Summary
Imagine having to make the choice to cut off your daughter’s foot. That is the decision Kendra Herber’s parents were faced with when she was born with a malformed foot. After years of indecision, the family agreed that amputation was the best option when they received what was thought to be divine intervention.
Whole: A Leg up on Life provides a window into the struggles that life-long amputees often endure. Kendra’s bountiful accomplishments are paired perfectly against the physical and emotional turmoil that she had to combat.
The vulnerability and honesty of Kendra’s story can be felt in every page. She extinguishes common stereotypes and challenges readers to start seeing beyond outward appearances. This inspirational memoir poignantly speaks of the inner strength, beauty, and courage that people with any type of limitation can possess.
Media Appearances
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Anthony Wilder
★★★★★
It’s easy to imagine how running or pregnancy would pose difficulties for amputees. What struck me about WHOLE were the nuances of everyday affairs: buying shoes, parenting young kids, or even painting toenails. These all take on new meaning and challenges in the author’s life that non-amputees take for granted.
Although her situation is hardly relatable to a non-amputee, the author’s writing is. This memoir is as compelling as it is uncomplicated. “Brave” doesn’t accurately describe WHOLE because the author doesn’t write from this lofty perspective. She’s unassuming and refuses to be thought of differently.
Read this to feel humbled. Read this to feel enlightened. Just read this!
Matt Sheppard
★★★★★
Kendra writes with warmth and humor as she takes you on an honest and intimate journey through her life as an amputee. She writes in a way that doesn't minimize the painful parts of her life, yet leaves you with a sense that no experience in her life was without meaning. Her vulnerability invites you in, and before long you feel like you are sitting down with an old friend. And then you come away with a profound respect for the grit and determination and for the softness and kindness, but maybe, most of all, the joy that is reflected on every page of Kendra's story.
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