Home in One Piece

by John Thompson, Paula Crain Grosinger

While working alone on his parent's farm one January morning in 1992, eighteen year old John Thompson became entangled in a piece of machinery. In an instant, both arms were ripped from his body and he was knocked unconscious. Not knowing if he would survive his injuries, John get off the ground, staggered over 100 yards to the house, and opened a door with his mouth. Once in the house he grasped a pen in his teeth to punch numbers on the phone and call for help. He then went to the bathroom, climbed in the bathtub so he wouldn't bleed on his mother's new carpets, and waited for help to arrive.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2001

Reviews

[J.R. Zimmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

John’s story is compelling. He was thrust into the international spotlight because of an unimaginable situation. The details of the accident, his family's reactions, and the ups and downs of his rehabilitation process are all presented matter-of-factly, nor does he sugarcoat it. I was moved by John’s resilience and determination and ability to reattach himself to life through his survival and courage to move forward when times of darkness had him questioning his existence.
Home In One Piece is a must-read for anyone interested in stories of surviving through impossible odds.

[Alicia Kemper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very heart touching story!

[Tanya Bjerke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great, well-written book about his accident and his life after. I highly recommend that anyone read it.

[Trisha DeBoer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Home in One Piece" was a very easy, but engaging book to read. John was very honest in his writing, despite the very personal nature of recovering after having arms ripped off by farm machinery. I would not imagine that many people can truly understand where he's coming from, but I think that others who have faced traumatic injury might find this book worth the read. I like reading about peoples' lives, so that's what drew me to this work. That, and the Associate Pastor at one of my church internship sites is mentioned in the book. John talks about the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects that have touched and continue to touch him as he lives post-traumatic injury. I like that he addresses some common theological ideas in a way that doesn't reinforce ideas that are commonly held by many well-meaning people today, but that basically say that God does this sort of thing to people. The book is not largely about spirituality, but that is one aspect of it. I'm grateful that he was willing to share his story with us, and I recommend the book. I finished it in one day because John's use of wit, and his down-to-earth manner make this book easy to read.

[Bill Donhiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very moving story and an engaging read. I started and finished in the same day and was glad that I took the time. An inspirational good read