I approached The Running Dream with some trepidation. I have read
several other "recovery from a physical injury" books, but this one
struck close to home: as a high school track athlete, I injured my knee
and have since gone through two surgeries, numerous reinjuries, physical
therapy, and chronic patellar tendinitis. Even though it had been
years since I'd been able to run long distances, I still missed it, and I
was scared to reopen old wounds and desires.
Yet I felt
compelled to read it, having read several of Wendelin van Draanen's
other works, knowing that she is a former track athlete (and current
marathoner) herself, and knowing how much research goes into her books.
I'm so thankful I did.
My fears were correct; The Running Dream made me re-experience many emotions: the sudden loss of being a
member of a team, the grief over not being able to do your favorite
activity any longer, the worry that people will only see your scars
instead of your formerly "hot legs," the frustration of not being able
to do things that once were second nature to you, the stress of missing
school and having to catch up, the concern over the effect of your rehab
on the time and finances of your family...
But it also made me
remember other experiences: new friendships with people you otherwise
might never have met, the gratitude for friends who stand by you and
help you laugh, the patience that you can only develop through trials,
the realization of what really matters to you, the joy in simple
movement you rediscover as your body heals, the reminder that recovery
(like all things worth doing in life) is done
"step-by-step-by-step-by-step."
It's easy for "recovery from
injury" books to get bogged down in the specific details of the
particular injury/illness the person is recovering from, or to focus too
much on the "stages of grief" and the protagonist's inner struggles. The Running Dream falls into neither trap. It is obviously
well-researched and gives enough detail to help the reader imagine what
it's like to suddenly not have one of your feet.
In one
particularly vivid scene, the protagonist, Jessica, takes a shower for
the first time after losing her leg, and is frustrated over how long it
takes her to get up the stairs and how difficult it is to get into the
tub. But then while bathing, she conducts a thought experiment on how
difficult it would be to lose a hand instead. This scene stands out
because it is one of the few that really focuses so much on Jessica's
difficulties; in other scenes, they're there in the background, but the
other concerns of her life are increasingly the focus as she adapts to
her disability.
The Running Dream starts off in Jessica's
hospital room, where she's alone with her thoughts. These scenes are
mercifully short, giving the reader a glimpse into the despair and
sorrow that comes with losing a limb, without wallowing in it. This
enables the reader to fill in the details from their own imagination,
while the story moves on to explore broader themes of friendship,
teamwork, the power of a community, seeing people for who they are on
the inside instead of what they are physically, and the importance of
staying the course when facing joys and pitfalls in pursuing a goal.
One
of Wendelin van Draanen's strongest writing traits is her interesting,
memorable, realistic, dynamic characters. The Running Dream is no
exception. The characters are all loveable yet flawed -- which somehow
just makes them more loveable. Jessica is talented, strong, dedicated,
caring, and team-oriented, but she's also insecure, bad at math, and
occasionally grumpy and self-centered (understandably so, given what
she's gone through, and yet she realizes that she must turn her focus
outward again as she copes with her disability). Her best friend,
Fiona, is enthusiastic, organized, loving, and energetic, but she
sometimes is overbearing and speaks before she thinks. Jessica's new
friend, Rosa, is a philosophical "math genius" who is sometimes content
to let life happen to her (or just pass her by). The Running Dream
suggests that perhaps Facebook was correct that "friend" is a verb -- an
active, continuous verb. Jessica realizes how tenuous friendships can
become if you don't work to maintain them, especially when the things
you have in common slip away.
The romance in The Running Dream
is a mere side-story to reinforce the theme that character is more
important than the outer package (even when the outer package is
attractive). It's refreshing to see a healthy teen romance that becomes
an important part of Jessica's life without consuming her other
interests and responsibilities. However, the romance is just a
side-story, and so much of it is left to the reader's imagination.
The
main arc of the story is focused on Jessica re-establishing her
personal identity, realizing that she's still the same person, and
regaining her ability to run. Throughout the book, little bubbles of
hope rise to the surface, building to a triumphant finale. The book is
grounded in reality; there's no promise that a prosthesis will suddenly
make everything completely better. Success requires hard work and
dedication. But with hard work, dedication, and the support of friends
and family, you can be happy working towards your goals, because
happiness is in the journey, not just at the destination.
The Running Dream is truly one of the most uplifting, inspirational,
hopeful, triumphant books I've ever read. When I finished reading it, I
got up and ran. Just 50 steps, but I ran. And the next day, I ran two
sets of 50 steps. I've continued to build my mileage, slowly, through
run-walking. I've faced setbacks, even a period of not being able to
run at all for 4 months. But throughout the difficulties, I remember
the lessons I learned from The Running Dream: how every goal must be
tackled step by step, to focus on the bigger picture (realizing that
even with setbacks, if you keep moving forward, you'll still end up
farther along than if you'd just given up), how setbacks build character
and strengthen resolve, the importance of doing what I love because I
love it, not to compare myself to my past self.
I can say with
certainty that I would not be running today if I hadn't read "The
Running Dream." I have loved running since before I can even remember
(I used to escape and run laps around church as a toddler). I have
tried countless other times to start running again, but it was only
after reading The Running Dream that I was able to be gentle enough
with myself, to give myself permission to build literally step by step,
and to be patient and not give up in the face of setbacks. This book
has changed my life. I still think about it and look to it for
inspiration at least once a week, even though it's been over a year
since I last read it. I've read it more than once, and it helped me
find perspective and strengthen my resolve in the face of other
difficulties besides running.
They say you can't put hope in a
box, but as long as you can fit The Running Dream in a box, you can. I
recommend it to anyone struggling with any kind of setback, from 12 to
112. It is a book with layers, one that will continue to inspire on
each reading (and even between readings). It just might change your
life, as it did mine.
Note: The Running Dream is deceptively
short and uses simple vocabulary, but it is by no means simple itself. I
have worked with middle and high schoolers who struggled with reading,
and many of the books for "reluctant readers" I've read with them were
"babyish" (their word, not mine). I think The Running Dream would be
excellent for this demographic; it is accessible but thought-provoking.
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