Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board

By Bethany Hamilton, Rick Bundschuh

88 ratings 72 reviews 114 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 6 - 8Grades 10 - 9n/a630303
The amazing story of the thirteen-year-old surfer girl who lost her arm in a shark attack but never lost her faith -- and of her triumphant return to competitive surfing.

They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else could one explain the tremendous passion that drives her to surf? How else could one explain that nothing -- not even the loss of her arm in a horrific shark attack -- could come between her and the waves?

That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii -- a glorious part of the world, where it's hard to deny the divine -- Bethany responded to the shark's stealth attack with the calm of a girl with God on her side. Pushing pain and panic aside, she immediately began to paddle with one arm, focusing on a single thought: "Get to the beach...." Rushed to the hospital, where her father, Tom Hamilton, was about to undergo knee surgery, Bethany found herself taking his spot in the O.R. It's the kind of coincidence that isn't mere coincidence to the Hamilton family, a clan whose motto could easily be "the family that surfs and prays together stays together." To them it was a sign someone had a greater plan than the one they'd been working on themselves -- which had been to scrape together whatever resources they could to help Bethany rise to the top of her sport. When the first thing Bethany wanted to know after surgery was "When can I surf again?" it became clear that her unfaltering spirit and determination were part of a greater story -- a tale of courage and faith that this modest and soft-spoken girl would come to share with the world.

Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany's life as a young surfer, her recovery in the wake of the shark attack, the adjustments she's made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in God. It is a story of girl power and spiritual grit that shows that the body is no more essential to surfing -- perhaps even less so -- than the soul.

Publisher: MTV Books
Published on 3/1/2011
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 304

Book Reviews (71)

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Loved the book Amazing story of her life

it tells about Bethany Hamilton how she was in a shark attack and lost her arm.it also tells about how it was a true story of faith , family, and fighting to get back on the bord.

This is a very strong book. It is an amazing story. This book is trying to tell us to never give up on something we love even if something happen. I found it very inspiring.

This is a powerful book that touches the heart. It is a story about a girl that goes surfing and she gets bit by a shark. I think you should read this book

this is a cool book

One thing about me: I usually don't like biographies. Still, I LOVED this book. It was so inspirational, like how she always had faith in God. Did like, any of you watch Soul Surfer? Well, this tells you about the story from her point of view again. Like, really hers.

One thing about me: I usually don't like biographies. Still, I LOVED this book. It was so inspirational, like how she always had faith in God.

I saw the movie but i want to read the book

I cried when I saw the movie but I want to read the book i wonder witch one is better the book or the movie

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