"A moving account... an elegant testimony."
Description
A timeless, “triumphant” (Entertainment Weekly) story of healing and recovery from the victim of a crime that shocked the nation: the Central Park Jogger.
Shortly after 9:00 p.m. on April 19, 1989, a young woman jogs alone near 102nd Street in New York City's Central Park. She is attacked, raped, savagely beaten, and left for dead. Hours later she arrives at the emergency room—comatose—she has lost so much blood that her doctors believe it’s a miracle she's still alive. Meet Trisha Meili, the Central Park Jogger.
I Am the Central Park Jogger recounts the mesmerizing, inspiring, often wrenching story of human strength and transcendent recovery. Called “Hero of the Month” by Glamour magazine, Meili tells us who she was before the attack—a young Wall Street professional with a promising future—and who she has become: a woman who learned how to read, write, walk, talk, and love again...and turn horrifying violence and certain death into extraordinary healing and victorious life. With “moments of unexpected grace and insights into life’s challenges….Meili’s story—the story the public never knew—is unforgettable” (The Buffalo News).
Reviews
"The best hero stories are never about facing and vanquishing an enemy, though that might be the narrative. The real showdown is with one's self... Trisha Meili had to figure out why life was worth the pain of forging ahead when giving in offered painless escape... Maybe until you're in such a predicament, you can't mine your soul for its hidden steel."
"Told without anger or resentment, it will comfort and inspire anyone who has suffered a horrible trauma -- and many who haven't."
"The tale of her recovery is also a passionate and inspirational guide for those suffering from traumatic brain injuries and other seemingly insurmountable, debilitating conditions."