Sully: The Untold Story Behind the Miracle on the Hudson

Sometimes in own lives, we have the distinct privilege of seeing a miracle in our life, yet on January 15, 2009, 155 people on US Airways flight 1549 and the world watched as one man saved the lives of everyone on board when a flock of birds took out both engines on the plane and forced Captain "Sully" Sullenberger to make a decision to ditch the plane in the Hudson River. It couldn't have been a more text book crash landing and one that saved the lives of everyone on board the plane.

But what lingers and most don't know is that the actions that should have made Sullenberger a hero, caused his actions to be scrutinized by the NTSB and the airlines because they all believed he could have saved the plane simply by returning to the nearest available airport and instead cost the airlines millions in losses. This was the basis for the Warner Bros movie that starred Tom Hanks as Sully Sullenberger and details just how miraculous a seasoned pilots split second decision truly was.

This just isn't a book about the event of that day, but what the media and others failed to show the world. It highlights the background of Sullenberger's military service and shows how his ethical standards to do what is right proved right despite all the flight tests to prove him wrong. It shows you that despite what people might think, there are still values worth fighting for in this world. Even if it means the odds are against you and you might have to stand alone to do it. I love the backstory to Sullenberger's life the best and showcases why he was just doing what he had been trained to do, and why being declared a hero in the eyes of the world was hard for him to understand and come to terms with.

 I received Sully: The Untold Story Behind the Miracle on the Hudson by Chelsey B. "Sully: Sullenberger III and Jeffrey Zaslow compliments of William Morrow Publishers, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. This book includes actual photos from the plane crash on the Hudson River as well as personal photos of Sullenberger in his earlier life growing up and becoming a future pilot. This is a personal memoir of one man's life that showed that God was saving him for a special purpose that would happen many years later but one that He had orchestrated all along. I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Sully: The Untold Story Behind the Miracle on the Hudson, Chelsey B Sully Sullenberger, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Sully: The Untold Story Behind the Miracle on the Hudson by Chelsey B "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeff Zaslow

You can find Chelsey B. "Sully" Sullenberger on Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest information.

To read more reviews on Sully: The Untold Story Behind the Miracle on the Hudson, please visit William Morrow's website. 

Fields of Grace

"Why God? Why I am the only one left?"

These would be the same questions Hannah Luce would ask herself over and over as she began the slow road to recovery and healing being the only one to survive the plane crash that killed four of her closest friends and ones who were just beginning their lives working for Teen Mania Ministries. What Hannah shares in Fields of Grace, the book that chronicles not only what happened that fateful day that would forever change her life in more ways than she could remember but also shares how difficult her own road to discovery and faith has been being the daughter of a well known youth evangelist, Ron Luce, cofounder and CEO of Teen Mania Ministries.

This is the perfect book for anyone who is just beginning their spiritual walk or questioning where God is at in their dry moments when you wonder is this all there is in your faith walk. Hannah tells a very honest and compelling look at how she was raised and how she began at some point to wonder where God was at in all of it. She struggles with prayer and wondering why God doesn't answer her like she believes He should. She questions everything she has been raised to believe and wonders if there is something more out there than just what her dad has been teaching her.

She introduces us to Austin Anderson, the young man she meets while attending Oral Roberts University who is adored and charmed by countless women but has the most amazing friendship with Hannah because she is unlike anyone he has ever met since returning from two tours in Iraq and has been struggling to come to terms with his faith and seeing the horror of war. He and Hannah find themselves as true soulmates in every sense of the word even though they are not romantically interested in one another. It will be that same relationship that will be tested in the truest sense when their plane crashes.

Hannah tells how difficult it has been trying to find ways to reconnect with not only Austin but with Garrett Coble, the man that she believes was joining the flight that day to ask her to become part of his life, something that was shared between them but never honestly discussed until the day that would forever seal their fates and Hannah would never be able to tell Garrett her true feelings for him. She fondly remembers Austin's favorite quote from the movie Braveheart, "Every man dies, not every man really lives," and that is just how Garrett lived every moment of his life, a true hero to the end.

I received Fields of Grace by Hannah Luce and Robin Gaby Fisher compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars because I truly believe in all of our hearts, we have all had moments of doubt and wonder where God is in the midst of personal trials, struggles or losses we can not explain. This book helps cast aside those doubts and helps us to realize that most of the time God is simply waiting to be invited in, and not asked to prove His existence in our lives. This book is a love story about three friends whose bond cannot be broken by death.

Hannah Luce has decided to donate all proceeds of the sale of Fields of Grace to the nonprofit organization she formed Mirror Tree to aid in the research and to create opportunities for people in the United States to help rehabilitate and reintegrate female refugees and others suffering from the aftereffects of rape, genocide and the loss of identity. This was a dream Austin had and she wants to do all she can to see this dream become a reality and as a tribute to him and the work he had hoped to achieve.

For more information about Fields of Grace, Hannah Luce, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Fields of Grace by Hannah Luce and Robin Gaby Fisher

To find out more about Teen Mania Ministries you can check them out on Facebook.

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books (October 22, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1476729603
• ISBN-13: 978-1476729602
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches