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Wendy Sura Thomson
Author
978-1537137445
Born in the Year of the Tiger, Wendy Sura Thomson has often been told she is fearless. Her life has shown her that she truly has the courage to fight for the people and dreams important to her, even against huge odds. Wendy was born with congenital skeletal abnormalities, and as a toddler had to have her leg amputated. Her father suffered from World War II-induced PTSD - her mother was emotionally unstable. To cope with this unstable and emotionally abusive environment, Wendy escaped to a world of books and music. But when her father sold everything to buy a freighter to travel around the world, Wendy signed on as navigator. Wendy jumped ship in Miami and headed out on her own, as what was left of her family started to disintegrate. As she pursues her studies and meets a coterie of colorful characters, she is forced to evaluate what is most important to her. Her values and determination have not only taken her to extraordinary destinations, they have provided her the strength and grit to face repeated tragedies and hardships. This inspiring story will encourage readers to reach for their own goals despite setbacks and barriers, and assure them that they can break free from past patterns of abuse.
Reviews
San Francisco Book Review

Summon the Tiger by Wendy Sura Thomson is a memoir that shows just how brave one person can be. Wendy Sura Thomson was born in the year of the tiger and the events that have taken place during the course of her life perfectly embody the fierce and fearless force that is a tiger. From the day she was born, Wendy had to face adversity head on because she was born with congenital skeletal abnormalities and, when she was only a toddler, one leg had to be amputated. With parents who had their own demons to face, Wendy dealt with more than anyone should have to, but she found solace and escape in books. So how much adventure, triumphs and failures can one life hold? Dive into this real story and find out.

I never used to read many memoirs, but in the last few years I have found myself enjoying them more and more, and books like Summon the Tiger are exactly why. Some of the events that happen throughout Wendy Sura Thomson's life are the stuff of fiction, and yet these things happened and the author bravely tells all, allowing you to walk through her life right next to her. I can't even begin to fathom how much strength it took to make it through such a hard childhood. Then managing to summon bravery enough to literally jump ship on an abusive family and cut her own path in the world, a path that was by no means certain or easy.

I have always felt that when we face trials in life we can do one of two things. We can allow those trials to define us, become who we are and fall into the misery that often results. Or we can use those trials to form us and strengthen us, understanding that they are something we have gone through, but it is not who we are, to walk through the fire and come out the other side forged and stronger. Wendy Sura Thomson is a prime example of choosing to let the experiences of pain and hardship forge one into something stronger. Despite an abusive childhood and a hard to bear illness, she has risen and become successful in life both professionally and personally. I can't find the words to accurately say how this book made me feel; it is a wonderful example and I applaud how much it took to write this story as well as live through the events in it. If you want to feel inspired and find the strength to work through your own trials in life, read this book. I promise that you will enjoy every moment of it. - 5 starsReaders' Favorite                                                                                                                        

Born with congenital bone deformities that left her needing a prosthetic for one leg and a malformed right arm, Wendy Thomson came into this world at a disadvantage. She was also born a girl in the early 1950s... yet another strike against her. However, despite everything the world threw at her, Thomson was able to have a remarkable life and an astounding career. Summon the Tiger tells her incomparable story.

From moving several times during her childhood (including living for a time in a boat which she helped to sail from Michigan to Florida) to working her way through college to fighting up the corporate ladder in a time when women were still considered something closer to office decorations than potential high-level workers, Thomson has lived a remarkable life, and her spirit shows through in every page. I hesitate to call her determination inspirational, only because that word has connotations of lightness and cheeriness, which she shows none of. While she does have a sense of humor, she also has grit the likes of which typical inspirational stories seem to lack. However, I believe her story will inspire people, even if it is the sort of inspiration that feels more like a sharp kick than an outstretched hand. Thomson has fought to make her life her own, to become a career woman and a mother worthy of every comfort she has, and if she can fight so strongly, it is hard to believe others can't. .... For a tale of courage and determination in the face of great odds, look no further than Thomson's memoir. -  5 starsSan Francisco Book Review

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