Braver than I Thought

Real People. Real Courage. Real Hope.

Luke Reynolds

• Publisher: Aladdin/Beyond Words
• Year: 2022
• eBook ISBN:
  9781665910347
• Print ISBN:
  9781582708461

Meet remarkable people who turned hardship into strength and pain into power. Braver than I Thought shares inspiring true stories of individuals who overcame physical and emotional challenges to make a lasting impact on the world.

We’re surrounded by images of seemingly perfect people with perfect faces, perfect bodies, and perfect lives. But behind every person is a story—and often, the experiences that leave a mark on us are the very ones that reveal our greatest strength.

In Braver Than I Thought, young readers discover the inspiring true stories of remarkable people who faced physical and emotional challenges and went on to make a lasting impact on the world. From Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman to war veteran and U.S. senator Tammy Duckworth to extraordinary rock climber Aron Ralston, these compelling stories explore adversity, resilience, identity, and the many different forms courage can take.

Through their experiences, readers discover that scars—whether visible or unseen—don't have to define what someone can accomplish. The challenges we face can become part of our strength, shape our sense of purpose, and help us discover just how brave we really are.

Whatever challenges life brings, they don't have to be the end of the story. Sometimes, they're the beginning of a new one.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Introduction
• Author’s Note: The Different Scars We Bear
• Chapter 1: Aron Ralston: Trapped under the Weight of the World
• Chapter 2: Tammy Duckworth: No One Left Behind
• Chapter 3: Naomi Osaka: Space to Heal
• Chapter 4: Jim MacLaren: Man or Iron Giant?
• Chapter 5: Chadwick Boseman: A King to the End
• Chapter 6: Padma Lakshmi: A Model of Resilience
• Chapter 7: Marie Curie: Pioneering Until the End
• Chapter 8: Alex Zanardi: A Need for Speed
• Chapter 9: Clarissa Ward: A Voice for the Silenced and Unheard
• Chapter 10: Curt Flood: Making a Stand from the Diamond
• Chapter 11: Tig Notaro: Learning to Laugh after Despair
• Chapter 12: Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash: The Human Calculator
• Chapter 13: Bethany Hamilton: Not a Wave She Couldn’t Ride
• Chapter 14: Winter the Dolphin: Springing Hope for Others
• Chapter 15: Halle Berry: A Battle to Sit in the Big Chair
• Chapter 16: Harry the Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle: From Glass Castles to Peaceful Palaces
• Chapter 17: Amanda Beard: Winning from Within
• Chapter 18: Hanifa Nakiryowa: Unveiling—This Is Me
• Chapter 19: Jackie Speier: A Voice Stronger than Bullets
• Chapter 20: Harriet Tubman: From Fracture to Freedom
• Chapter 21: Elizabeth Smart: Bravery over Fear
• Chapter 22: Demi Lovato: Beyond Binary and into Bravery
• Chapter 23: Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce: Standing Strong and True for His People
• Chapter 24: Giannis Antetokounmpo: A Wingspan Wide Enough for the World
• Chapter 25: Selena Gomez: A Star That Won’t Dim
• Chapter 26: Paul Cardall: A Song of Healing
• Chapter 27: Tiana Mangakahia: Driven On and Off the Court
• Chapter 28: Lauren Cantin: A Voice That Would Not Be Silenced
• Chapter 29: Ivan the Gorilla: From the Walls of a Mall to the Freedom of Friends
• Chapter 30: Queen Latifah: A Queen of Strength and Perseverance
• Conclusion
• Where to Turn for Help and Support
• Recommended Films and Books
• 100 Questions on Bravery, Trauma, Courage, and Facing Our Wounds
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Copyright