Synopses & Reviews
A nearly fatal riding accident forces a young woman to examine just what it is inside herself-and other people-that invites carelessness and injury.
"God touches us with a feather to get our attention. Then, if we don't listen, he starts throwing bricks."
While leading her horse across a narrow creek in the canyons of California, Samantha Dunn suffered a life-threatening accident as her horse inadvertently jumped on her leg, splitting it open and severing vital muscles and veins. Had a stranger not happened upon the scene, it's doubtful she would have survived.
This wasn't the first such incident-although it was the most serious-in a life filled with carelessness, risk-taking, and injuries. In this reflective yet humorous memoir, Dunn takes the reader through the stages of her long and painful recovery, the most important of which involved serious self-examination. A pattern of accidents, she learned, indicates other deeper issues bubbling below the surface. This last, near-fatal episode was a subconscious wake-up call to pay attention to everything she had been looking away from: her horse, who had shown clear signs of panic, and especially her complicated past and home life-including her seriously troubled marriage.
Dunn got back on the horse-literally and figuratively. How she did it makes for an entertaining, touching, and insightful book, memoir at its best.
Review
"Dunn's clear prose and lively recall of her calamities make for an effortless read." -
People"Witty, smart, droll, moving and always entertaining, Dunn's book is nothing short of a thoroughly enjoyable triumph . . . "--The Oregonian
Synopsis
One day as Samantha Dunn was leading her horse through the canyons of California, he inadvertently trampled her, nearly severing her leg.
In a life filled with risk-taking and injuries, this was the most serious accident yet. It spurred Dunn to question her inclination toward carelessness, and she learned that a pattern of accidents often indicates deeper issues bubbling below the surface. This last near-fatal episode was a wake-up call; she had been looking away, not only from her horse, who had shown clear signs of panic, but also from her complicated past and troubled marriage. Not by Accident follows the stages of Dunn's long and painful recovery, during which the emotional healing process proved even more challenging than the physical one.
About the Author
Samantha Dunn was raised in northern New Mexico and spent years in Australia and France. Her novel
Failing Paris was nominated for the PEN/West Award. She lives in southern California.