First published 2025
Benjamin Hall opens with the moment that changed everything: a Russian missile attack in Ukraine that left him with severe injuries and doctors predicting two years of hospitalization. Instead of accepting that timeline, Hall fought his way home to his family in six months. He examines the psychological impact of surviving near-death trauma and analyzes what allowed him to endure multiple surgeries, adapt to prosthetics, and overcome the mental weight of his experience. Hall weaves together stories from his recovery with insights from the doctors, therapists, scientists, and families he met along the way. Each taught him something about human resilience under extreme pressure. The book moves beyond mere survival to explore how people discover strength they never knew they possessed. Hall argues that the capacity for extraordinary perseverance exists within everyone, waiting to be unlocked when circumstances demand it. His account becomes a practical guide for readers facing their own challenges, showing how post-traumatic growth and hidden reserves of determination can emerge from the darkest moments.
Genres: medical, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: overcoming-adversity, personal-growth
Setting: Ukraine, Russia
Period: 21st-century
256 pages · Hardcover · Harper Influence
Content warnings: medical-trauma