Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable
Ebook244 pages2 hours
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
Unavailable in your country
Unavailable in your country
About this ebook
They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else could one explain the tremendous passion that drives her to surf? How else could one explain that nothing - not even the loss of her arm in a horrific shark attack - could come between her and the waves?
That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii Bethany responded to the shark's stealth with a calmness beyond belief. Pushing pain and panic aside, she immediately thought: 'Get to the beach...' Rushed to the hospital, where her father, Ted Hamilton, was about to undergo knee surgery, Bethany found herself taking his spot in the operating theatre. When the first thing Bethany wanted to know after surgery was 'When can I surf again?' it became clear that her unfaltering spirit and determination were part of a greater story - a tale of courage and faith that this modest and soft-spoken girl would come to share with the world.
That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii Bethany responded to the shark's stealth with a calmness beyond belief. Pushing pain and panic aside, she immediately thought: 'Get to the beach...' Rushed to the hospital, where her father, Ted Hamilton, was about to undergo knee surgery, Bethany found herself taking his spot in the operating theatre. When the first thing Bethany wanted to know after surgery was 'When can I surf again?' it became clear that her unfaltering spirit and determination were part of a greater story - a tale of courage and faith that this modest and soft-spoken girl would come to share with the world.
Unavailable
Author
Bethany Hamilton
Bethany Hamilton, who YM magazine called the “Bravest Girl in America,” has been surfing since she was seven years old. After her shark attack, Bethany participated in numerous competitions and received the 2004 Teen Choice award for Most Courageous Teen and the 2004 ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete.
Read more from Bethany Hamilton
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Soul Surfer Devotions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Body and Soul: A Girl's Guide to a Fit, Fun and Fabulous Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Still LoLo: A Spinning Propeller, a Horrific Accident, and a Family's Journey of Hope Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Be Unstoppable: The Art of Never Giving Up Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unstoppable Me Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Soul Surfer
Related ebooks
Oliver for Young Readers: The True Story of a Stolen Dog and the Humans He Brought Together Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Flip Side Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brutal School Ties: The Parktown Boys' Tragedy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Waltz for Matilda (The Matilda Saga, #1) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Able: Gold Medals, Grand Slams and Smashing Glass Ceilings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Blood has a voice: Stories from the autopsy table Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Tom Appleby, Convict Boy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Vow: The True Events that Inspired the Movie Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Raising a Soul Surfer: One Family's Epic Tale Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Noise in the Night: The Brady Street Boys Book Three: Brady Street Boys Midwest Adventure Series, #3 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Scatterling of Africa: My Early Years Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bridge Over Troubled Dreams Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Reinventing Rachel: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5All Balls and Glitter: My Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thirsty: Confessions of a Fame Whore Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Mother's Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boy Born Dead: A Story of Friendship, Courage, and Triumph Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Walking The Boundaries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gallipoli Street Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Working Class Man: The No.1 Bestseller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Girl from Snowy River (The Matilda Saga, #2) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel by Heather Morris | Conversation Starters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5CinderGirl: My Journey Out of the Ashes to a Life of Hope Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Missionary Maverick Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsApple Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIt Started at the Church: Trapped in Love and Trouble Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConnecting with my Inner Me Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhy Not Me?!?: 12 Lessons a Year on an Island Taught Me About Living My Dreams, and How You Can Live Yours Too Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Matters Most: Family, Friends, and Foes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Biography & Memoir For You
The Diary of a Young Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Stolen Life: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming Bulletproof: Protect Yourself, Read People, Influence Situations, and Live Fearlessly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: the heartfelt, funny memoir by a New York Times bestselling therapist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jack Reacher Reading Order: The Complete Lee Child’s Reading List Of Jack Reacher Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mommie Dearest Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Meditations: Complete and Unabridged Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5People, Places, Things: My Human Landmarks Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Taste: My Life Through Food Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Afeni Shakur: Evolution Of A Revolutionary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wright Brothers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ivy League Counterfeiter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Leonardo da Vinci Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Garlic and Sapphires: The secret life of a restaurant critic in disguise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing the Mob: The Fight Against Organized Crime in America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Soul Surfer
Rating: 3.7967741554838708 out of 5 stars
4/5
155 ratings14 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is an inspirational story written by a young girl for young teenagers. I thought the writing lacked detail, polish and depth, but I admired Bethany's courage as she struggled with the challenges of losing an arm after a horrific shark attack. I think younger readers will find this an interesting story, but for me I felt there was something lacking.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This inspirational tale of a girl overcoming all odds will tug at your heart strings. You'll find that you won't be able to put this book down as you comb through the young life of Bethany Hamilton. She takes you on a journey of her struggles and triumphs, and all the while you find that she is the bravest woman of her time. This is a book that you will not want to miss, I promise.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Soul Surfer tells the story of Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm after a shark attack. I could see the story of her returning to surfing as an inspiring story for students, however despite being an interesting tale there are serious issues with the pacing in the book. I could see many students being engaged for the first section of the book discussing her accident and recovery, but losing interest in the chapters that followed. As such, this would likely not be a story I would go out of my way to suggest, even though her story is an inspirational one.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ms. Hamilton tells the story of her shark attack and what happened afterwards from a very faithful perspective. She doesn't dwell on the surely difficult period of learning to accept her new reality. Instead she talks about how she was supported and cared for as she learns to adjust and thrive with the loss of her arm. There is also an interesting history of how her parents came to Hawaii and met and an explanation of just much surfing plays a role in their family. Additional material was added to the audio version I listened to, adding information about the shooting of the film by the same name.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Soul Surfer is the true story of Bethany Hamilton, the fourteen-year-old surfer from Hawaii who lost her left arm to a shark. Hers is a truly inspirational story. It's told very matter-of-factly, and Bethany gives much of the credit for how well she's come through her experiences to her relationship with God.
Bethany's attitude throughout the book is amazing. There's no whining, no "why me?"s (at least not in the sense that you'd expect), no defeatest attitudes. In fact, pretty much the whole story is told in a positive, upbeat manner. You can really see how much her family and friends mean to her and how much they all came together to get through what must have been an extremely difficult time.
Soul Surfer is a quick read; on audio it was just under four hours. My only real complaint (besides the odd, slightly annoying music that popped up between sections and chapters) is that there really is no significant mention of the struggles Bethany must have gone through learning to adapt to using one arm. She does touch on it briefly, but really, we hear more about having to work with AnnaSofia Robb (who plays Bethany in the film that just came out based on the book) to make the adjustments needed in her surfing for the movie than for Bethany's. I can only imagine that for someone so young it must have been too recent a struggle for her to discuss in her book, or perhaps that just wasn't the focus she wanted to have. She stresses throughout how important her relationship with God is; and that is indeed a very large theme in her story.
Overall, this is an inspirational book about a truly remarkable role model for not only young girls, but for all of us. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Incredible account of the author's attach and resolve to make meaning out of her life for others.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5“I don't really want people looking to me for inspiration. I just want to be a sign along the way that points toward Heaven.” A good way to drive this point home with students is to have them make a list of signs they have passed along the way that points toward Heaven. Have the students share them with each other and discuss how they were impacted by these signs. Discuss how some signs might not be as obvious as others - depends on who you are.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/53Q, 4P. There's no doubt about it. Bethany Hamilton is one amazing and inspiring young adult. The main reasons why I wanted to read this book are: 1) I am utterly impressed by female athletes, especially professional surfer girls, and 2) like everyone else, I love a good shark attack story. Hamilton does not hold back in her jaw dropping autobiography. I am so impressed by this girl's courage and will to not give up. I love Hamilton's story and how she has used her story to inspire so many young women and to bring hope to amputees around the world. I would love to meet her someday. Hamilton's other passion, her faith and spirituality, really comes out in her writing. It is almost too thick in some parts and at times detracts from the story. But, since Hamilton is up front about the importance faith has in her life, I also see her spirituality as a true extension of who she is as a person. With this said, I think some teens who really just want to read about surfing and shark attacks may get turned off by Hamilton's spirituality talk. The writing quality could have been stronger and more polished. Parts of the book feel flat and underdeveloped. Although, in true teenager style, Hamilton has added fun tidbits such as a "surfspeak" glossary and outstanding surfer pics that will make any surfer wannabe in awe of Hamilton's mind blowing natural talent.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a story about a girl, Bethany, whose dream was to surf. When she has a terrible experience once out on the water, it was extremely hard for her to get back on the board. Bethany gets attacked by a shark. She was out on the water with some friends when it happened and was immediately rushed to the hospital. Bethany's whole left arm had to be taken off, and was now nothing but a stub. This is a great book about chasing dreams and following your heart.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I read Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton because I was book talking to a group of tweens who were active in church and the book I had initially selected, Tweak by Nic Sheff which is about drug addiction, didn’t seem appropriate. The book was not particularly well written and its constant upbeat tone became almost unbearable after a very short period of time. That said, this is a case of a reader and a book not being compatible, not the book being poor quality. This book is great inspirational book for teens and tweens. It was a true you-can-do-anything-you-put-your-mind-to book. It is also a great outlet for teen readers who have a very upbeat and positive outlook on life while still struggling with all the normal things every teen goes through. Hamilton writes, “I may have no clue where I’m going, but He sure does! A lot of teens feel this way, I know. You graduate high school and you’re like, ‘What now?’ I can relate. It’s like all of a sudden, you’re face-to-face with your future and its one gigantic question mark.” (1525 of 2230 Kindle ebook) 3Q 2P.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I thought this was a very well-written, inspiring novel!
I find it so amazing that a girl who endured such a tragedy as Bethany could make such a comeback. You can tell by reading this book how selfless, strong, determined, and spirited Bethany is. I very much admire her. I thought the book was great, not only because Bethany was able to tell her story firsthand, but the book was more like a journal than an actual "book," with pages here and there listing her favorite surf spots and surf language, as well as pictures.
Reading about Bethany's comeback as a surfer was really humbling as well. It makes you think about how many times you've wanted to give up (and have!) and how many times you complain about petty everyday issues.
I think Christians especially will really love this book (or anyone with religious beliefs) because Bethany is a devout Christian, and God was her rock throughout everything. God was her anchor, and I loved reading about Bethany's struggles, and her realizations about Christ and the things He has in store for us. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I wanted to like this book. I find it inspiring that although this girl lost her arm, she's still able to surf. However I found the book to be full of trivial information about Bethany and her family, not so much about her life story. I understand she was age 13 when this book was released, but I thought it unnecessary of her to share with readers that she wishes she could sometimes ignore her fans. I also thought it was immature of her to write that when people ask her questions about herself, she tells them to read her book. Judging by all the merchandise and fan club currently on her website, I think she's more concerned with being a "brand" instead of a role model. Maybe if years from now she writes another autobiography, it will be more mature and set a better example for her young fans. Personally I prefer how she was portrayed in the movie version of Soul Surfer. The movie painted a more positive, engaging, mature public image of Bethany Hamilton.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bethany Hamilton was thirteen years old when she had her arm bitten off by a shark in Hawaii. Soul Surfer tells of how Bethany delt with the situation and kept strong in her faith through everything. I really liked this book because she had so much positive attidute in everything that happened and she knew that God was with her through everything.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I really wanted to like Soul Surfer a lot. I enjoyed the surfing bits and the story about what happened and how she came back from it. Unfortunately, it was too preachy for me to really truly enjoy. I rolled my eyes quite a bit at the immature language/sentence structure (yes I know she was young, but that's what editors are for).The thing that hurt my opinion of the book the most was what my students would perceive when reading this (beyond all the references to God.) She talks about being a practical joker and pulling some things that I would not want my students to do. She also has an immature outlook about safety around the water that I don't want my students to gain. As an adult who knows better I guffawed at her youthful sense of invincibility but wouldn't want my students to make the same errors.