Book Review: The Vow

Book Review:

The Vow: The Kim & Krickitt Carpenter Story

By Kim Carpenter, Krickitt Carpenter, & Dana Wilkerson

Just a few months after their wedding, Kim and Krickitt Carpenter were in a near fatal car accident. Kim, a college baseball coach, would suffer sever back pain for most of his life. Krickitt, a former gymnast, survived when everyone was sure she would not.

Following the accident, Krickitt went through months of therapy to recover. She had to learn basic functions such as feeding herself and walking all over again. She also had to struggle with memory loss. There were large periods of time, including her courtship, wedding, and life with Kim, that she would never remember.

The Vow chronicles Kim and Krickitt’s physical and mental struggles to overcome the accident and save their marriage. The two started their relationship over again from the very beginning – first, second, and third dates… they created a new set of memories for Krickitt to remember and fell in love all over again.

Recommendation: While a very short book, The Vow is one of those books that really made me think and reflect. After finishing the book, I immediately started thinking about Kim and Krickitt’s marriage – their strength and perseverance. No marriage is easy, but the challenges they faced are hard to imagine. I found it inspiring, and hope that I have the same strength when I face challenges, no matter how big or small, in my own marriage.

Even more than thinking about marriage, The Vow had me thinking about faith, because ultimately, The Vow is a powerful story about faith and the importance of it in two people’s lives. One of the strengths of this book, in my opinion, is that although the Carpenters wrote this book to share the story of their faith, I didn’t find this book preachy, which would have been a turn off for me. Instead, they wrote about their faith and the strong role it played in overcoming their struggles in a very matter-of-fact way (at least up until the last chapter or two of the book, when they talk about sharing their story in the media).

The one downfall with the book was that parts, particularly Kim and Krickitt’s second courtship, felt rush. It would have been nice if the book was a little longer and spent more time on Krickitt’s recovery and rebuilding her relationship with Kim. Perhaps even a couple chapters from Krickitt’s perspective.

Read The Vow. Even if you aren’t married or very religious, read it. It will only take you an afternoon or so. It will make you think and reflect on your own life. Any book that can do that is worth reading.

Grade: B+

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