A Mind of My Own: Memoir of Recovery from Aphasia

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AuthorHouse, Nov 2, 2004 - Social Science - 392 pages
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.

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About the author (2004)

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.

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