Ordinarily Extraordinary: Love and Anger, Life and Death, Hope and Inspiration
-- Jack Canfield, Co-Author of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series
When Patrick Long’s wife, Melanie, suffers a terrifying stroke at the age of 45, a medical battle ensues that threatens to devastate their already cancer-altered lives. As Patrick strives to maintain normal routines for their four young children, he struggles through confrontations with doctors while watching Melanie suffer mysterious episodes that continually impair her speech.
Throughout weeks of distressing setbacks, Patrick reflects on their lives, candidly revealing marital clashes, personal trauma, failures, and regrets—along with the recognition of Melanie’s indomitable spirit that bolsters him even when cancer’s worst consequence takes the fight from them. Determined to set a positive tone for their family, Patrick rejects pity and finds inspiration in the extraordinary community surrounding them, vowing to not just survive, but thrive.
Ordinarily Extraordinary is a captivating true story interspersed with humor and wondrous revelations of the human experience. This fascinatingly rare and unique perspective of a surviving husband and father is a beautifully uplifting story of love and anger, life and death, and hope and inspiration.
Reviews (73)
Raw. Real. Revealing.
"Ordinarily Extraordinary" is a compelling account of one man’s experience with the realities of love, advocacy, caregiving, and loss. Long’s story of his wife’s encounters with cancer, strokes, and communication challenges is raw, real, and revealing. We often hear and read these accounts from survivors, which are poignant. But this one exposes the heart and nerve of a dedicated husband struggling to keep it together as he witnesses his wife’s steady decline. What struck me most was his enduring devotion to his wife, whom he calls “ordinarily extraordinary.” With humor and humility, he lets us see how the ordinary can lead to extraordinary outcomes.
Unvarnished truth
in Ordinarily Extraordinary, Mr. Long honestly reveals the dirty reality of losing a wife, friend and mother. Although it is self evident that this would be painful often we all tend to hide that pain in platitudes. This book rips off that veil and reveals the truth of love and loss in a way that few would have the courage to do. By doing so he maps a path for us all to be more real with ourselves and others. Lastly as a physician I know that all healthcare professions develop emotional barriers to protect themselves from the pain and sadness that we encounter all to often. This story reminds us all that there is a person and not simply a patient on the other side of our stethoscope. We should strive to break down those barriers, remember that anger is a depiction of love, and dispense a tincture of kindness and compassion in all of our encounters.
This is a must read!
Ordinarily Extraordinary takes a deep dive into the true nature of loss and grief. This book is honest and heartbreaking, interspersed with belly-laugh inducing side stories. It truly shows the humanness of a family facing all the terrible things that cancer brings. Anyone can write about grief. The true influence of this book lies in Long's ability to get up close and personal with the emotions many people shy away from talking about, the emotions that we all have. What a beautiful, deeply moving testament to a really special woman, culminating in an uplifting sentiment.
A brave exploration of raw emotion
I laughed. I cried. It’s better than Cats. In all seriousness, this book is an amazing revealing of the love, the fear, the tragedy, and the healing of a family. Patrick shares his deepest emotions in a way few people are brave enough to dare. If you want a rare look into the life of an amazing family’s battle with cancer, this book is a must read.
Honest and inspirational
You will be captivated by the raw and unfiltered look at what love looks like in marriage, and in life. Melanie’s legacy is about making meaningful connections with people and listening to their stories. Long’s engaging memoir is not just a story about battling cancer, but an inspiring message about overcoming obstacles and living life with intention. It truly is an extraordinary story.
A Book About Life - Must Read!
While I am someone who normally only reads romances or more light hearted novels, I was a little shy about reading about (what I thought was) a book on cancer, especially after having a family member diagnosis. However, after reading all the 5-star reviews, I decided to give it a go! The story was about so much more than I expected - it was about life, a family, marriage, and a relationship between two people who know each other as someone they love and friends. Patrick's writing feels like the story is being spoken right to you by someone you know, and someone who is positive and uplifting, and really funny through it all (even in the harder portions). I don't normally leave book reviews (this is my first), but this book is a must read. It's relatable and something you will read through so quickly. I felt like I was living right there with Patrick, and recommend this to everyone. I read this on vacation, and it was a great book to bring with me this summer. It gives you the feeling when you finish it that you get after watching a really good, genuine movie!
A memoir of his Ordinary life, her Extraordinary life and Their Life Together
Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down! It's a 21-year journey with highlights and a few pitfalls that may be typical in most marriages. It is always, how do you want to handle it?? What are the alternatives? Do you really want to break marriage after discovering a revelation? Patrick chose to stay, and the relationship became better. Melanie was the kind of person who never met a stranger. I wish I had that Gift. She made everyone she spoke with feel special, as they were --even the bill collector(!?) and a drive-thru window cashier. Everyone mattered. What medical professionals and some others need to learn is how important it is to be transparent with the family, whether you know the answer or not. And, when there are children present for their mom's funeral, Every detail Needs to be discussed. Some lingering questions or inept actions can last forever. Treat others how you would like to be treated.
Candid, Engrossing, Perfect
The title captures it perfectly. A story of very ordinary people, our neighbors (or selves) and ordinary lives (fast food, getting the kids to school), that becomes extraordinary in its living and telling. The Author courageously invites us to share his innermost thoughts and feelings as he lives the tragic illness and passing of a very, very special person. Honestly, this is not the type of book I would normally read since I'm not big on the emotional thing - but it was a page turner. Pretty much read it straight through. Super well done
So honest and moving!
This book really resonated with me and, surprisingly, helped me gain some insights on myself and my own relationships. The author was completely transparent, even though it didn’t always paint him in the best light. It was truly brave, and I had more than one “Thank God I’m not the only person in the world who has thought like that!” moments. I felt inspired and challenged to be a better person.
All the emotions
Patrick’s writing is full of the circle of emotions in life. The deep love and connection that Melanie made in this world was a beautiful thing. You can see the impression she made on Patrick’s life and perspective, along with anyone who knew her. Her suffering through terrible disease, but her mind and heart was always on others was extraordinary. Patrick, thank you for humbly opening up and sharing Melanie with the rest of the world.
Comments
Post a Comment