Greene's unadorned, straightforward prose keeps readers rooted in her lively narrative of hardship and recovery, and her mantras may prove useful for those going through similar experiences. . . . A clearsighted reflection on the need to let go in the face of uncertainty.
-Kirkus Reviews
This is an amazing book, harrowing, deeply human, and charming. I absolutely could not put it down.
-Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird and Almost Everything
Joanne, a seasoned broadcast journalist, is a stunning writer. She invites us into her head through her most critical moments, peppering her story with wit and humor, with insightful details and with unsparing memories of family, from the most distant to the most loving.
-Ben Fong-Torres, senior editor of Rolling Stone and author of The Rice Room
Joanne Greene's By Accident is a raw, honest, compulsively readable memoir about love, loss, and letting go. Greene's personal and professional life had long been shaped by her drive for perfection and control-until a terrifying car accident made her rethink everything, including herself.
-Lacey Rose, writer/executive editor at The Hollywood Reporter
By Accident is laudable, compelling, gripping, and instructive. In this wonderfully uplifting memoir, Joanne Greene successfully overcomes life's challenges with a combination of determination, devotion, skill, wit, hope, and courage. You will be cheering her on and feeling inspired all the way.
-Sylvia Boorstein, author of Happiness Is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life; It's Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness; and That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist
What impressed me most about By Accident was Joanne's ability to write about the suffering she has endured and maintain her refreshing sense of hope, love, joy, and optimism. Family and Jewish values help her through the blindsides-including the accident which fractured her pelvis in four places but could not break her spirit. Joanne Greene is an accomplished and impressive woman, yet she writes with modesty, candor, and verve. Her story touched me, and it will you.
-Michael Krasny, host of the Grey Matters podcast, former host of KQED's Forum, and author of Off Mike: A Memoir of Talk Radio and Literary Life
Joanne Greene's By Accident is a compelling journal of what therapists and counselors have long understood: the only way to endure otherwise sense- less pain and tragedy is to learn something from it, and then to teach what you have learned to anyone who will listen. . . . This book is a gem.
-Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, Emanu-El Scholar at Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco and author of Invisible Lines of Connection: Sacred Stories of the Ordinary and God Was in This Place & I, i Did Not Know: Finding Self, Spirituality and Ultimate Meaning
In vivid prose, Joanne Greene shows us that reflection is often the gift of painful experience. Greene's flowing memoir illuminates the power of life-changing events and the insight they can offer. Greene is a warm, thoughtful, trustworthy guide into facing the unexpected challenges that alter the course of our relationships and expectations, most fundamen- tally of ourselves.
-Shana Penn, executive director of Taube Philanthropies and author of Solidarity's Secret: The Women Who Defeated Communism in Poland
By Accident feels like listening to a close friend tell a riveting, deeply touching story over a cozy cup of tea. As she considers her life thus far, Joanne zooms effortlessly in and out of moments, recalling them in vivid detail and reflecting on their meaning. Lucky readers of this book will find themselves tickled by Joanne's sense of humor, moved by her bravery, and imbued with her passion for life.
-Gabi Moskowitz, author of Hot Mess Kitchen and producer of Freeform's Young & Hungry
A riveting story written with such feeling, depth, and animation that you will live vicariously as you read. By Accident captures near-death moments that Greene, with her grit, courage, and determination, translates into near-life moments. A must-read for every one of us who face challenges and need a guide to keep us moving forward.
-Dr. Marc Dollinger, author of Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing the Alliance of the 1960s and Quest for Inclusion: Jews and Liberalism in Modern America and Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair in Jewish Studies and Social Responsibility at San Francisco State University
By Accident by Joanne Greene is a very well written, exceptionally com- pelling personal memoir. Greene not only leads us though the extraordi- narily difficult years that a devastating accident sets in motion but also shows how the ordeal affects her life in positive ways and helps her to manage the trials that continue to befall her. And just when you can't see how a human being can manage any more trauma, she shows us how life can surprise us in unexpected positive ways as well.
-Lonnie Barbach, PhD, author of For Yourself and For Each Other
The author's depiction of her turbulent experiences was gentle and tranquil, making for a beautiful read. Her honesty and openness about her struggles only served to enhance the book's allure. . . . a fitting recommendation for readers who enjoy memoirs that explore these topics.
-OnlineBooks.org
