The follow-up to the ABIA award-winning, international bestselling sensation
Penguin Bloom.
In 2016, Penguin Bloom was published and became more than a bestseller, but a phenomenon and will soon be a major Hollywood movie, starring Naomi Watts, Jacki Weaver and Andrew Lincoln. It is the true story of courage and hope about Sam Bloom who suffers a near fatal fall that leaves her paralysed and deeply depressed. Into their lives comes Penguin, an injured magpie chick abandoned after she fell from her nest. Penguin’s rescue, and the incredible joy and strength she gives Sam and all those who helped her survive, demonstrates that, however bleak things seem, compassion, friendship and support can come from unexpected quarters, ensuring there are always better days ahead. Sam’s husband documented her unique journey of recovery and an extraordinary celebration of life with photography, and New York Times bestselling author Bradley Trevor Greive added a captivating narrative to give us this true story of hope and courage.
In this sequel, Sam Bloom: Heartache and Birdsong, Sam tells her own story for the first time – how a shy but determined Australian girl became a nurse and travelled across Africa. How she fell in love (or as she describes it ‘leaping into love’) with a like-minded free spirit, raised three boys and built a life together on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
And then, in a single horrific moment, on a family holiday to Thailand, Sam fell from a hotel balcony and everything changed. Sam’s journey back from the edge of death and the depths of despair is so much more than an account of overcoming adversity. This is painful, raw, honest, and beautifully captured, once again featuring extraordinary photographs taken by Cameron Bloom and beautifully written by close friend, Bradley Trevor Greive.
This book brought me to tears. Actually, I sobbed. I challenge anyone to not cry, especially reading Sam’s moving letter to her three sons at the end. It is humbling, heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure. Cameron Bloom’s photos (and other photos they’ve chosen) perfectly complement Greive’s polished, deeply honest and emotional writing. This story reminds you that even in tragedy there is beauty. It breaks your heart and lifts it sky high. A triumph of raw emotion and incredible beauty, Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong is a truly unforgettable book.
Sam Bloom says: “I’m not the woman I was. I’m not the woman I wanted to be. I am so much more than that.’ She certainly is, and so is this book. Its life affirming and inspiring, the perfect gift to give a loved one who is suffering. The perfect gift for yourself.
Cameron Bloom, Bradley Trevor Greive and ABC Books are proud to donate a percentage of royalties from the sale of each copy of Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong to support SpinalCure Australia. Every day another Australian is paralysed by a spinal cord injury.
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