First published 2013
Lily Thomas trains for Olympic skiing with gold medal dreams when a devastating accident destroys her future in an instant. The crash leaves her with a spinal cord injury that ends her athletic career. Dr. Jessie Matthews, the neurosurgeon who treats Lily, faces her own crisis when tragedy strikes and she becomes the sole provider for four young children. Lily's father Bill watches his hopes crumble as his daughter fights to rebuild her life. Their paths cross with Joe, a financial manager whose career lies in ruins after his partner's betrayal, and Carole, a psychologist and breast cancer survivor carrying physical and emotional scars. Teddy, a fellow patient with an even more severe spinal injury, dreams of college and art despite his limitations. Bill creates a revolutionary rehabilitation center for his daughter, transforming not just Lily's recovery but the lives of everyone around them. As these six people refuse to surrender to their circumstances, they discover new forms of strength and purpose. Lily eventually returns to skiing through the Paralympics, proving that victory can take unexpected forms.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, sports, inspirational, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance, triumph-over-adversity
Setting: Paralympic Games
Period: 21st Century
352 pages · Kindle Edition · Delacorte Press
Content warnings: medical-trauma