Out of the Blue: One Woman's Story of Stroke, Love, and Survival - Softcover

Bonnie Sherr Klein was one of those people who had it all-a loving marriage, a successful and fulfilling career, and two beautiful, healthy teenaged children. Then, one summer, while vacationing with her husband, a catastrophic stroke left her paralyzed, speechless, and hospitalized. "In many ways," Klein says, " I lived people's worst nightmare." Bonnie had a "take charge" mentality when it came to her care, and she was lucky enough to be surrounded by a circle of community and family, which helped her recover in unexpected ways. Bonnie's experiences are chronicled in her new book, Slow Dance: A Story of Stroke, Love, and Disability, which offers a rare and raw openness, bringing a very personal voice to this "silent killer," and giving comfort to both those who are themselves experiencing a new physical reality and their caretakers.

"The stroke forced me to change my life, to abandon the clock and calendar, and to heed my body's ever changing requirements," writes Klein, who before her stroke directed the much acclaimed documentary, Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography. Bonnie's memoir delivers information about disease and rehabilitation, hospitals and care providers-helping stroke survivors by supplying them with a better understanding of how to cope with their current situation. Slow Dance closes three years after Klein's stroke-not when she's "recovered," but when she accepts that she will be permanently disabled. Her work as a disability rights activist does not focus so much on a "cure" for people with disabilities, but instead advocates for more accessibility and visibility for disabled people.

Bonnie exposes herself and her family so completely, and we are so compelled by her story, that even people who haven't had direct experience with stroke will be inspired. Klein's book has drawn attention from medical directors, disability and feminist activists, and health writers. With the additional voices and perspectives of Bonnie's husband, Michael, a physician, along with her teenaged son and daughter, and nurses, doctors, physical therapists, and friends, Slow Dance answers challenging questions and provides hope.