Larissa's college boyfriend Ian sustained life-threatening injuries in a car accident during his senior year, and he emerged from a coma with severe brain damage. No one would have blamed Larissa if she backed out of the relationship, but she did not. Instead, she stood by her man, and eventually she married him.

Given the unusual subject matter, I thought I would like this book, but it did not succeed in holding my interest. On the plus side, the narrative does explain how Larissa and Ian's evangelical Christian faith helps them cope with Ian's limitations and the sacrifices Larissa must make in order to be his good "wifey", as he calls her. But the narrative jumps around in time and is not always coherent. Sadly, it reads like the inner monologue of a woman who is trying to convince herself that she has made the right decision.

This book is so sincere it feels mean not to endorse it, but I can only recommend this book to those who already share the Murphys' faith and worldview. ( )

I happened upon the Murphys' story reading a blog entry of John Piper's. I was immediately intrigued. Larissa, who is the primary author of this book, though her husband Ian is given as the first author, is a young ready-to-be-engaged woman who is suddenly thrown into a nightmare: her fiance is in a serious car accident and suffers a TBI.
This book is about their lives, before and after, switching from present to past. Sometimes it's a bit confusing, but the story itself is a mix of terror, sadness, humor and above all faith.
It was troubling for me to read. It brought up so many disturbing questions, deep-rooted fears and contradictions. And it's not pretend: these things really did happen to the Murphys. Church-going, devout Christians. Just trying to do the right thing. And then an accident happens that changes everything.
What do you do when the unthinkable happens? How will you cope with a loved one whose life is completely different now? What will gird you up? What philosophies do you comfort yourself with? Will your grit be enough? What if it's not? What if you can't handle things? What do you do?

Larissa and Ian are people of faith. And even then.. it's hard, hard, hard... to keep going, to keep living, to keep trusting.. This is no Pollyanna story.

It was also inspiring to read. Inspiring to see their faith. Their honesty. Their hope. And their marriage.

( )