Beautiful Trauma

An Explosion, an Obsession, and a New Lease on Life

By: Rebecca Fogg

Narrated by: Rebecca Fogg

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

A compelling account of surviving a freak accident, and a fascinating exploration of the science of trauma and recovery.

Late one night, while Rebecca Fogg was alone in her apartment, her hand was partially amputated in an explosion. Quick thinking saved her life, but the journey to recovery would be a slow one. As the doctors rebuilt her hand, Rebecca (who also survived 9/11) began rebuilding her sense of self by studying the physical and psychological process of recovery.

Interspersing the personal with the medical, Rebecca charts her year of rehabilitation, touching on the marvelously adaptable anatomy of the hand; how the brain’s fight-or-flight mechanism enables us to react instantly to danger; and why trauma causes some people to develop PTSD and gives others a whole new lease on life.

Told with emotional and intellectual clarity, Beautiful Trauma is a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit and the wonder of the human hand.

©2023 Rebecca Fogg (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“As the survivor of a catastrophic event that resulted in the partial amputation of her dominant hand, Rebecca Fogg understands the randomness and cruelty that are unavoidable parts of life. But this remarkable book is wholly without resentment or bitterness. Instead, it is a celebration of the adaptability of the body and the resilience of the mind. Fogg has retained her awe of the human experience, despite it all, and the result is a truly special book." --Susannah Cahalan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

"Captivating and insightful, Beautiful Trauma will have you rapt from the very first page. What starts as the story of a freak accident, becomes a meditation on recovery, resilience, and the miracle of the brain/body connection. Fogg’s stylish and spare prose mirrors her clear-eyed will to survive and understand the healing process. This book -- an extraordinary celebration of the human spirit — will stay with you long after you turn the final page.” --Adrienne Brodeur, bestselling author of Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me

“Beautiful Trauma is a powerful account of the human capacity for healing. It speaks to the deep reservoir of resilience in all of us.” --Anna Lembke, MD, New York Times best selling author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Post-Traumatic Growth and Discovery

Hearing the combination of the author’s story and the science behind her injury, as well as how trauma impacts us as a whole, was truly a-plus. I laughed, I teared up, I was moved and ultimately I came away with information that I didn’t have before. Understanding how things really affect us help recovery in the deepest sense and this book shares that understanding in quite an entertaining way. Kudos and thank you.

Not for me

I did not care for the layout of the story. I would have liked to have heard more about the personal journey and less about the medical science.