Book Review: Ten Years Later

In Ten Years Later: Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed Their Lives, author Hoda Kotb provides stories of remarkable individuals who overcome tremendous odds. Each profiled person experiences tragedy that, through an unexpected turn of events, leads to triumph. These six biographies show how a specific moment in time can shift and change your life.

Amy Barnes struggles with her weight. After surviving an abusive relationship, she turns a corner and tackles her weight issues. Lindsay Beck will not allow her cancer diagnosis and relapse to hold her back from having the family she desires. Patrick Weiland has it all until drug addiction threatens to take it away. Diane Van Deren refuses to let her epilepsy keep her from achieving her athletic dreams and goals. Ron Clifford's story details his brush with death and the extensive loss he experienced on September 11th, 2001. Finally, Roxanne Quimby trades her subsistence living for a business plan that launches her product into the mainstream and allows her to offer her children far more than she imagined.

I had intended to skim this book for research, but I was so drawn into the first and second stories that before I knew it, I had read the entire thing. The only section I wish I hadn't taken the time to read would be the lengthy chapter on the runner. She seemed self-absorbed and unaware of the impact her decisions had on her husband and family. Although, since it made me reevaluate my priorities concerning personal goals, I suppose it was beneficial. Kotb's key question lingers with the reader throughout the stories: "What if you, facing a game-changing event or decision right now, could see ten years into the future?" These stories bring hope to those in despair and remind the reader that what is happening today is just part of your story, not the end, until your final breath.