A Random Act : An Inspiring True Story of Fighting to Survive and Choosing to Forgive - Hardcover

Broaddus, Cindi; Suiters, Kimberly Lohman

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0739453653 ISBN 13: 9780739453650

Publisher: William Morrow & Co, Inc., 2005

Synopsis

Where can a woman turn when her own life threatens to overwhelm her ability to keep her children safe? New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard takes the readers of her newest novel on a wry and moving journey of loss and healing.

Giving advice is what Julieanne does for a living -- every Sunday she doles it out in a column in her local Wisconsin paper. But when it comes to her personal life, Julie herself seems to have missed some clues. Having worked creatively to keep her twenty-year marriage to Leo fresh and exciting and to be a good mother, she is completely caught off guard when he tells her he needs to go on a sabbatical from their life together, leaving Julie and their three children behind. But it soon becomes clear that his leave of absence is meant to be permanent. Things take a turn for the worse when Julie is diagnosed with a serious illness and the children undertake a dangerous journey to find Leo -- before it's too late. As the known world sinks precariously from view, the clan must navigate their way through the shoals of love, guilt, and betrayal. Together, with the help of Leo's parents and Julie's best friend, they work their way back to solid ground and a new definition of family.

No one illuminates modern love, marriage, and parenting better than Jacquelyn Mitchard. Written with her trademark poignancy, humor, and insight, The Breakdown Lane is her most moving, eloquent, and life-affirming work yet.

About this title

About the Author

The mother of three daughters and a three-time grandmother, Cindi Broaddus serves on the board of trustees for the Dr. Phil Foundation, founded by her brother-in-law, Dr. Phil McGraw. She lives in Duncan, Oklahoma.

Kimberly Lohman Suiters is an award-winning television journalist in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she lives.

From Publishers Weekly

As Broaddus was driving on an Oklahoma highway one morning in June 2001, an unknown attacker threw a gallon of acid from an overpass that crashed through Broaddus's windshield, severely burning most of her body. The story of Broaddus's recovery—part memoir, part motivational missal—is homey and heartfelt. The author, sister-in-law of Dr. Phil McGraw (who writes the foreword), almost died from the burns. In typical self-help fashion, she explains how she went about healing: "First, I decided what kind of survivor I would choose to be. Second, I made the choice to heal from the inside out. And finally, I chose what to do with the rest of my life." As her book reveals, Broaddus had already trained herself to endure tough odds: a single mother, she raised three daughters and put them through college, supplementing her income by delivering papers, mowing lawns and baby-sitting. She also developed a fighting spirit that was vital to her recovery (aided by much love, support and prayers). Most impressive was her almost immediate decision to forgive her attacker, freeing her energy to concentrate on healing. Although Broaddus's many passages on love and prayer may overdose general readers, her determination and unassuming compassion will encourage those facing major crises. Photos.
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Edition details

• Publisher: William Morrow & Co, Inc.
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0739453653
• ISBN 13: 9780739453650
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224