An amazing memoir of a woman who got back up after literally being knocked down
A story’s title is rather important for the more intriguing a title sounds, the more likely someone will want to pick up the book to find out more about it. Katie McKenna wrote a memoir about a defining point in her life and chose a title that will instantly capture the attention of any reader: How to Get Run Over By a Truck. It is not a “how-to” guide on how to live a better life, but rather an amazing retelling of a tragic, yet life changing true story of a young woman who survived being run over by an 18-wheeler.
Published in 2016 through the online publisher Inkshares, readers everywhere can experience McKenna’s unbelievable story that can only be described as a miracle. It was just a normal day for twenty-four year old McKenna and, during a morning bike ride, she was hit by a truck driver who failed to use his turn signal. Readers are introduced to McKenna’s terrifying accident within the first chapter of How to Get Run Over By a Truck. One can only imagine what she must have felt reliving that event to describe it to readers in the detail she does.
Her story, however, is not all doom and gloom. Though her body was broken, her mind and spirit refused to be and humor played a huge role during her months of healing. McKenna is a very funny person and it most certainly shows in her writing as her quirky humor is expressed in both the good and bad parts of her healing. This makes her incredible story quite enjoyable to read. The struggles McKenna endured and can truly joke about now will make anyone going through a rough time appreciate all that they have.
Along with her humor, McKenna’s undying hope will inspire any reader who picks up her book. She keeps her story very real: it is not a retelling that only describes how she never gave up and kept fighting. There were times when she would be angry, there were times when she prayed to God for everything to just be done, there were times when her hope began to fade, but her hope to heal never truly died. This undying hope along with the undying love of her family and friends aided her to a recovery never thought possible.
What an inspiration McKenna is. To not only have the strength to survive such a traumatic and nearly fatal experience, but to also have the courage to share everything with complete strangers is truly inspiring. McKenna’s words can portray everything she went through, but one can only imagine the depths of how much this accident affected her. How to Get Run Over By a Truck is a book with a title to grip any reader’s attention and a story that will inspire all who read it. There will be times when events in life will bring people down. McKenna was literally forced down and nearly had her life taken in the process, yet she found the strength to stand back up again. Her story will inspire all who read it to discover the strength within themselves to overcome all of life’s obstacles and to keep moving forward.
Originally published at rolloutreviews.com on February 1, 2017.
