Review: Expect a Miracle

Jenny Long was 12 years old when her mother passed away and her world was turned upside down.  Her mostly absent father was awarded custody and he moved her from the only home she’d ever known.  In her father’s care, Jenny made some poor choices and, at 18, she was a pregnant high school dropout, married to a criminal.

Seeing the error of her ways, Jenny decided she had to make a better life for herself and her young son, Conner.  She became involved with Jeff Long, a gentle man who loved Conner as much as she did.  When she became pregnant with Jeff’s child, they were thrilled and promised Conner he and his brother would play sports together.   When Cayden was born with cerebral palsy, that dream became forgotten until, at age 7, Conner heard about a triathlon for kids and talked his parents into allowing him to enter with his brother.  The duo hasn’t looked back since and, in 2012, won the Sports Illustrated Kid’s SportsKids of the Year award.

Expect a Miracle: A Mother’s Tale of Brotherly Love, Faith & the Race That Changed a Family’s Life by Jenny Long with Bob Der is the story of Jenny and her two sons.  The story is told in the present tense with flashbacks to Jenny’s earlier life.  The Long family’s story is moving and inspirational and I thought the book was good but not great.  For me, the boys were the stars of the story, and I had heard much of their story before.  The book is short and engaging so it’s a fast read.  If you’re not familiar with Conner and Cayden Long, you’ll probably like this book even more than I did.

Review copy provided by Wunderkind PR. I am an Indiebound Affiliate.