraged him to go. He had considered not going but she wanted him to fulfil...more
Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Astronaut Mark Kelly are a true form of exceptional love and endurance! When she was shot in the head last January 2011 she was critically injured and he was by her side always except when he had a duty to fly the shuttle and she encouraged him to go. He had considered not going but she wanted him to fulfil...more
Jan 07, 2012
Jean
added it
pg 89
“I also think back to the time, after my second space flight, in 2006, when Gabby and I got to have lunch with the legendary British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who is paralyzed due to a form of Lou Gehrig’s disease. It takes him an excruciatingly long time to say anything, and I pretty much gave up on conversing with him beyond a few pleasantries. But Gabby was just incredible. She intuitively knew what to do.
After my failed attempt at interacting with Dr. Hawking, she kneeled down i...more
“I also think back to the time, after my second space flight, in 2006, when Gabby and I got to have lunch with the legendary British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who is paralyzed due to a form of Lou Gehrig’s disease. It takes him an excruciatingly long time to say anything, and I pretty much gave up on conversing with him beyond a few pleasantries. But Gabby was just incredible. She intuitively knew what to do.
After my failed attempt at interacting with Dr. Hawking, she kneeled down i...more
I finally understand why I took so long to finish this book – HOPE. Something that is in short supply of during these times and I found that Gabrielle Gifford’s most challenging moment offers hope to the rest of us. The gunshot wound that she received to her head would have killed most people, but she fought, her husband fought, her parents fought and every one of her loved ones fought. This is a person that is loved and because of that love, we saw a miracle happen.
On January 8, 2011, while in...more
On January 8, 2011, while in...more
When I was reading about Gabby's rehab, I thought of people in my life who hadn't gotten an adequate rehab and had lost their mobility as a result. The issue goes well beyond the brain injured. Anyone who spends enough time confined to a hospital bed needs rehab afterward. I'm sure Gabrielle Gifford is determined to help other brain injured people who don't have her coverage, but what about the 99% who need rehab, and aren't brain injured?
I actually do have a friend with a brain injury which hap...more
I actually do have a friend with a brain injury which hap...more
2 likes · like · see review
I was suprised by this book. I expected the usual sugar-coated we went through hell, but all is rosy, sort of, book.
It was not such. It was a brave, honest, many times painful, but ultimately trandescendant, factual recounting. I was also surprised by the depth of layers in this book.
You get to learn details about NASA. Management seems as bad there as everywhere. You get to learn what you have to do to command, launch, dock in space and return the shuttle with a pluperfect score. You get to h...more
It was not such. It was a brave, honest, many times painful, but ultimately trandescendant, factual recounting. I was also surprised by the depth of layers in this book.
You get to learn details about NASA. Management seems as bad there as everywhere. You get to learn what you have to do to command, launch, dock in space and return the shuttle with a pluperfect score. You get to h...more
Like many, without the tragic shooting in Tucson I would have never heard of Gabrielle Giffords. There would be no reason to. I live in Kentucky, I'm a republician (don't frown like it's an evil thing!), and I do not follow Arizona, or the NASA program.
Tucson changed all of that.
I though this book was an exremely up-close and honest take on that day, and the days that follow. I am a bit biased, as a Speech Therapist (Speech and Language Pathologist for the proper title :) I was concerned how th...more
Tucson changed all of that.
I though this book was an exremely up-close and honest take on that day, and the days that follow. I am a bit biased, as a Speech Therapist (Speech and Language Pathologist for the proper title :) I was concerned how th...more
Gabby, A Story of Hope is a memoir detailing the shooting and recovery of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, does a marvelous job of weaving their past lives with the present situation they find themselves in.
Some memoirs are long on past details but short on details of the main topic of the book. Kelly does a masterful job of blending the past life experiences with the present details so there is an even spread of past and present experiences.
Kelly als...more
Some memoirs are long on past details but short on details of the main topic of the book. Kelly does a masterful job of blending the past life experiences with the present details so there is an even spread of past and present experiences.
Kelly als...more
My interest in this book was of course (1) the courageous and fascinating personal story of a remarkable couple and (2) I wanted to read what they had to say about Gabby's rehab course and see how they presented it. I've had the privilege and challenge of overseeing the medical and therapeutic care of many patients with injuries like those described in this book. The authors present a realistic picture and do a pretty good job at describing the roller-coaster that rehab often is. The way they de...more
As an Occupational Therapist who has worked with many TBI survivors, and a constituent who follows politics fairly closely, the January 8th shooting, during which "Gabby" Giffords was injured, touched me on both a professional and personal level. I followed her recovery, and shed tears during videos of her singing in speech therapy. It wasn't until I read the biography that I appreciated Gabby as the incredible woman that she is - with strong morals, a passion for living, and a dedication to her...more
We all know the story about what happened to Gabrielle Giffords, and nine of the people who were there to visit her that tragic day. The question is whether that story could be told in a way that was worth reading -- that went beyond the news accounts, didn't get too sentimental, and which didn't beatify Gabby. I think this book did it. Mostly written by Mark Kelly and Jeffrey Zaslow, for obvious reasons, it was a book that was hard to put down, even though I knew the outcome (it's not really a...more
This was a terrific read. Interesting, touching, and compelling. I believe it will do a lot of good in reminding us all of the repercussions for letting politic discourse cross a line, because all that anger has to go somewhere. Gabrielle Giffords has made a remarkable recovery, in great part due to her own tenacity and a terrific support system. The other part of the equation is that government employees get superior and affordable health care and this couple are aware of their good fortune in...more
I really enjoyed reading this book, written by the Congresswoman's husband during the year after the shooting. Although Giffords is given credit for the writing of the book, it is really written by her astronaut husband, Mark Kelly. He has a very interesting style of writing. He jumps around a lot, yet it does not seem disjointed. It actually makes the story more interesting. He is obviously very intelligent, and knows a lot about life from many different angles. I like that.
I was totally impre...more
I was totally impre...more
The best memoirs enlighten and inspire, and “Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope” manages to recount a romance with tenderness, to tell a story of politics without wonkiness, to share a tale of tragedy without melodrama.
I loved this book.
“Gabby” is about Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona Congresswoman who was shot in the head by a lunatic two years ago. Six people died, and 12 others were injured. The story is told by Mark Kelly, her astronaut husband. If I have any quibbles about the book at all,...more
I loved this book.
“Gabby” is about Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona Congresswoman who was shot in the head by a lunatic two years ago. Six people died, and 12 others were injured. The story is told by Mark Kelly, her astronaut husband. If I have any quibbles about the book at all,...more
I originally rated this book as 4 stars, but looking back on it a few days later, I feel like I have to bring it back up to 5.
The only real flaw of the book is the slow start. The first half skips around a lot. Considering that the book is about the progress that Gabby has made since the shooting, when he skips from anecdotes from months after the shooting (when Gabby speaks in near-complete sentences) to anecdotes from days after the shooting (when she can barely name everyday objects), it doe...more
The only real flaw of the book is the slow start. The first half skips around a lot. Considering that the book is about the progress that Gabby has made since the shooting, when he skips from anecdotes from months after the shooting (when Gabby speaks in near-complete sentences) to anecdotes from days after the shooting (when she can barely name everyday objects), it doe...more
This book was much more personal, less saccharine and better written than I expected (I wish I knew whether to attribute that to Mark Kelly or to the co-author whose name only appears at the end). The chapters alternate between various points in time, which builds tension and maintains interest. For awhile I thought we weren't going to get any detail on how Kelly learned about the shooting and his immediate responses, but that material is included, and is as hair-raising as you'd expect. The boo...more
I began to really become a fan of Gabrielle Giffords when she was shot. Although I did know a bit about her before that- because of her strength on some issues and the fact that her husband was an astronaut. But after my relief of Ms Giffords' surviving the shooting in Tuscon, I became really interested in her because of her recovery.
Because my daughter survived an in utero stroke and she has brain damage in some of the same ways Ms Giffords does, I was very interested to see what Ms Giffords wo...more
Because my daughter survived an in utero stroke and she has brain damage in some of the same ways Ms Giffords does, I was very interested to see what Ms Giffords wo...more
This book is amazing. You feel Mark's helplessness when he describes rushing from Houston to Tucson after the shooting and you feel Gabby's frustration as she rehabs from her horrific injury.
The love between these two is palpable as you read through the book and you will laugh and cry many times. I especially related to the relationship between Gabby and Mark's daughters as I am a stepmom as well.
Gabby also represents what a politician should be; someone devoted to her constituents, now someone...more
The love between these two is palpable as you read through the book and you will laugh and cry many times. I especially related to the relationship between Gabby and Mark's daughters as I am a stepmom as well.
Gabby also represents what a politician should be; someone devoted to her constituents, now someone...more
What a touching, real, inspiring book about Gabrielle Giffords, the Congresswoman who was shot in the head at the Safeway Store on Ina in Tucson. Gabby was our congresswoman when we lived in Tucson and heard her speak a number of times. She was a Moderate Democrat who worked so very hard in her job and was demonized during the last election. Her husband Mark Kelly, an astronaut, is the author with Gabby's input. She wrote the last chapter. The book gives an honest view of their lives, their meet...more
I saw Mark Kelly speak last year, and I got a free, autographed copy of this book. I finally sat down and read it. I had followed the crime when it occurred, but had forgotten a lot about it. I was excited to pick up the book and learn more. I was unhappy with the structure of the book, however. We get flashbacks to both Gabrielle and Mark's childhoods. Then, we get flashes from Gabrielle's recovery after the shooting. It took about two thirds to reach a chapter on the shooting, which was very b...more
Gabrielle Giffords was elected to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional District for southern Arizona in 2007. She is well-loved and very committed to her district. She is married to astronaut Mark Kelly, Commander for the final space shuttle in May 2011. On January 8, 2011, Gabrielle scheduled a “Congress on Your Corner” in Tucson to meet with her constituents so she could hear what they had on their mind. Jared Laughner came to the event armed. He shot Gabby in the head, left six other people...more
One year ago today a horrific event took place in Tucson, Arizona. Probably all of you know about the shootings that occurred on an ordinary day in an ordinary strip mall in front of an ordinary Safeway.
Gabby deals very little with the actual day. She blessedly has no memory of it. This book is not about the shooter or his motives, so it is not a true crime book in that sense. What this book is to me is a love story, a story of inspiration and a story of dedication. Prior to the shootings one ye...more
Gabby deals very little with the actual day. She blessedly has no memory of it. This book is not about the shooter or his motives, so it is not a true crime book in that sense. What this book is to me is a love story, a story of inspiration and a story of dedication. Prior to the shootings one ye...more
I hadn't been interested in reading this memoir until my mom recommended it and gave it to me to borrow. However, I am glad I did. It was a very interesting read, told in a conversational style from the perspective of Gifford's husband, Mark Kelly. Part biography, part recounting of Gifford's recovery, and part political rant, it does give some great insider knowledge to Gabby and Mark's life together, their lives before they became famous, and the workings of politics both at the state and nati...more
This book has something for everyone. I learned a lot about recovering from a brain injury, about the NASA program; there's even space devoted to some military missions that her husband flew during the Gulf War. (I skipped over that part, so I might have the wrong war; it's not my thing.) The writing seemed honest; accounts of the failures at NASA, the relationship challenges in their blended family and real issues between parents and their adult children.
It's written in her husband's voice, fr...more
It's written in her husband's voice, fr...more
I really liked this book and it is a testament to Gabby's spirit and ideas. I was struck by her realization that she represented all people of her district, not just the ones who voted for her and was sympathetic to them when she was an active member of Congress and not "full of herself" as is my perception of others in public, government service. She made herself so accessible and really seemed to care about her constituents.
I wish the level of care she received is available to all head injury...more
I wish the level of care she received is available to all head injury...more
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“The Congresswoman was depressed by the fact that a woman of her standing could no longer count on making it to the rest room "in time" during the extensive rehabilitation that followed her shooting. Her husband, commander of a space shuttle crew, encouraged her by identifying with her limitation. Even revered astronauts, he revealed, have bodily limits and have to rely on Huggies during extended launch exercises.”
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5 people liked it
“Pursue your passion, and everything will fall into place. This is not being romantic. This is the highest order of pragmatism.”
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4 people liked it
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