Review of Where I End: A Story of Tragedy, Truth, and Rebellious Hope, by Katherine Elizabeth Clark
An active mother playing tag with her daughter and some
other children is suddenly paralyzed by a freak playground accident. Where I End: A Story of Tragedy, Truth, and
Rebellious Hope isn’t just another story of misfortune
told from a Christian perspective.
This story is well told, and the accompanying theology is
well-considered. This is a story of hope that didn’t die in the face of a “Christopher
Reeve-level injury”, an irrevocable medical prognosis, and the pitying look she
got when that hope was displayed. This is the story of a four-year-old daughter
asking her dad if it was okay to pray for mom to walk again, because she had
heard the doctors say that her mom never would.
Clark is honest about the internal struggles she faced in her journey. Clark shares her concerns about what her children’s memories will be, and how she sobbed after her first-grader offhandedly called her a “quad”. She discusses the feelings she had when she unexpectedly saw the boy who caused her accident receive an award at school.
I found this book inspirational, not only reading about the miraculous work of God, but also in considering Clark’s attitude and perseverance. I do not envision myself as having the strength to fight through physical therapy, as she did. My own inclination would be toward heaven. Clark’s healing isn’t yet complete, but God has chosen to give back more mobility than the doctors said she would ever possess.
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