Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain 
One moment Josh Sundquist was your typical energetic and inquisitive nine year- old boy. The next, his entire life changed when he was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a particularly virulent cancer strain that would eventually claim Josh's left leg. Told in a wide-eyed, winning, heartbreaking voice, Just Don't Fall is the story of the boy Josh was and of the young man he became. His story begins in a small, close-knit Southern town, where his father-an aspiring pastor questioning his faith, and his mother-- homeschooling an ever- growing brood of children-struggle to make ends meet. Josh journeys through a dizzying array of hospitals and eventually lands at a pivotal place: the nearby mountain, where he makes his first attempt to ski.
It is on the slopes, and later, on the race course, that Josh's world bursts wide open in a way no one could have ever anticipated. The inspiration to ski, however, and to become a champion, is not all that Josh has to contend with- there is adolescence to navigate, the transition from homeschool to public high school, and girls. There is an increasingly turbulent and difficult home life, with another cancer scare, a wayward brother, and dwindling finances to pay for training. Finally, there is the wild, bumpy road to the Paralympics in Turin, with a misanthropic coach, training in the Rockies, and a timeless friendship with a charismatic, imposing Brooklyn homeboy named Ralph.
Through it all, Josh is forced to question his abilities, his sanity, his will, his faith in himself, and his faith in God. Because of, not despite, these myriad obstacles in his path, Josh is able to achieve a genuine grace: the grace to risk failure and to succeed. It is the grace of a young boy becoming a man and of a champion realizing his greatest dream. Josh Sundquist shows us with charm, humility and remarkable strength that even if we fall, this inner grace can lift us up and carry us over the many mountains we all must face.
I have had this book on my bookshelf for almost a decade now; I purchased it (and had it autographed!) after meeting Josh in person when he came to give a talk at my university. His book is beautifully and frankly written; he tells a story of difficulty with excellent candor and humor that kept me turning the pages. I read it in under 24 hours and wish I had read it long ago!
An amusing, easily read memoir from one of the most amazing people I've ever had the pleasure of watching on YouTube.

I met Josh Sundquist at the first VidCon in 2010 where he showed us his one-legged rap video and presented one of his motivational speeches. It was amazing! So, when I found out he had written a book about his experiences, it immediately went on my to-read list. Now, it would take me another few years, and a few VidCons for me to actually acquire the book, but I finally did, and it was such a good read.From finding out he had cancer at the age of nine, to losing his leg to that cancer, to trying
Thanks for checking out my book on Goodreads! Please email me anytime at Josh@JoshSundquist.com or hit me up on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/JoshSundquist...
I didn't find Just Don't Fall quite as engrossing as We Should Hang Out Sometime, which I devoured in just a couple of days, but this was still a wonderful read. Written in first person present tense, this book conveys Josh's experiences in that wide-eyed, I'm-right-there-with-you kind of style. The innocence of his childhood and the emotional awakenings of his growing-up years are all expressed beautifully, and he handles weighty matters like death, suicide, failure, and humiliation with just
Just Dont Fall is a heart wrenching, astounding, heartfelt book that tells the story of a ten-year-old boy facing childhood cancer. This story goes through the boy's life showing the up and downhill battles of losing his leg but not his life to cancer. The author, Josh Sundquist, provides a touching tale of overcoming hardships throughout his lifetime. Throughout the book, Sundquist uses a unique style of structuring to portray his story. The book starts out with a bang by writing a page about
Josh Sundquist
Hardcover | Pages: 322 pages Rating: 4.21 | 1532 Users | 170 Reviews

Point Containing Books Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain
Title | : | Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain |
Author | : | Josh Sundquist |
Book Format | : | Hardcover |
Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 322 pages |
Published | : | January 21st 2010 by Viking (first published December 17th 2009) |
Categories | : | Nonfiction. Biography. Autobiography. Memoir |
Commentary Concering Books Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain
Read Josh Sundquist's posts on the Penguin Blog.One moment Josh Sundquist was your typical energetic and inquisitive nine year- old boy. The next, his entire life changed when he was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a particularly virulent cancer strain that would eventually claim Josh's left leg. Told in a wide-eyed, winning, heartbreaking voice, Just Don't Fall is the story of the boy Josh was and of the young man he became. His story begins in a small, close-knit Southern town, where his father-an aspiring pastor questioning his faith, and his mother-- homeschooling an ever- growing brood of children-struggle to make ends meet. Josh journeys through a dizzying array of hospitals and eventually lands at a pivotal place: the nearby mountain, where he makes his first attempt to ski.
It is on the slopes, and later, on the race course, that Josh's world bursts wide open in a way no one could have ever anticipated. The inspiration to ski, however, and to become a champion, is not all that Josh has to contend with- there is adolescence to navigate, the transition from homeschool to public high school, and girls. There is an increasingly turbulent and difficult home life, with another cancer scare, a wayward brother, and dwindling finances to pay for training. Finally, there is the wild, bumpy road to the Paralympics in Turin, with a misanthropic coach, training in the Rockies, and a timeless friendship with a charismatic, imposing Brooklyn homeboy named Ralph.
Through it all, Josh is forced to question his abilities, his sanity, his will, his faith in himself, and his faith in God. Because of, not despite, these myriad obstacles in his path, Josh is able to achieve a genuine grace: the grace to risk failure and to succeed. It is the grace of a young boy becoming a man and of a champion realizing his greatest dream. Josh Sundquist shows us with charm, humility and remarkable strength that even if we fall, this inner grace can lift us up and carry us over the many mountains we all must face.
Itemize Books To Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain
ISBN: | 0670021466 (ISBN13: 9780670021468) |
Edition Language: | English |
Rating Containing Books Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain
Ratings: 4.21 From 1532 Users | 170 ReviewsDiscuss Containing Books Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain
A sweet, raw, heartwrenching, hilarious memoir. Josh Sundquist writes each part of the book as if told by himself at that age, so you get to watch him mature and grow in understanding as the story progresses. Literally laughed out loud one minute and bawled my eyes out the next.Also, another Goodreader named Kurt included this in his review, which I thought was a perfect way to describe the book, and which I'm going to borrow, if that's ok..."What I love the most about this inspirational book isI have had this book on my bookshelf for almost a decade now; I purchased it (and had it autographed!) after meeting Josh in person when he came to give a talk at my university. His book is beautifully and frankly written; he tells a story of difficulty with excellent candor and humor that kept me turning the pages. I read it in under 24 hours and wish I had read it long ago!
An amusing, easily read memoir from one of the most amazing people I've ever had the pleasure of watching on YouTube.

I met Josh Sundquist at the first VidCon in 2010 where he showed us his one-legged rap video and presented one of his motivational speeches. It was amazing! So, when I found out he had written a book about his experiences, it immediately went on my to-read list. Now, it would take me another few years, and a few VidCons for me to actually acquire the book, but I finally did, and it was such a good read.From finding out he had cancer at the age of nine, to losing his leg to that cancer, to trying
Thanks for checking out my book on Goodreads! Please email me anytime at Josh@JoshSundquist.com or hit me up on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/JoshSundquist...
I didn't find Just Don't Fall quite as engrossing as We Should Hang Out Sometime, which I devoured in just a couple of days, but this was still a wonderful read. Written in first person present tense, this book conveys Josh's experiences in that wide-eyed, I'm-right-there-with-you kind of style. The innocence of his childhood and the emotional awakenings of his growing-up years are all expressed beautifully, and he handles weighty matters like death, suicide, failure, and humiliation with just
Just Dont Fall is a heart wrenching, astounding, heartfelt book that tells the story of a ten-year-old boy facing childhood cancer. This story goes through the boy's life showing the up and downhill battles of losing his leg but not his life to cancer. The author, Josh Sundquist, provides a touching tale of overcoming hardships throughout his lifetime. Throughout the book, Sundquist uses a unique style of structuring to portray his story. The book starts out with a bang by writing a page about
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.