The Journey Less Traveled: Choose To Turn Your Tragedy Into Triumph
Loretta Harris
ISBN: 9780978668150
Children's Heart Publishing
Reviewed By Heather Slocumb

Official Apex Reviews Rating: 


Imagine one morning walking out of your house on your way to work, not knowing that in a matter of hours it would take you nearly a year before you could ever take another step…

Such a grim prospect may be too difficult for many people to conceive, but, for Loretta Harris, it became a traumatic reality.

The Journey Less Traveled chronicles the tragic events that transpired in Harris' life surrounding a near-fatal car accident that she suffered in the summer of 2006. Following a head-on collision that caught her and her passengers completely by surprise, Harris underwent numerous emergency surgical procedures over the ensuing critical hours to repair the extensive damage done to various bones, organs, and systems of her body. Her very life hanging in the delicate balance, many times during the initial stages of her recovery, doctors, other medical staff – and even associates of hers – declared that she wouldn't pull through, but her family, friends, and extended network of supporters all banded together in a united prayer chain for the preservation of her life, all bolstered by the faith that she would survive.

And survive she did, but, as it would turn out, that may have actually been the easy part. What followed for Harris was a grueling stint in physical therapy, where she had to learn all over again how to function on her own, including re-learning how to walk – one agonizing step at a time. During the seemingly endless months of her journey to ultimate wellness, Harris endured the full spectrum of emotion – including everything from hopelessness to depression to all-out anger – but she persevered through it all and made an amazing full recovery, emerging stronger, healthier, and wiser than ever before.

The Journey Less Traveled is not your typical survivor story. The injuries that Harris suffered from the accident – not to mention the extreme difficulty of the recovery process – would be entirely too much for most individuals to handle. Appropriately enough, though, Harris is colloquially known as "Faith" by her family and friends, and it is that very faith that brought her through the darkest time of her young life. During the entire ordeal, Harris questioned many things, but one thing she never questioned was her faith in God and His ability to have her emerge victorious over her situation. Even when she couldn't take a single step in physical therapy without yelping in enormous pain, she drew on the strength of a higher power – a strength that superseded her own – which made it possible for her to overcome the adversity of her recovery.

And Harris credits that same higher power for helping her deal with the aftermath of the accident, including the death of a beloved student of hers who was a passenger in the car with her. By focusing on the beauty of the young life that he lived, as well as the considerable impression that he made on all those who knew and loved him, Harris is able to celebrate him in the wake of his death, preventing herself and others from succumbing to the throes of their grief.

The Journey Less Traveled is an inspiring, uplifting account of an indomitable spirit, as well as a striking testament to the sheer power of human will. Readers will surely be enlightened by this compelling tale of someone who was thrust into the darkest recesses of earthly suffering and overcame it all with the force of a true spiritual soldier. The greatest lesson offered in the pages of this moving memoir is that no matter how difficult events in your life may seem, always know that someone else has not only suffered worse, but overcame it all – so nothing is stopping you from doing the same.