Gone - by Linda K Olson (Paperback)

About the Book

When Linda Olson became a triple amputee at twenty-nine, her husband declared, "I didn't marry your arms and your legs." This is the inspiring memoir of how they chose not to be victims and went on to succeed in careers as physicians, become parents, and travel the world.

Book Synopsis

Linda Olson and her husband, Dave Hodgens, were young doctors whose
story had all the makings of a fairy tale. But then, while they were
vacationing in Germany, a train hit their van, shattering their
lives--and Linda's body. When Linda saw Dave for the first time after
losing her right arm and both of her legs, she told him she would
understand if he left. His response: "I didn't marry your arms or your
legs. If you can do it, I can do it."

In order to protect their loved ones, they decided to hide the truth
about what really happened on those train tracks, and they kept their
secret for thirty-five years. As a triple amputee, Linda learned to walk
with prostheses and change diapers and insert IVs with one hand. She
finished her residency while pregnant and living on her own. And she and
Dave went on to pursue their dream careers, raise two children, and
travel the world.

Inspiring and deeply moving, Gone asks readers to find not only
courage but also laughter in the unexpected challenges we all face. The
day of the accident, no one envied Linda and Dave. Today, many do.

Review Quotes

2021 IPPY Awards GoldWinner in Autobiography/Memoir III (Personal Struggle/Health Issues)

2021 Maxy Award Winner in Best Nonfiction

A 2020 Shelf Unbound Top Notable Indie Book

2020-2021 Reader Views Silver Award Winner in Memoir/Biography/Autobiography

"Olson's riveting narrative is about love and devotion as much as it is
about attitude and tenacity. . . . Inspirational, gripping, and a
testament to positive thinking."

--Kirkus Reviews

"A heartrending, heroic memoir of resilience and love that reminds us
all how precious life is and how important it is to fight for it."

--Drs. Thomas Patterson and Steffanie Strathdee, coauthors of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save her Husband from a Deadly Superbug

"An unbelievable journey from hell back to some degree of normal living.
A must-read for anybody recovering from traumatic injury."

--US Senator Max Cleland (Ret.)

"This book will make you question your assumptions about what it means
to be handicapped. It is a beautifully written exemplar of resilience.
Linda Olson and her family show us how a family surmounted incredible
adversity with bravery, honesty, and humor."

--Joel E. Dimsdale, MD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus University of California, San Diego

"This is an incredible story of survival following an horrific accident.
It is first and foremost the story of Linda's personal journey of
courage and resiliency . . . You will read this with awe and wonder."

--Frederic G. Sanford, MD, Rear Admiral, Medical Corps US Navy (Ret.)