Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board

Additional Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board Information

They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else could one explain the tremendous passion that drives her to surf? How else could one explain that nothing -- not even the loss of her arm in a horrific shark attack -- could come between her and the waves?

That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii -- a glorious part of the world, where it's hard to deny the divine -- Bethany responded to the shark's stealth attack with the calm of a girl with God on her side. Pushing pain and panic aside, she immediately began to paddle with one arm, focusing on a single thought: "Get to the beach...." Rushed to the hospital, where her father, Tom Hamilton, was about to undergo knee surgery, Bethany found herself taking his spot in the O.R. It's the kind of coincidence that isn't mere coincidence to the Hamilton family, a clan whose motto could easily be "the family that surfs and prays together stays together." To them it was a sign someone had a greater plan than the one they'd been working on themselves -- which had been to scrape together whatever resources they could to help Bethany rise to the top of her sport. When the first thing Bethany wanted to know after surgery was "When can I surf again?" it became clear that her unfaltering spirit and determination were part of a greater story -- a tale of courage and faith that this modest and soft-spoken girl would come to share with the world.

Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany's life as a young surfer, her recovery in the wake of the shark attack, the adjustments she's made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in God. It is a story of girl power and spiritual grit that shows that the body is no more essential to surfing -- perhaps even less so -- than the soul.

What Customers Say About Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board:

This was an inspirational book. I used it with a group of 10 6th grade girls. We read it at home and came together to discuss.

Great, easy-to-read book that is about an amazing real-life story. My daughter used it as the basis for a project where she has to be that person and tell her story to the rest of her 6th grade class. She is not a "book worm" but she couldn't put the book down. Highly recommend.

This is a fantastic book for teens. I brought it to school and it is a hit. They all have heard about Bethany and want to learn more about her. Great inspirational story.

This was a good book that my grandaughter read for a book report and she enjoyed the book, because it showed courage and faith, and wrote an excellent report and got an A for a grade.

To be honest, this was an enjoyable and quick read. It is a strong lesson about following your drive and determination no matter what the obsticles, but I think they will focus more on the faith aspect of the book and say that trust in Christ was her main objective.Many of my students watched the news reports and have seen the billboards with Bethany's picture and story advertised, so it is definitely a high interest story for intermediate students. This was a nice aspect of the book, because although her faith was a heavy part of the book, it did not discourage me from reading onwards.

I did like how Bethany decided to focus the majority of the book around her life pre and post- attack. Some people may not understand it, and that does not bother her in the least.It will be interesting to see how my students react to this book. The writing style of the book was not difficult and had an easy flow to it.

One part of the book even addressed the fact that many people think that her family may be too religious, but she countered that with the fact that this is just part of her life. Only one chapter was really geared towards the actual attack, which wasn't described in much detail at all.By doing this, she focused on her personal faith in Christ and how that strong bond with her religion and family helped her through the ordeal. Rarely did the book come off as "preachy" or pushing her religious views, except for the ending chapter.

I am asking them the question of the author's purpose for writing the book, and I will be eager to join that discussion. The format of the book is also reader friendly because it is sectioned into shorter chapters.