A Mind of My Own: memoir of recovery from Aphasia [Paperback]

Harrianne Mills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2004

A Mind of My Own is a dramatic true story of one woman''s recovery from traumatic brain damage following a motorcycle accident in Greece. Facing far more than broken bones and physical impairments, this classical antiquity professor had lost what was most important to her: her ability to successfully use language. This insightful and moving memoir begins with her awakening from a coma and not recognizing family members and follows her journey of recovery. Using journal entries, medical records, letters, and more, she tells her story from multiple perspectives. In a process reminiscent of the literary ascent in Flowers for Algernon, her journal entries illustrate her remarkable journey and provide an intimate narrative of what it takes to become a whole person again after severe brain damage. Her successful step-by-step struggle to return to a normal life is a reminder of what the human spirit is capable.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in Japan and raised mostly in the American South, Harrianne Mills spent much of her childhood learning languages, playing the piano, and traveling abroad. After receiving a BA in history and doing graduate work in classics at Stanford, Harrianne spent 12 years teaching classical languages and history at Kenyon College in Ohio, working as an archaeologist on the Isthmia excavations in Greece, and publishing her research. After her accident, she worked for two Stanford research centers and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. She now works at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology and is also editorial assistant for the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Harrianne has eclectic interests and enjoys traveling , reading and writing, and exploring new worlds of knowledge. She lives with her lifetime-companion, Tom Davidson, in Mountain View, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (November 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1418406554
• ISBN-13: 978-1418406554
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #327,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indomitable Will by Elmer West, July 20, 2005

By 

Bertha Mills (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Mind of My Own: memoir of recovery from Aphasia (Paperback)

I'm posting this review of my daughter's book for my friend Elmer West, who has no email: This book is the detailed, personal account of Harrianne Mills' recovery from serious physical injuries and devastating brain damage following a motorcycle accident in Greece in May 1985. She was rushed to the hospital, quickly examined, declared to be dead and sent to the morgue. Only then was it discovered that she was in a coma. The coma lasted only 12 hours but her recovery took an agonizing year as she slowly began to recognize family members, remember her own identity and learn again how to walk, talk, think and read. Harrianne's recovery was the result of good medical help, much of it related to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, and the loving care of her mother through most of that staggering journey toward normalcy. Beyond everything else, it was due to her indomitable will to get well. She tells her own story in stark detail, buttressed by medical records and input from family and friends. For twelve years before the accident she was a college professor of classical languages. Now she is on the staff of the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. This story has the thrust of a beyond belief novel; except that it is the true story of an amazingly bright, free spirited woman who never gave up!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving Memoirs, December 16, 2004

By 

Bill (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Mind of My Own: memoir of recovery from Aphasia (Paperback)

Ms. Mills provides insights into how her mind functioned (and failed to function) during her long recovery from a severe brain injury. As the reader follows the author's mental re-"connections" to her bodily functions, her family, her friends, her work, her social interactions, her emotions, and her views on life itself, the reader can assess and reassess his or her own "connections."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mind of My Own, September 17, 2005

By 

Marjorie Amelia - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Mind of My Own: memoir of recovery from Aphasia (Paperback)

An excellent book to understand Aphasia, one that an individual might not think is interesting, yet is fascinating. Aphasia was a word I did not know. Strokes and brain injuries occur too often for us not to understand them, both from the point of view of the caretaker and the caregiver.