Overall Rating
4
out of 5
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Top 10 Contributor
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A Touching Memeoir
Date: June 15, 2009
This review is for the
Print
format.
"Broken: A Love Story , by Lisa Jones, is a personal journey about hope and the renewal of the spirit.
Lisa Jones is sent by the magazine she works for on a four day assignment, to write a story about a quadriplegic, Arapahoe medicine man, and talented horse trainer named Stanford Addison.
Addison lived on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. He was injured in a tragic accident at the age of 20 that left him in a wheelchair for life.
As he struggled and eventually came to accept his limitations and “broken” body, new spiritual abilities seemed to emerge. At first Addison tried to end his own life when these strange abilities began to appear, but soon he decided to accept this spiritual gift, and to use it to help others. Before long people came from far away seeking Stanford Addison’s guidance, and healing abilities for their afflictions. In a sweat lodge made of willow limbs and quilts he was said to have shrunk tumors, cured cancer, and bipolar disorder with the use of prayer and heat. He also helped renew the spirits of those individuals with “broken” spirits and souls.
This story is not just about Stanford Addison, but also about the author Lisa Jones. Lisa followed this shaman around the reservation, staying in Wyoming nearly four years beyond the four day assignment she was sent to cover. She shares with the reader her own story and that of her family, and not always in a positive light. After witnessing much violence and poverty along the way, Lisa becomes so moved by her experience in Wyoming she begins to examine her own life, her commitment phobia and in the process she experiences her own renewal.
I thought this memoir was well done and I especially enjoyed hearing Addison’s story about what the animals had taught him about life. If you are looking for a different type of memoir this one is recommended."
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