The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
Emma Carey
From a terrible accident that left her paraplegic, Emma Carey has become an inspiration for hundreds of thousands online to live life to the fullest and remind us that if we can, we must. There on that helicopter, somewhere over Switzerland on a Sunday in June, came the first tiny whisper. A voice that that would carry me for years to come. more
322 pages, Paperback
First published Allen & Unwin
4.41
Rating
6834
Ratings
513
Reviews
Emma Carey
11 books 53 followers
Community reviews
My sister recommended this, having enjoyed reading it and meeting Em on the Tasmanian leg of her book tour. I was immediately gripped by this story – after all, how many nonfiction books start with someone free-falling 14,000ft into the ground. Em Carey’s positive energy leapt off the pages – it’s an empowering read. I was touched by the rawness and vulnerability as she shared her journey, from skydiving accident and paraplegic, to walking again and embracing life. “Perhaps that’s all bravery really is - the courage to look for hope where there is none and looking anyway. more
Such an amazing story of survival and determination. The parts describing her accident, recovery and court case were so interesting. As was the focus on how ableist the world is with no understanding of what it’s like to live in a disabled body. However there were parts that became very repetitive, and while the discussions and messages on the power of positivity and gratitude were important, they were delivered to the reader so frequently and quite forcefully they almost lost their power a little. I found these parts a little too sickly sweet, and almost a little preachy. more
I’m going to start by saying one of the first thoughts that I had when I finished this book which is that I think every single person should to read this book. I really believe anyone and everyones life would be benefited by reading Emma’s perspective on life and hearing about her experience. This book was such a rollercoaster of emotion, I have never read a book like this before and I truly believe Emma’s story and her words will stay with me forever. This book made me cry so many times but equally made me feel so uplifted and encouraged to achieve everything I can in life, and more. Since reading this book I find myself so much more thankful for little things I’ve never taken notice of before which is such a beautiful thing to take away from a book. more
Firstly I think everyone should read this book. There are so many life lessons that Em shares. She truly turned her pain into purpose and I have so much respect for her. Not only does she share the traumatic events that she went through, but every single lesson she learnt along the way. And really bringing more awareness and opening peoples eyes to what it is life for those living with a disability. more
Aside from the fact Emma’s story is quite incredible, as a book I didn’t enjoy the read. It was repetitive and a little one dimensional. more
When Emma Carey was twenty, she fell from 14,000 feet and survived. In this amazing book, emma tells us the inspirational story of how, through one of her greatest tragedies, she found her truest self. From waking in the hospital a paraplegic to learning how to use her legs again, through the six-year long court case and now being finally free to make the most of her life, Emma teaches us the importance of courage and resilience. Ok ok ok. If there is one biography you need to read this year, it’s this one. more
Wow. What an amazing book. So often when someone writes a book to tell a story of what happened to them, you are engrossed in the story itself, not the writing. Emma, though, is a wonderful writer, sharing her story AND her feelings. If you are at all familiar with what happened to her, you know of her wonderfully positive attitude. more
A beautiful story about someone's challenging journey through life. So much can be learnt from this book ❤. more
I guess I can’t say I finished this book completely, I had to skip some chapters as they were almost exactly the same as other. But I did love Emma’s story and it is amazing to see how far she has come. more
Wow what a crazy story. I liked how she explains that even though people see her as so positive, she talks about how she often isn’t and how it is a challenge to be positive. She also really inspired me to have better appreciation for my body. I think my favorite line from the whole book is from the nurse when they were going over catheters “you’d be amazed at what you can adapt to. ” Life throws us a lot of curveballs that seem so overwhelming at first and then one day those overwhelming changes have become our normal routine. more
Emma’s story is so inspiring and her positivity throughout this book is genuinely so incredible. This book is beautifully written and is such a good reminder to be grateful for the little things. more
WOW. the best autobiography I’ve ever read (listened to). Highly recommend listening to this one as Emma narrates it herself. I am in awe of this incredible woman. Her mindset & positivity is what I strive for. more
“What had haunted me in the past wasn’t simply sadness, it was being incapable of seeing that the sadness would ever end. It wasn’t the difficult road ahead that I used to fear, it was the belief that there was no road”A heartfelt story of surviving the unimaginable. Emma Carey’s positive attitude and determination to enjoy life is incredible. She articulates many complexities relating to loss and acceptance. She gives insight into the dual nature of grief, illustrating the possibility of feeling both sorrow and joy. more
GOD IT HURTS TO RATE SO LOWHow do you make such an incredible story so boring. It's incredibly repetitive, too short, and does not have enough detail for the actually interesting parts like the mechanics of the injury, recovery, and the court case, but also it's a painfully slow long read. I admire her optimism of course but my COLD COLD heart just cannot relate and found it annoying by the end of it. The writing is also far too simplistic to make this unique story shine. I wondered if there was a ghostwriter involved as I read it, but I don't think a ghostwriter would have sprinkled the same formula at the end of each chapter (a positive outlook statement written in a cliche way). more
Absolutely incredible. I’ve been following Em for some years on Instagram and reading this book was amazing. more
There was a bit of detail about her accident and recovery, a few shocking parts (the insurance claim medical exams 😱) and a whole lot of positivity and gratitude for life. I feel energized after finishing this. Definitely a great book to pick up if you need a reminder to appreciate what you have and that life is still amazing even if it doesn’t go to your plan. more
An inspiring story about learning to live and love a life that was nothing like you thought it would be. An inspiring story by a strong and determined woman. “If you can, you must”. more
Absolutely loved this. I've been curious about this book as I've followed Emma Carey on Instagram for some years now and it didn't disappoint. Her perspective on life after surviving a 4km fall is inspiring to say the least. From trauma, grief, ableism, the legal system and social anxiety to hope, gratitude, resilience and the importance of friends and family, this book covers a lot. It's very personal, surprisingly uplifting and a great reminder to not take anything for granted, even the mundane stuff. more
Amazing. Definitely recommend this book and listening to an audio version. Her optimism, joyful and unique outlook on life is what everyone should aspire for. After listening to this book, I have a different outlook on life and the nudge not to take anything for granted. Something as simple as everyday things/activities. more
Wow. This is a memoir about miracles, joy and gratitude. I cried (mainly times) reading this story and I couldn’t believe the obstacles Emma has had to face and her ability to see opportunities in every setback. This story will shake you and wake you up. The writing was beautiful and powerful. more
This whole entire book is full of positive, inspiring, uplifting messages. I honestly think everyone should pick this up, even if memoirs aren’t your thing. It really does make you appreciate life. For those who aren’t aware Emma was a 20 year old care free woman, who became a paraplegic in a skydiving accident in Switzerland. Emma shares her rawness, vulnerability and amazing strength and courage. more
This book is an autobiography about Emma's journey after her accident and becoming a paraplegic. Emma was 20 years old when her parachute failed to open during a skydive over the Swiss Alps and left her a paraplegic. Emma wrote about her life after her accident in an incredible way. Learning about her journey and her new perspective on life was so moving. I was captivated, I couldn't stop reading and couldn't stop my tears falling throughout the book. more
Didn’t think I could love Emma any more than I already do, but this book proved me wrong. The way she sees this world is incredible and I’m so thankful for the messages she’s shared 🙏🏽 . more
If you can- you must. From a tragic accident, learning to walk, to writing a book and everything in between. I've been following Em Carey's story for a long time. Reading her thoughts further cemented the fact she is inspiring and her story is truly a miracle. Recommend this story . more
When Emma Carey was 20 years old, she survived the impossible - free falling 14,000 feet from a helicopter after a skydive went wrong, leaving her permanently paralysed. Emma tells her inspiring story with such strength, captivating the reader from the very first page. Her energy and outlook are magnetic, giving a unique perspective on life and how to live it to the fullest despite the hurdles one may encounter. 4. 5 ⭐️. more
I’ve followed Emma Carey on Instagram for years. I’ve always found her words and positivity inspiring and I’ve enjoyed learning more about spinal cord injuries from following her journey. I’m so glad that I finally took the time to read her book. Her words are so deeply moving and thought-provoking that I found myself regularly pausing just to soak in the words and reflect. I listened to the audiobook that she narrates herself, and I would definitely recommend it because hearing her story and thoughts from her directly made it even more powerful. more
I've followed Emma for years on IG so I was looking forward to reading her memoir. Her IG captions have always been very insightful and her book is an extension of her beautiful writing. I admire her strength and resilience and Em's positivity shines throughout the book. I also admired Em's honesty in sharing some of her darker moments, particularly regarding the court case. Such a well written memoir, I highly recommend reading it. more
I finished this book and cried, I cried happy tears for Emma Carey. Throughout reading her story I laughed and cried with her and I am inspired by her amazing outlook on life. I feel anyone and everyone should pick this up and I swear you'll take something away from it. I have walked away with a much more gratitude towards my working body and knowing feelings are fully ok and how you are in the moment but positivity is always a great thing to rely on. Thank you Emma for sharing your amazing inspirational journey. more
Just incredible. Reading this book made me realise how we go through life not stopping to realise how incredibly fortunate we are. This book has almost paused time or at least the speed of life to sit back and realise how lucky I am as well as where I am, the dream is now a reality. I’m so immensely inspired by this book and will continue to talk and tell people about Emma Carey. If I could give this book 10 stars I would. more